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Vytautas the Great
Vytautas the Great (Lithuanian: ; ; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; ; Ruthenian: Vitovt; c. 1350 – October 27 1430), was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. With the title Didysis Kunigaik?tis, the equivalent of king, he was the supreme ruler of his dominions and also a member of the Order of the Dragon. Vytautas was the ruler (1401–1430) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians. He was also the Prince of Hrodna (1370–1382) and the Prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), postulated king of Hussites.[1] In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revered as a national hero and was an important figure in the national rebirth in the early 20th century. Vytautas is a popular male given name in Lithuania. Vytautas Magnus University was named after him. Monuments in his honor were built in many towns in the independent Republic of Lithuania during the interwar period, 1918-1939.
Struggle for powerEarly life
A statue in Vytautas' birthplace 1377?1384
Lutsk castle Vytautas' father, K?stutis, and his uncle Algirdas, were brothers and did not compete for power. Algirdas was the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and K?stutis was primarily responsible for defense against the Teutonic Knights. However, after Algirdas' death in 1377, his son Jogaila, became Grand Duke. The harmonious relationship of his father and uncle ended, and a struggle for power between them ensued. In 1380, Jogaila signed the secret Treaty of Dovydi?k?s with the Teutonic Knights against K?stutis. When K?stutis discovered this in the following year, he seized Vilnius, imprisoned Jogaila, and made himself Grand Duke. However, Jogaila managed to escape and raised an army against K?stutis, and his son Vytautas. The two opposing sides confronted each other but never engaged in battle. K?stutis was ready to negotiate, but he and Vytautas were arrested and transported to Kreva castle. One week later, K?stutis was found dead. Whether he died of natural causes or was murdered is still a matter of debate amongst historians. 
Vytautas and K?stutis imprisoned by Jogaila. Painting by Wojciech Gerson 1389?1392
Vytautas the Great, as depicted on an engraving of the 16th century To further advance his influence, Vytautas married his only daughter Sophia to Vasili I of Russia in 1391. The Polish nobility was unhappy that Jogaila, their new king, now W?adys?aw II Jagie??o, spent too much time on the affairs of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was clear that the war could continue for years and would not bring any benefit to the country. In 1392, Wladyslaw II Jagie??o's envoy, Henry of Masovia, offered Vytautas to become his regent instead of Skirgaila. Vytautas accepted and once again burned three Teutonic castles and returned to Vilnius. Jagie??o and Vytautas signed the Astrava Treaty in which Vytautas redeemed all K?stutis' lands, including Trakai, and was given more. He could rule Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the name of Wladyslaw II Jagie??o. After Vytautas death all lands and powers were to be returned to the King of Poland. Grand Duke of Lithuania
Policy towards the EastVytautas continued Algirdas' vision to control as many Muscovy lands as possible. Many lands were already under the Grand Duke's rule, but the rest were controlled by the Mongols. Tokhtamysh, Khan of the Golden Horde, sought Vytautas' help when he was removed from the throne in 1395 after his defeat by Timur. An agreement was reached that Vytautas would help Tokhtamysh to regain power, and the Horde would cede more lands to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in return. In 1398, Vytautas' army attacked a part of the Crimea and built a castle there. Now Lithuania spanned from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. A number of Tatar captives were brought to the ethnic Lithuania. 
Columns of Gediminids, a sign of Vytautas and his state Wars against the Teutonic Order
In 1398 in preparation for the crusade against the Golden Horde, Vytautas had signed the Treaty of Salynas with the Teutonic Knights and transferred Samogitia to them. Samogitia was especially important for the order because it separated Teutonic Knights, based in Prussia, from the Livonian Order, based in Latvia. The two orders desired to unite and form a mighty force. However, the knights ruled Samogitia only for three years, because in 1401 the Samogitians, supported by Vytautas, rebelled and burned two castles. The knights received support from ?vitrigaila, brother of Jagie??o, who desired to take Vytautas' title. In 1404 another treaty was signed which, in essence, repeated the Salynas treaty: Samogitia was transferred to the Teutonic Knights. Poland promised not to support Lithuania in case of another war. The knights promised to support Vytautas in the east and not to support any Gediminid who could have claims to the Grand Duke of Lithuania title. However, the treaty did not solve the problems, and all the parties prepared for a war. In 1408 Vytautas reached peace in the east and returned to Samogitia matters. In 1409 a second rebellion, backed by Vytautas, against the Teutonic Knights started. The rebels burned Skirsnemun? castle. Since both Poland and Lithuania supported the rebels, the war started. Vytautas gathered a large army from 18 lands under his control. The army joined Polish forces and advanced towards the Teutonic headquarters at the castle of Marienburg (present-day Malbork). In 1410 Vytautas himself commanded the forces of the Grand Duchy in the Battle of Grunwald (also called the Battle of Tannenberg or ?algirio m??is). The battle ended in a decisive Polish-Lithuanian victory. Even though the siege of Marienburg was unsuccessful, the Teutonic Knights never regained their strength and from then on posed a reduced threat to Poland-Lithuania. 
