Prince Vladislav II Jagiello. Vladislav II Jagiello

Władysław II Jagiello is the founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty, which ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland from the end of the 14th century until 1572. Participant in the Battle of Grunwald, which marked the beginning of the end of the expansion of the Teutonic Order into Lithuania and Poland. The assessments of historians from different countries regarding this person vary: according to Polish historiographers, he was distinguished by his strong character and physical strength, as well as great influence on the political map of Europe, but Russian scientists adhered to the opposite point of view, considering Vladislav II a weak-willed person, subject to influence and not having outstanding abilities.

Biography

Jagiello from the Gediminovich family was born in 1362, in the family of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd, famous for the significant expansion of the borders of the state, and the Orthodox Juliana, the daughter of the Tver prince. He was brought up at his father's court, after whose death in 1377 he became his successor on the throne of the Lithuanian principality. He managed to annex the Polotsk lands to the principality, but Volyn, Podolia and Severshchina were separated. In 1381, during the civil war, Prince Jagiello was overthrown by his own uncle, who intended to pursue a policy aimed at rapprochement with Moscow to confront the Mongol-Tatars, but a year later he regained the throne, turning to the Teutonic Order and the Golden Horde for help. His uncle Keysut was sent to prison, where he died a month later.

Domestic and foreign policy

Unification of Lithuania and Poland. Cooperation with the Teutonic Order was continued by Keisut's son Vytautas, forcing Jagiello to renounce part of the state's territory and commit to accepting the Catholic faith. Pressure from the Teutonic Order forced the Grand Duke to look for new allies, and his gaze fell on Poland. Jagiello decided to woo the Polish queen Jadwiga, although before that, according to an agreement with the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich, he was supposed to marry his daughter. The Grand Duke invited Jadwiga to unite their states by converting the people of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to Catholicism. In mid-February 1386, he arrived in Krakow, where he was baptized according to Catholic customs and married to the queen, after which he began to rule Lithuania through governors, settling in the Kingdom of Poland. Lithuania began to be considered part of Poland, but Jogaila's cousin Vytautas managed to achieve significant autonomy for Lithuania, while maintaining the union of the two states. Thus, Jagiello reigned until 1434, until his death. In 1410, he fought at the head of the united army of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Battle of Grunwald, which was of great importance for subsequent European history.

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We can name several main consequences of the reign of the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King Jogaila of Poland. The main one is the baptism of the Lithuanian people into the Catholic faith and the subsequent unification of the two states. This unification served as an impetus for the creation of a new state - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which in the future became one of the most noticeable forces on the European map. It is also worth noting that it was Jogaila who became the founder of the family of rulers of the united state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland. In terms of foreign policy, Jagiello's undoubted achievement is the victory, together with his brother Vytautas, in the Battle of Grunwald over the Teutonic Order, which caused the loss of the order's combat effectiveness and the disappearance of external danger on its part for the united state.

Burial place: Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslas, Krakow, Poland Genus: Gediminovichi,
Jagiellonians (founder) Father: Olgerd Mother: Juliania Alexandrovna Tverskaya Spouse: Jadwiga
Anna Tselskaya
Elzbieta Granowska
Sofia Golshanskaya Children: Elizaveta Boniface, Yadviga Jagielowna, Vladislav III Varnenchik, Casimir IV Jagiellonczyk

Name

Power struggle

Became Grand Duke after the death of his father, Grand Duke Olgerd in 1377. After a conflict with his brother Andrey, he took possession of Polotsk. Following Bryansk (1371) and Smolensk (1375), Volyn, Podolia (1377) and Severshchina (1379/1380) left the control of the Grand Duke of Lithuania.

Marriage to Jadwiga


Died in 1434. According to Jan Dlugosz, he caught a cold while listening to the nightingale singing.

Family

Wives and children

  • 1st wife from 1386 Jadwiga (Queen of Poland) one daughter
  1. Elizabeth Boniface (1399)
  • 2nd wife from 1402 Anna Celskaya one daughter
  1. Jadwiga (1408-1431)
  • 3rd wife from 1416 Elzbieta Granowska had no children
  • 4th wife since 1422 Sofya Golshanskaya three children
  1. Vladislav III (1424-1444)
  2. Casimir (1426-1427)
  3. Casimir IV (1427-1492)

Ancestors

Jagiello - ancestors
Gediminas of Lithuania
Olgerd of Lithuania
Jagiello (Vladislav Jagiello)
Yaroslav Yaroslavich Tverskoy
Mikhail Yaroslavich Tverskoy
Ksenia Yurievna
Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy
Dmitry Borisovich Rostovsky
Anna Kashinskaya
Ulyana Alexandrovna Tverskaya
Anastasia

Impact and ratings

Jogaila was the first of the Lithuanian princely dynasty of Gediminovich, who also bore the title of kings of Poland. The Jagiellon dynasty he founded ruled both states until 1572. Russian historians and writers of the 19th century, as a rule, tend to consider him a man of small intelligence and weak character, who could not play an outstanding role in contemporary life. On the contrary, in Polish historiography he is usually credited with great abilities and a strong influence on the course of historical events.

