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Lithuanian Civil War (1389–1392)
Encyclopedia
The Lithuanian Civil War of 1389–1392 was the second civil conflict between Jogaila
, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his cousin Vytautas the Great
. At issue was control of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
, then the largest state in Europe. Jogaila had been crowned King of Poland in 1386; he installed his brother Skirgaila
as ruler of Lithuania. Skirgaila proved unpopular and Vytautas attempted to depose him. When his first attempt to take the capital city of Vilnius
failed, Vytautas forged an alliance with the Teutonic Knights
, their common enemy – just as both cousins had done during the Lithuanian Civil War between 1381 and 1384
. Vytautas and the Knights unsuccessfully besieged Vilnius in 1390. Over the next two years it became clear that neither side could achieve a quick victory, and Jogaila proposed a compromise: Vytautas would become Grand Duke and Jogaila would remain Superior Duke. This proposal was formalized in the Ostrów Agreement
of 1392, and Vytautas turned against the Knights. He went on to reign as Grand Duke of Lithuania for 38 years, and the cousins remained at peace.
, Ukraine
, Transnistria
, and parts of Poland and Russia
. Gediminas died in 1341; afterwards his sons Algirdas
and Kęstutis
, the fathers of Jogaila and Vytautas, co-ruled the Grand Duchy peacefully. However, after Algirdas' death in 1377, Kęstutis, Jogaila, and Vytautas began struggling for power. During their first conflict, the Lithuanian Civil War between 1381 and 1384
, Vytautas and Jogaila both struck short-lived alliances with the Teutonic Knights. Vytautas did not manage to seize the throne, and reconciled with Jogaila in 1384. Jogaila created a significant new alliance when he married Queen Jadwiga of Poland
in February 1386 and was crowned King of Poland. This marriage required some concessions from the Lithuanians, since Jadwiga was a member of several prominent European families. As a precondition to the marriage, the Union of Krewo
was signed in August 1385; it included a commitment on the part of the leaders to renounce paganism and Christianize their subjects, and established a personal union
between Poland and Lithuania. The Union was an unwelcome development for the Teutonic Knights, as it united Poland and Lithuania, two states hostile to the Order, and a Christianized Lithuania
deprived the Knights of their ideological justification for warring on that state. Thus the Order sought opportunities to undo the Polish–Lithuanian union; they demanded Samogitia
, a section of western Lithuania that bordered the Baltic Sea
, and refused to recognize Jogaila's baptism in 1386.
Vytautas became duke of Hrodna
and Podlaskie; Jogaila designated his brother Skirgaila
regent in Lithuania. Skirgaila, who also ruled Vytautas' patrimony in Trakai
, was disliked by the Lithuanian nobility. Vytautas, on the other hand, became increasingly popular; Jogaila began to see him as a rival. Vytautas was supported by Lithuanians who resented the Polish interpretation of the recent Union of Krewo. These Lithuanians wished to maintain distinct legal structures and reserve official posts for Lithuanians. The Lithuanian elites also resented the changes in government that Jogaila implemented there.
Jogaila had sent Klemens Moskarzewski to establish a Polish garrison in Vilnius
and stabilize the situation, but this move only angered the opposition. In May 1389 Jogaila tried to mediate the conflict between Skirgaila and Vytautas in Lublin
. Vytautas was pressured into signing a formal document declaring that he was loyal to Skirgaila and supported him, but his position as Duke of Lutsk
was not formally acknowledged. Vytautas secured his position in Lutsk, and turned his sights on Vilnius
. According to Teutonic testimony at the Council of Constance
, Vytautas planned to take advantage of his sister's wedding by sending wagons filled with meat, hay, and other goods to Vilnius. The wagons would be escorted by armed men, who would capture the castle once inside the city. This plan was uncovered by a German spy and the conspirators were executed. In another setback, two of Vytautas' strongest allies, his brother Tautvilas and his brother-in-law Ivan Olshanski
, lost their territories in Navahrudak and Halshany
.
Vytautas then sought a military alliance with the Knights, sending captive knight Marquard von Salzbach
to negotiate. On January 19, 1390 in Lyck Vytautas signed the Treaty of Lyck
affirming the terms of an earlier agreement, the Treaty of Königsberg
, signed in 1384 during his first conflict with Jogaila. Under the terms of this treaty, the Knights were promised Samogitia
, up to the Nevėžis River
, in exchange for their military assistance. Having been earlier betrayed, the Knights asked for hostages as a guarantee of Vytautas' loyalty: his brothers Sigismund
and Tautvilas, his wife Anna, his daughter Sophia
, his sister Rymgajla
, his favorite Ivan Olshanski
, and a number of other nobles.
