Chapter 14-16 Essays - Gediminids, Grand Dukes Of Lithuania

Chapter 14-16 Mindovg Also known as Mindaugas, this man was the first king of Lithuania, which was forced to coalesce into some semblance of a pagan state due to pressures from the Teutonic Knights. This man would adopt Christianity, and a crown from Pope Innocent IV, only to abandon Christianity just prior to his assassination, which sent Lithuanian into a power vacuum and a period of instability. also known as Vytenis, was the first ruler to unite Lithuanian following the assassination of Mindovg. This man ruled from approximately 1295 to 1316 under the title Grand Prince, also known as Grand Duke, and was killed fighting the Teutonic Knights. Viten also known as Vytenis, was the first ruler to unite Lithuanian following the assassination of Mindovg. This man ruled from approximately 1295 to 1316 under the title Grand Prince, also known as Grand Duke, and was killed fighting the Teutonic Knights. Gedymin also known as Gediminas, was the brother of Viten and is known as Lithuania's first true lea der, coalescing the pagan states into a viable political unit. Under this man's rule Lithuanian continued to expand to the southeast, pushing past Polotsk that had already been conquered by Mindovg. It was under this man's rule that Vilna became the capital of Lithuania. Olgerd lso known as Algidas, was the most successful of the Lithuanian rulers, expanding his state to its height to include Volynia, Kiev, Chernigov, and Smolensk. Aided by his brother Keistut, this man was able to fend off the Teutonic Knights, Poland, Muscovy, and the Mongols, allowing his state to stretch from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. This man died in 1377. The success of this man can be contributed to the nature of his state: Russian-Lithuanaian. Over 75% of Lithuania was Russian, Russia was declared the official language of state during this man's rule, and the Lithuanians reformed their army, administration, legal system, and financial system with Russia's as a model. Lithuanian aristocracy also sought to assimilate with the Russia aristocracy. In this manner, Russians did not considered themselves ruled by a foreign occupier but by a Russian state. Jagiello also known as Jogaila, the son and successor of Olgerd, was used by his father in order to secure an alliance with Poland, who fought with Lithuania from many of the same trade routes. Olgerd had his son married to Queen Jadwiga of Poland, becoming the heir of Polish crown. This was necessary as the Piast ruling family had no male heir. When Olgerd passed in 1377, this man became both the Grand Duke of Lithuania and remained the next in line to become the King of Poland, under the Polish name Wladyslaw II. However, in 1392, this man was forced to name Keitut's son Vitovt the Grand Prince of Lithuania, although he was vassal to the King of Poland, who was this man. This arrangement led to two distinctly separate kingdoms under the person union of one man. In 1413, this union, with Lithuania as vassal of Poland, remained even w hen the King of Poland and the Grand Prince of Lithuania were two separate people. After this man, the only man to rule in both positions would be Casimir IV, who ascended in 1447 to the Polish thrown without relinquishing his titled as the Grand Prince of Lithuania. Vitovt also known as Vytautas, was the son of Keistut, the brother of Olgerd and ruled as the Grand Prince of Lithuania, vassal to the King of Poland, from 1392 to 1430. Under this man's rule Lithuania grew to its largest area, absorbing Moldavia, Wallachia, and Bessarabia. This man also secured relative peace with weaker Moscow after Vasilii I married this man's daughter. During his reign, all of Kievan Rus, save Pskov and Novgorod, was either conquered or pledged their alliance to this man. This man led Lithuania against the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Tannenberg, effectively ending the Teutonic threat. However many successes he had, this man had one devastating defeat in 1399 against the Mongols on the bans of the Vorskla River, signaling the decline of Lithuania. The Battle of tannenber known after WWI as the Battle of Grunwald, was fought in 1410 by Lithuania, led