Among the events of enormous importance during his reign, the baptism of Lithuania and the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, which put an end to the expansion of the German knights, stand out.

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Notes

Links

Literature

  • Karl Szajnoha, "Jadwiga i Jagiełło 1374-1413", 1861, t. 1-4 (reprint: Warszawa, 1974).
  • Novodvorsky V.V.// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
  • J. Caro, “Geschichte Polens” (2nd part, Gotha, 1863)
  • M. Smirnov, “Yagello-Jakov-Vladislav and the first union of Lithuania with Poland” (Odessa, 1868, “Notes of the Novorossiysk University”)
  • St. Smolka, “Kiejstut i Jagiełło” (Krakow, 1888)
  • F. Koneczny, “Jagiełło i Witold” (“Przewodnik naukowy”, 1892)
  • A. Lewicki, “Powstanie Świdrygiełły” (“Rozpr. Ak. It.”, XXIX)
  • J. Jakštas, Z. Ivinskis, S. Sužiedėlis, A. Šapoka, P. Šležas. "Jogaila", red. A. Šapoka, Kaunas, 1935.
  • Sruogienė-Sruoga, Vanda, ", " Lituanus, vol. 33(4) (Winter 1987), p. 23-34.
  • Tymovsky, Michal. History of Poland. M.: The whole world, 2003.

Image in cinema

  • “Crusaders” / “Krzyzacy” (Poland;) directed by Alexander Ford, in the role of King Władysław Jagiello - Emil Karevich.

Excerpt characterizing Jagiello

“I humbly thank you, prince,” answered one of the officers, enjoying talking with such an important staff official. - Beautiful place. We walked past the park itself, saw two deer, and what a wonderful house!
“Look, prince,” said the other, who really wanted to take another pie, but was ashamed, and who therefore pretended that he was looking around the area, “look, our infantry have already climbed there.” Over there, in the meadow outside the village, three people are dragging something. “They will break through this palace,” he said with visible approval.
“Both,” said Nesvitsky. “No, but what I would like,” he added, chewing the pie in his beautiful, moist mouth, “is to climb up there.”
He pointed to a monastery with towers visible on the mountain. He smiled, his eyes narrowed and lit up.
- But that would be good, gentlemen!
The officers laughed.
- At least scare these nuns. Italians, they say, are young. Really, I would give five years of my life!
“They’re bored,” said the bolder officer, laughing.
Meanwhile, the retinue officer standing in front was pointing something out to the general; the general looked through the telescope.
“Well, so it is, so it is,” the general said angrily, lowering the receiver from his eyes and shrugging his shoulders, “and so it is, they will attack the crossing.” And why are they hanging around there?
On the other side, the enemy and his battery were visible to the naked eye, from which milky white smoke appeared. Following the smoke, a distant shot was heard, and it was clear how our troops hurried to the crossing.
Nesvitsky, puffing, stood up and, smiling, approached the general.
- Would your Excellency like to have a snack? - he said.
“It’s not good,” said the general, without answering him, “our people hesitated.”
– Shouldn’t we go, Your Excellency? - said Nesvitsky.
“Yes, please go,” said the general, repeating what had already been ordered in detail, “and tell the hussars to be the last to cross and light the bridge, as I ordered, and to inspect the flammable materials on the bridge.”
“Very good,” answered Nesvitsky.
He called to the Cossack with the horse, ordered him to remove his purse and flask, and easily threw his heavy body onto the saddle.
“Really, I’ll go see the nuns,” he said to the officers, who looked at him with a smile, and drove along the winding path down the mountain.
- Come on, where will it go, captain, stop it! - said the general, turning to the artilleryman. - Have fun with boredom.
- Servant to the guns! - the officer commanded.
And a minute later the artillerymen ran out cheerfully from the fires and loaded.
- First! - a command was heard.
Number 1 bounced smartly. The gun rang metallic, deafening, and a grenade flew whistling over the heads of all our people under the mountain and, not reaching the enemy, showed with smoke the place of its fall and burst.
The faces of the soldiers and officers brightened at this sound; everyone got up and began observing the clearly visible movements of our troops below and in front of the movements of the approaching enemy. At that very moment the sun completely came out from behind the clouds, and this beautiful sound of a single shot and the shine of the bright sun merged into one cheerful and cheerful impression.