the Royal Seal, with the only survived original depiction of Vytautas As a result of the Peace of Thorn of 1411, Vytautas received Samogitia for his lifetime. However, the parties could not agree on the border. Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, agreed to mediate the dispute. In 1413, it was declared that the whole right bank of the Neman River was Samogitia and therefore belonged to Lithuania. The Teutonic Knights disagreed and a new war started in 1414. The war lasted for just a couple of months and the dispute was brought to the Council of Constance. Even though the dispute was not resolved, the Samogitians had a chance to present their case to the leaders of Europe. It is seen as an important event in the diplomatic history of Lithuania. Several other mediation attempts failed and yet another war with the Teutonic Order started in 1422. After a couple of months of fighting, the Treaty of Lake Melno was signed. Samogitia was returned to Lithuania in perpetuity, while the city of Memel (present-day Klaip?da) and surrounding territories stayed with the Order. This border, as established by the treaty, remained stable for some 500 years until the Memel Territory dispute of 1923. With peace established, Vytautas could now concentrate on reforms and the relationship with Poland. Relationship with Poland
Vytautas the Great monument in Kaunas In 1399 Jadwiga of Poland and her newborn died in childbirth. Jogaila's power in Poland was jeopardized as he was a foreigner king with no other ties to the throne but his wife. Also, the defeat at Vorskla forced a re-evaluation of the relationship between Poland and Lithuania. The result was the Union of Vilnius and Radom in 1401. Vytautas was granted wide autonomy, but after his death the title and powers of Grand Duke of Lithuania were to be transferred to the king of Poland. In case Jagie??o died first without an heir, the Polish nobility agreed not to elect a new king without consulting Vytautas. The unique feature of this union was that the Lithuanian nobility presented their own document: for the first time somebody other than dukes played a role in the state matters. 
Church of Vytautas the Great. Built around 1400 in Kaunas In January of 1429 Vytautas already had received the title of King of Lithuania with the backing of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, but the envoys who were transporting the crown were stopped by Polish magnates in autumn of 1430. Another crown was sent, but Vytautas died in the Trakai Island Castle several days before it reached Lithuania. He was buried in the Cathedral of Vilnius. The knowledge about his remains has been lost. According to 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vytautas "was certainly the most imposing personality of his day in Eastern Europe, and his martial valour was combined with statesmanlike foresight." 
Litas commemorative coin dedicated to Vytautas the Great ReformsVytautas backed the economic development of his state and introduced many reforms. Under his rule the Grand Duchy of Lithuania gradually became more centralized, as local princes with dynastic ties to the throne were replaced by the governors loyal to Vytautas. The governors were rich landowners who formed the basis for the Lithuanian nobility. During Vytautas' rule, the influential Radziwi?? and Go?tautai families began their rise. Title
(Breviary excerpt from a document in 1422: Nos Alexander alias Witoldus eadem < Dei > gracia, magnus dux Lithwanie terrarumque Russie etc.) Observe: Technically, Vytautas was most of his reign a nominal vassal of his cousin Jogaila, then king of Poland, who used an additional title Supreme Prince of Lithuania. See also
NotesReferences
be:?????? ??????????? be-x-old:?????? de:Vytautas et:Vytautas eo:Vytautas fr:Vytautas le Grand it:Vytautas il Grande la:Witold Wielki lt:Vytautas hu:Nagy Witold ja:??????? pl:Witold Kiejstutowicz ru:?????? fi:Vytautas Suuri uk:?????? bat-smg:V?tauts D?dl?s?s Source: Wikipedia | The above article is available under the GNU FDL. | Edit this article
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