Two enemy cannonballs had already flown over the bridge, and there was a crush on the bridge. In the middle of the bridge, having dismounted from his horse, pressed with his thick body against the railing, stood Prince Nesvitsky.
He, laughing, looked back at his Cossack, who, with two horses in the lead, stood a few steps behind him.
As soon as Prince Nesvitsky wanted to move forward, the soldiers and carts again pressed on him and again pressed him against the railing, and he had no choice but to smile.
- What are you, my brother! - the Cossack said to the Furshtat soldier with the cart, who was pressing on the infantry crowded with the very wheels and horses, - what are you! No, to wait: you see, the general has to pass.
But furshtat, not paying attention to the name of the general, shouted at the soldiers blocking his way: “Hey!” fellow countrymen! keep left, wait! “But the fellow countrymen, crowding shoulder to shoulder, clinging with bayonets and without interruption, moved along the bridge in one continuous mass. Looking down over the railing, Prince Nesvitsky saw the fast, noisy, low waves of Ens, which, merging, rippling and bending around the bridge piles, overtook one another. Looking at the bridge, he saw equally monotonous living waves of soldiers, coats, shakos with covers, backpacks, bayonets, long guns and, from under the shakos, faces with wide cheekbones, sunken cheeks and carefree tired expressions, and moving legs along the sticky mud dragged onto the boards of the bridge . Sometimes, between the monotonous waves of soldiers, like a splash of white foam in the waves of Ens, an officer in a raincoat, with his own physiognomy different from the soldiers, squeezed between the soldiers; sometimes, like a chip winding through a river, a foot hussar, an orderly or a resident was carried across the bridge by waves of infantry; sometimes, like a log floating along the river, surrounded on all sides, a company or officer's cart, piled to the top and covered with leather, floated across the bridge.
“Look, they’ve burst like a dam,” the Cossack said, stopping hopelessly. -Are there many of you still there?
– Melion without one! - a cheerful soldier walking nearby in a torn overcoat said winking and disappeared; another, old soldier walked behind him.
“When he (he is the enemy) begins to fry the taperich on the bridge,” the old soldier said gloomily, turning to his comrade, “you will forget to itch.”
And the soldier passed by. Behind him another soldier rode on a cart.
“Where the hell did you stuff the tucks?” - said the orderly, running after the cart and rummaging in the back.
And this one came with a cart. This was followed by cheerful and apparently drunk soldiers.
“How can he, dear man, blaze with the butt right in the teeth…” one soldier in a high-tucked greatcoat said joyfully, waving his hand widely.
- This is it, sweet ham is that. - answered the other with laughter.
And they passed, so Nesvitsky did not know who was hit in the teeth and what the ham was.
“They’re in such a hurry that he let out a cold one, so you think they’ll kill everyone.” - the non-commissioned officer said angrily and reproachfully.
“As soon as it flies past me, uncle, that cannonball,” said the young soldier, barely restraining laughter, with a huge mouth, “I froze.” Really, by God, I was so scared, it’s a disaster! - said this soldier, as if boasting that he was scared. And this one passed. Following him was a carriage, unlike any that had passed so far. It was a German steam-powered forshpan, loaded, it seemed, with a whole house; tied behind the forshpan that the German was carrying was a beautiful, motley cow with a huge udder. On the feather beds sat a woman with a baby, an old woman and a young, purple-red, healthy German girl. Apparently, these evicted residents were allowed through with special permission. The eyes of all the soldiers turned to the women, and while the cart passed, moving step by step, all the soldiers' comments related only to two women. Almost the same smile of lewd thoughts about this woman was on all their faces.
- Look, the sausage is also removed!
“Sell mother,” another soldier said, emphasizing the last syllable, turning to the German, who, with his eyes downcast, walked angrily and fearfully with wide steps.
- How did you clean up! Damn it!
“If only you could stand with them, Fedotov.”
- You saw it, brother!
- Where are you going? - asked the infantry officer who was eating an apple, also half-smiling and looking at the beautiful girl.
The German, closing his eyes, showed that he did not understand.
“If you want, take it for yourself,” the officer said, handing the girl an apple. The girl smiled and took it. Nesvitsky, like everyone else on the bridge, did not take his eyes off the women until they passed. When they passed, the same soldiers walked again, with the same conversations, and finally everyone stopped. As often happens, at the exit of the bridge the horses in the company cart hesitated, and the whole crowd had to wait.
- And what do they become? There is no order! - said the soldiers. -Where are you going? Damn! There's no need to wait. Even worse, he will set the bridge on fire. “Look, the officer was locked in too,” the stopped crowds said from different sides, looking at each other, and still huddled forward towards the exit.
Looking under the bridge at the waters of Ens, Nesvitsky suddenly heard a sound that was still new to him, quickly approaching... something big and something plopping into the water.
- Look where it's going! – the soldier standing close said sternly, looking back at the sound.
“He’s encouraging them to pass quickly,” said another restlessly.
The crowd moved again. Nesvitsky realized that it was the core.
- Hey, Cossack, give me the horse! - he said. - Well you! stay away! step aside! way!
With great effort he reached the horse. Still screaming, he moved forward. The soldiers squeezed to give him way, but again they pressed on him again so that they crushed his leg, and those closest were not to blame, because they were pressed even harder.
- Nesvitsky! Nesvitsky! You, madam!” a hoarse voice was heard from behind.
Nesvitsky looked around and saw, fifteen paces away, separated from him by a living mass of moving infantry, red, black, shaggy, with a cap on the back of his head and a brave mantle draped over his shoulder, Vaska Denisov.
“Tell them what to give to the devils,” he shouted. Denisov, apparently in a fit of ardor, shining and moving his coal-black eyes with inflamed whites and waving his unsheathed saber, which he held with a bare little hand as red as his face.
- Eh! Vasya! – Nesvitsky answered joyfully. - What are you talking about?
“Eskadg “onu pg” you can’t go,” shouted Vaska Denisov, angrily opening his white teeth, spurring his beautiful black, bloody Bedouin, who, blinking his ears from the bayonets he bumped into, snorting, spraying foam from the mouthpiece around him, ringing, he beat his hooves on the boards of the bridge and seemed ready to jump over the railings of the bridge if the rider would allow him. - What is this? like bugs! exactly like bugs! Pg "och... give dog" ogu!... Stay there! you're a wagon, chog"t! I'll kill you with a saber! - he shouted, actually taking out his saber and starting to wave it.
The soldiers with frightened faces pressed against each other, and Denisov joined Nesvitsky.
- Why aren’t you drunk today? - Nesvitsky said to Denisov when he drove up to him.

- (Jagiello; Lithuanian Jogaila, Polish Jagiello) (c. 1350 May 31/June 1, 1434, Grodek, near Lvov), Lithuanian Grand Duke in 1377 1392, King of Poland from 1386 as Władysław II Jagiello, founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty (see . JAGELLONS). Jagiello, son of the prince... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Or Jagiello, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. The son of the Orthodox Princess Juliana, he already professed Orthodoxy in his youth, according to some researchers; other historians prove that he remained a pagan until the very moment... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Jagiello- historian Belor. (1348? – 1434) Grand Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, King of Poland, statesman on a European scale and founder of the Belarusian-Polish royal dynasty. Together, Vytautas and Jagiello stopped... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky

Jogaila (about 1350 1.6.1434), Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1377 92 (with a break), King of Poland (Władysław II Jagiellław Władysław II Jagiełło) from 1386, founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty (See Jagiellonians). Son of Olgerd. In the Great... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Or Jagiello, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. The son of the Orthodox Princess Julia, he already professed Orthodoxy in his youth, according to some researchers; other historians prove that he remained a pagan until the very moment... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Jogaila (ca. 1350 1.VI.1434), led. Prince of Lithuania in 1377 92 (with a break), King of Poland (under the name Wladyslaw II Jagiello Wladyslaw II Jagiello) from 1386, founder of the Jagiellon dynasty. Son of Olgerd, grandson of Gediminas. In 1380 he concluded... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

JAGAILLO- (or Jogaila; (c. 1350 1434) Grand Duke of Lithuania; meaning popular) You ask, who commands? Omnipotent god of details, Omnipotent god of love, Jagiello and Jadwig. P917 (I,167) ... Proper name in Russian poetry of the 20th century: dictionary of personal names

Jagiello- Jogaila (ca. 1350 1434), led. Lit. book (1377 99), Polish. king (under the name of Vladislav II Jagiello). Founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Son of Olgerd. In the Battle of Kulikovo (1380) he was a supporter of Mamai. In the Battle of Grunwald (1410) he leads... ... Dictionary of generals

Jagiello- the name of the human family, the origin of a historical person... Spelling dictionary of Ukrainian language

Jagiello V.- JAGILO, Jagiełło Vladislav (c. 13501434), Grand Duke of Lithuania in 137792, King of Poland from 1386. Founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Son of Olgerd, grandson of Gediminas. He was an ally of Mamai. In 1382 he won the internecine struggle for... ... Biographical Dictionary

Books

  • Jagiello - Prince of Lithuania
  • Jagiello - Prince of Lithuania, Gennady Levitsky. 1377 One of the co-rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Olgsrd, dies. In his last hour, he will transfer the grand ducal title to Vladislav Jagiels. Vladislav's uncle - Keistut...

In the family of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd and his second wife Yuliana Alexandrovna, the Tver princess, a son, Jagiello, was born in 1362. But already in 1377, Prince Olgerd died, leaving as a legacy a fairly powerful state that united lands from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. He bequeathed the princely throne to his eldest son from his second marriage, Jogaila, who ascended the princely throne in 1377, thereby causing discontent among 11 brothers and uncle Keistut, the brother of the deceased prince.

Power struggle

As one might expect, internecine conflicts began between relatives, as a result of which part of the territory was lost, since some of the brothers and their lands joined the Moscow principality. But the prince did not dare to fight such a strong enemy, but an opportunity to take revenge and weaken the enemy soon presented itself. Jagiello entered into an agreement with the Tatar Khan Mamai and had to send his army along with his horde to Moscow. But, having learned that Mamai had lost the Battle of Kulikovo, he and his soldiers turned back without ever entering the battle. But the goal was achieved, albeit by someone else’s forces: the Moscow state was weakened. Soon this enmity faded into the background, as a civil war began in the Lithuanian principality itself. His uncle Keistut did not share the political views of Prince Jagiello and wanted to place his son Vytautas on the Lithuanian throne. At the end of November 1381, his uncle overthrew his nephew from the throne, and he lived under arrest for about a year in his patrimonial possessions - Vitebsk and Krevo. But already in 1382 he regained power in the Principality of Lithuania and executed his uncle Keistut and his wife. Only his cousin Vytautas managed to escape, who, with the help of the Teutonic Order, began a struggle for power with Jagiello. As a result of this struggle, part of the territories of the Lithuanian principality was lost.

The path to the Polish crown

Feeling that he could not resist the Teutonic Order alone, the Grand Duke of Lithuania began to look for allies in Poland, which in 1382 was left without a king: Louis I the Great died without leaving behind any heirs-sons. The Polish throne went to his minor daughter, Jadwiga of Anjou. Realizing that she would not be able to govern the state on her own, the Polish magnates began searching for a spouse for their queen and turned their attention to the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Becoming King of Poland was a very tempting offer for Jagiello: by uniting Poland and Lithuania, he became the head of a powerful state. Jadwiga, who was crowned in 1384, was very opposed to this marriage, but the Polish nobles managed to convince her. On the way to the Polish crown, the Grand Duke of Lithuania had only to sign the Union of Krevo. This event took place on August 14, 1385. According to this agreement, Prince Jagiello and Queen Jadwiga entered into a dynastic marriage alliance, all Lithuanian lands were annexed to Poland, the future king must convert to Catholicism and convert the entire Lithuanian people to this faith, as well as contribute to the return of all lands seized from Poland.

Fulfilling the agreement, Jagiello renounced the pagan faith and on February 15, 1386 in Wawel he was baptized under the name Vladislav. On February 18, the newly made Catholic Vladislav married the 13-year-old Queen Jadwiga. On March 4 of the same year, the coronation of Jagiello took place, and Poland had a new king - Wladyslaw II Jagiello. It was from this moment that a new royal dynasty, the Jagiellons, reigned on the Polish throne for 200 years.

Polish King Wladyslaw II Jagiello

Having become king, Jagiello lived permanently in Poland, and ruled Lithuania, which became part of his new state, with the help of governors. According to the Union of Krevo, starting in 1386, the mass conversion of the Lithuanian people to the Catholic faith began. But all these events caused a storm of protests in Lithuania, and Vytautas, the cousin of the new Polish king, became the head of the dissatisfied. The struggle between the brothers lasted 3 years, and they were able to agree only when the Teutonic Order began to threaten the security of both states. In 1392, Vytautas became the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Jogaila became his overlord - the Supreme Prince of Lithuania. The union of the two states was preserved, and Lithuania received significant autonomy.

In all subsequent years, the Teutonic Order constantly threatened the Polish-Lithuanian state and hostilities began between them more than once. In 1410, the most ambitious battle of the Middle Ages took place - the Battle of Grunwald, in which the united Polish-Lithuanian army, with the support of Czech, Russian and Ukrainian units, defeated the forces of the crusaders. Many lands captured by the order returned to Lithuania and Poland, and the Teutonic Order lost its combat effectiveness and was no longer a danger to the Polish state. Wladyslaw II Jagiello showed himself to be a talented military leader in this war, but the king was unable to fully take advantage of his victory - this, as usual, was caused by infighting between the Polish and Lithuanian nobles.

Wladyslaw II Jagiello ruled the country until his death. He died in 1434 at the age of 72. Among all the Polish kings, he ruled the country for the longest time - 48 years and 4 months.
Throughout his life, Jagiello was married four times - this is also a kind of record among Polish crowned persons. The first wife, Queen Jadwiga of Anjou, died in 1399. The daughter she gave birth to died as an infant. In 1402, the king married again - to Anna Celskaya, the granddaughter of the last Polish king from the Piast dynasty. From this marriage a daughter, Jadviga, was born. Family life with his third wife, Elzbieta Granovska, lasted only three years, but this union was childless. At the age of 60, Vladislav II Jagiello married for the fourth time - to Sophia Golshanskaya. And it was she who gave birth to the heirs to the Polish throne - the future kings Wladyslaw III and Casimir VI.

The role of Jagiello in history is very great - this Polish king, without a single drop of Polish blood, is the progenitor of a great and powerful power - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In 1377, Olgerd died, having, they say, adopted the schema before his death. He left behind a huge family: twelve sons and five daughters and, in addition, many nephews and grandchildren. The successor to the grand ducal dignity, in addition to his older brothers, was Jagiello, or Jagiello, the eldest son of Olgerd from his marriage to the princess of Tver. Troubles and bloody strife began. Keistut, having learned about Jagiello's secret relations with the Teutonic Order, an implacable enemy of Lithuania, took Vilna and took possession of the grand-ducal throne, and gave his nephew the principality of Krevskoe and Vitebsk as an inheritance. Jagiello, of course, could not be satisfied with this; he managed to lure his uncle into a meeting as if for negotiations and capture him. The elderly hero of Lithuania Keistut was chained and put in prison, where, by order of the treacherous Jogaila, he was strangled (1382), to the delight of the Germans. A rumor was spread among the people that Keistut took his own life.

Jagiello kept Keistut's son, Vytautas, in custody in the castle and probably prepared for him the same fate as his father. But his wife, who visited Vytautas in prison, helped him deceive the guards and escape from the castle dressed as a maid. Vitovt found support from the Germans, his father’s worst enemies, who were now ready to help his son in the fight against Jagiello, their former ally, whose strengthening in Lithuania they were afraid of.

The military operations launched by Vytautas in alliance with the Germans were at first successful... Jagiello, seeing that his cousin was a dangerous enemy, especially since most of Lithuania and Zhmudi took his side, began secret negotiations with him, promising him to return his father's possessions , if he lags behind the alliance with the Germans. Vitovt agreed: he himself did not like an alliance with the constant enemies of the Lithuanian people. Although Jagiello did not completely keep his promise, he did not give Vytautas everything he had promised, but the latter did not express displeasure to him and diligently began to help him in the fight against the order.

Moscow and Lithuania - two collectors of Rus'

Having become related to the Russian princes, the Lithuanian princes began to lean more and more towards Christianity; many of Gediminas' descendants were already Christians. As stated above, Olgerd secretly professed Orthodoxy, his son Jagiello was raised by his Russian mother in the Orthodox faith. Not only faith, but also Russian morals and language, as is known, began to spread greatly in Lithuania. If things had gone on like this, then two or three generations would have changed - and the Lithuanian tribe would have become completely Russified and completely merged into one people with the Russians. During the time of Jagiello and Vytautas, the Lithuanian Orthodox princes, who spoke Russian, became related to the house of St. Vladimir, they were already beginning to look at other Russian regions as Russian princes. Novgorod, Pskov. Tver and other Russian lands, entering into an alliance with the Lithuanian princes or recognizing their power over them, did not at all think that they were betraying the Russian cause and submitting to foreign power. The struggle between the Lithuanian princes and the Moscow princes can be looked at as a dispute between the descendants of Gediminas and the descendants of Kalita for dominion over the entire Russian land. One or the other would have prevailed - after all, both parts of the Russian land, western and eastern, would have united into one whole. But a circumstance happened that prevented this union for a long time: the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello, son of Olgerd, ascended the Polish throne, and Lithuania was temporarily united with Poland.

Lithuania and Poland

The Polish state arose almost at the same time as the Russian one. The Poles, by their Slavic origin, are siblings of the Russians, and in their morals and language they differed little from them; but in the second half of the 10th century, the Poles accepted Christianity from Western Latin preachers, and from the 11th century, discord gradually grew. The Latin clergy and its head, the Pope, were not content with church authority, like the Orthodox clergy, but tried to take worldly affairs into their own hands. The popes were at great enmity with the Byzantine patriarchs, who stood at the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and tried to subjugate it to themselves. Hostility towards the Orthodox from the Catholic clergy spreads to the laity.

Poland, like Rus', suffered from appanage strife and unrest; but, in addition, here, following the example of neighboring countries, a strong boyar class was formed. Polish magnates (boyars), owning large estates, wanted to dominate their estates independently and, finally, arrogated to themselves the right to choose kings to the Polish throne. The clergy tried to take more power into their hands; the tycoons sought the same thing; the king had neither great power nor such strength as the Lithuanian princes. Trade and industry fell into the hands of the Germans who settled in Poland, and then trade passed to the Jews: both were most concerned about their own benefits; they did not care about the benefit of the people and the state, which was alien to them. It is clear from here why everything went differently in Poland. At the same time, the pope tried, through his clergy, to manage its affairs, and the German emperor tried to subordinate it to his authority...

Marriage of Jagiello to Jadwiga

In the middle of the 14th century, shortly before the reign of Vytautas and Jagiello in Lithuania, in Poland with the death of Casimir III, the house of Piast, from which Polish kings were usually chosen, ceased. The magnates offered the throne to Casimir's nephew, the Hungarian King Louis, so that he would establish by law all the rights that they enjoyed by custom. Louis agreed and ascended the Polish throne; but when he saw what a terrible discord in Poland between the classes and how difficult it was to govern it, he returned to Hungary, and took Galicia from Poland and annexed it to his possessions. Polish magnates declared Louis's youngest daughter, Jadwiga, their queen, and began to look for a groom for her. The most profitable seemed to them Jagiello, the Lithuanian prince, who willingly wooed her. Jagiello's matchmaking was to the liking of both the noble rulers and the clergy: the former hoped that as a result of this marriage, Poland, having merged with Lithuania, would get rid of its enmity and become much stronger, and the clergy hoped to spread the power of the Roman Church in Lithuania: to baptize pagan Lithuanians and convert to Orthodox Catholicism. Only Jadwiga was not happy with Jagiello's proposal: she already had another groom. She resisted marriage with the Lithuanian prince for a long time, no matter how much the nobles insisted. They say that only the bishops convinced her: they pointed out to her that by agreeing to this marriage, she would serve the great cause of enlightening the Lithuanians with Christian teaching and thus save thousands of souls stuck in paganism.

In 1386, Jagiello arrived in the capital of Poland - Krakow, was baptized here according to the Roman rite, married the queen and was crowned. Before this, he swore an oath to comply with Polish laws, introduce the Catholic faith in Lithuania and unite the Principality of Lithuania and Poland into one state.

Baptism of Lithuania

The baptism of the Lithuanians was accomplished easily: there were already many Christians among the Lithuanian nobles; paganism held strong only among the common people. King Jagiello himself, with his wife and clergy, came to Vilna, ordered the Perkunov fire to be extinguished, the sacred snakes to be beaten, and the protected groves where the most important pagan rituals were performed were to be cut down. The pagans at first looked in horror at the destruction of their shrine and waited in vain for Perkunov’s thunder to strike and destroy the destroyer of the shrine... Meanwhile, Jagiello gave good white caftans and beautiful shoes to those who were baptized, and the queen gave out money with a generous hand. The lure was great for the poor Lithuanians: gifts seduced them, and they reluctantly accepted Latin priests... Until then, little by little, along with enlightenment, the Orthodox Christian faith spread among the Lithuanians, and in the end all of Lithuania would Russify and become Orthodox ; now, with the appearance of the Catholic clergy here, who were patronized by Jagiello, things have completely changed. There are two Christian religions in the Lithuanian-Russian state: Orthodox and Catholic. The power-hungry Catholic clergy is very hostile to Orthodoxy, trying to convert the Orthodox to Catholicism, and to oust Orthodoxy from Lithuania altogether. The enmity passes from the clergy to the laity. In this way, discord is introduced into the Lithuanian-Russian state.

Proclamation of Vytautas Grand Duke of Lithuania

The union of Lithuania with Poland also turned out to be fragile. All Orthodox Christians looked with indignation at Jagiello’s devotion to the Poles, and when he demanded, on the advice of the Polish clergy, that Russian subjects also join the Latin Church, a strong murmur arose. At the same time, many Lithuanian nobles were very dissatisfied with the fact that their power and importance were lost with the annexation of Lithuania to Poland. Jagiello’s cousin, Vytautas (or Vitold), took advantage of this. He was helped by the Teutonic knights, who were constantly at enmity with Poland. Jagiello at first fought with Vytautas, but finally had to give in. Vytautas was proclaimed Grand Duke in Lithuania, and it separated from Poland (1392). Since then, the Polish government has been trying with all its might to re-annex the Lithuanian-Russian Principality to Poland and is finally achieving its goal. This prevented the union of both parts of the Russian land into one whole for a long time. And the Catholic clergy, having settled in the Lithuanian-Russian possessions, continues to push back the Orthodox faith by all means. A lot of turmoil and trouble arose from this in southwestern Rus'!

Capture of Smolensk by Vitovt

Vytautas, a very decisive prince and completely unscrupulous in his means, planned to increase his principality, strengthen himself so as not to depend on Jagiello, and even thought about the royal crown. He was constantly on campaigns: either he fought off strong neighbors, or he tried to take possession of new lands. Vitovt's daughter, Sofia, was married to Vasily Dmitrievich; but this did not stop Vitovt from striving to capture the Russian regions.

In Smolensk at that time there was strife: the senior prince tried to take the small appanage princes into his hands. Vitovt appeared near Smolensk and invited all the princes to go to him, and gave letters of safe conduct so that they would not fear anything.

“I heard that there is no unity and great enmity between you,” he sent to tell them. - If there is any dispute between you, then you will refer to me as the third; I will judge you fairly!

The Smolensk princes were delighted at the arbitration court of the strong Vitovt - they thought that he would judge them fairly. They all went to him with great gifts; Vytautas took gifts from them, and ordered them all to be seized and sent to Lithuania, and installed his governors in Smolensk (1395). Then, however, he had to fight with one of the Smolensk princes who remained free; but still Smolensk fell to Lithuania very easily.

Battle of Vorskla (1399)

This time Vasily Dmitrievich did not prevent his father-in-law from profiting at the expense of the Russian regions; but Smolensk was still not enough for Vitovt: he wanted to establish himself in Novgorod and take Moscow itself into his hands. At this time, Tokhtamysh surrendered under his protection, asked to help him reign again in the Golden Horde, and for this he pledged to help Vitovt get Moscow.

Vitovt prepared for a long time to fight the Tatars, gathered a huge army: there were Lithuanian, Russian, Polish detachments, there were several hundred German knights, and there were also Tatar detachments of Tokhtamysh. Up to fifty Russian and Lithuanian princes commanded the army, headed by Vitovt himself. The army was cheerful and well armed. Everything seemed to foreshadow brilliant success. Setting out on the campaign, Vitovt sent a message to the Khan of the Golden Horde, Timur-Kutluk:

“God is preparing for me dominion over all your lands.” Be my tributary, or you will be a slave!

Young Timur was ready, as the chroniclers say, to submit to Vytautas, recognize him as the elder and even pay tribute. But when Murza Edigei, an old, experienced leader, arrived in the Tatar camp, things went differently. He gathered for negotiations with Vitovt on the banks of the Vorskla.

“Our king,” Edigei said mockingly to Vitovt, “could rightly recognize you as his father: you are older than him in years, but younger than me.” Submit to me, pay tribute and display my stamp on Lithuanian money!

This mockery infuriated Vitovt. He gave his army stationed on Vorskla the order to begin the battle. One of the Lithuanian governors, seeing the huge hordes of Tatars, advised it was better to try to make peace on favorable terms, but the younger and more zealous Lithuanian governors laughed at this caution. “Let us crush the infidels!” - they shouted.

The hordes of Tatars were more numerous than the Lithuanian army; Vitovt relied on his cannons and squeaks. But in those days, not only did they not know how to shoot cannons accurately, but they also had difficulty turning them, loading them slowly, and the guns were still bad, so they caused more thunder than trouble for the enemy. Moreover, the Tatars in the open field attacked scatteredly, in small detachments: the guns could not do much harm to them. At first, however, the Lithuanians of Vytautas in the battle of Vorskla upset the hordes of Edigei; but when the Tatars went to the rear of the Lithuanian army and suddenly and swiftly attacked it, the Tolithian regiments were crushed. The massacre lasted until late at night. The Tatars mercilessly cut, trampled, and took away Vytautas's tired and dumbfounded warriors in crowds. The chronicler counted up to twenty princes killed in the Battle of Vorskla. Barely a third of the Lithuanian army escaped. The Tatars chased the fleeing Vytautas five hundred versts all the way to Kyiv, betraying everything to terrible destruction (1399). But the devastation of part of the Principality of Lithuania ended the matter: the Tatars, apparently, were no longer able to enslave all of Lithuania, impose a heavy tribute on it, as Batu had once done to our fatherland.

Battle of Grunwald

If Vytautas had won a victory over the Tatars in the Battle of Vorskla, similar to that of Kulikov, he would have gained such strength that Moscow would not have been able to resist him. His affairs were more successful in the west: here he, together with the Polish king Jagiello, inflicted a terrible defeat on the Teutonic knights at Grunwald (or Tannenberg, 1410). Regiments of all Western Russian principalities took part in this battle on the side of Vytautas and Jagiello; The Smolensk regiment especially distinguished itself. After the pogrom on Vorskla, Vitovt became quiet and left Novgorod alone; but Smolensk, where the former prince Yuri tried to establish himself, Vitovt kept in his hands.

War of Moscow with Lithuania 1406–1408

A few years later, having rested from defeat, Vitovt began again to seek Russian lands and attacked the Pskov region; Pskov and Novgorod residents began to seek defense in Moscow. When Vasily Dmitrievich saw that his father-in-law was not content with Smolensk, but was reaching other Russian regions, he declared war on him. Three times Vasily and Vytautas met with their troops, ready for battle (1406–1408), but it did not come to a battle: both princes were very cautious. Vytautas finally left the Russian regions alone. The Ugra River was designated as the border between Lithuanian and Moscow possessions. Here, for the last time during the reign of Vasily Dmitrievich, Russian and Lithuanian troops met.

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