In May a delegation of 31 Samogitian nobles arrived in Königsberg
and promised loyalty to Vytautas by signing the 1390 Treaty of Königsberg
. The joint forces of Vytautas and the Teutonic Knights consisted largely of volunteers and mercenaries from western Europe, notably from France, the German states, and England. Henry, Earl of Derby, the future King Henry IV of England
and Marshal of France Jean Le Maingre
were among the participants. The English crusaders left detailed records of their actions in Prussia and Lithuania, and their exploits were mentioned by Geoffrey Chaucer
in the Canterbury Tales, possibly as a compliment to the English knights and the future king. In the meantime, Jogaila achieved some military successes; his forces captured several castles in Podlaskie, leaving them to be guarded by Polish garrisons, and took Hrodna in April 1390 after a six-week siege.
The newly-assembled coalition organized a number of small campaigns in Lithuania; the largest was undertaken at the end of summer. During this campaign the Knights burned wooden castles at Kernavė
, possibly the first capital of Lithuania, which never recovered from the destruction. While the army was laying siege to Georgenburg
, Grand Master Conrad Zöllner von Rothenstein died. The coalition decided to abandon this siege and march on Vilnius instead, as such a large army could not easily be re-assembled. On 11 September 1390 the joint forces launched a five-week siege on the city. Vilnius' castles were held by Skirgaila, commanding combined Polish, Lithuanian, and Ruthenia
n troops. The Knights reduced much of the outer city to ruins and managed to destroy the Crooked Castle
, which was never rebuilt. Vytautas' brother Tautvilas Kęstutaitis and Jogaila's brother Karigaila
died during the siege. The besiegers ran into various difficulties. Their supplies of gunpowder were dwindling, the weather was deteriorating, the terms of service for some volunteers from western Europe ended, and the Knights needed a new Grand Master. They decided to return to Prussia. The siege did not bring an end to the conflict, but it demonstrated an increased dissatisfaction with Jogaila among the regional inhabitants.
On January 21, 1391, Vytautas' only daughter, Sophia of Lithuania
, married Vasili I of Russia
, Grand Duke of Moscow. This alliance strengthened Vytautas' influence in Slavic lands and represented a potential new ally against Poland. At the same time, Jogaila's brother Lengvenis
was losing his power in Veliky Novgorod
to Moscow. The Teutonic Knights were idled during the protracted selection of their new Grand Master, Konrad von Wallenrode
; their general chapter
delayed his election. In May 1391 the new master mortgaged Złotoria (Slatoria), a castle near Thorn
, from Władysław Opolczyk, count palatine
of Sigismund of Hungary, for 6,632 guldens
. This angered Jogaila and he invaded Dobrzyń Land
, but was driven away.
Von Wallenrode called for new volunteers from France, England, and Scotland. Among those who responded was William Douglas of Nithsdale
. During the autumn of 1391 the Teutonic Knights organized another campaign against Vilnius. In Kaunas
they organized a lavish feast, which was prominently featured in Konrad Wallenrod
, an 1828 poem by Adam Mickiewicz
. They devastated the nearby towns of Ukmergė
and Maišiagala
, but lacked the resources for a second siege on Vilnius. In November 1391 Vytautas attacked the areas near Merkinė
and Hrodna, cutting off the easiest communication route between Jogaila and Skirgaila.
In the meantime the Knights were buying lands in Prussia. In May 1392 von Wallenrode began negotiations with Sigismund of Hungary to buy Neumark
for 500,000 guldens
. Negotiations fell apart as the title to the land was contested by several dukes. The Neumark purchase was closed with Jobst of Moravia
only in 1402. During July 1392 the Knights agreed to pay Władysław Opolczyk 50,000 guldens for the Dobrzyń Land
, which had been contested among Piast dukes since 1377. Opolczyk, the ruler of Opole
in Silesia
, had little interest in the volatile regions to his north. In 1392 he circulated a proposal to partition Poland among the Teutonic Knights, the Holy Roman Empire
, Silesia, and Hungary
, but it was rejected. These purchases by the Knights threatened Poland's northern borders.
Neither Jogaila nor Vytautas had gained a clear advantage and the territories of the Grand Duchy affected by the civil war were being devastated. Polish nobles
were dissatisfied with the war; Jogaila was spending a great deal of time on Lithuanian matters and the expected benefits of the Union of Krewo had not materialized. The Union was meant to strengthen Polish control over Galicia, Moldavia
, and Wallachia
rather than to create fresh troubles in the north. Jogaila was preoccupied with the management of his court, battles in the southeast, and his sickly wife. He attempted to replace Skirgaila with his younger brother Vygantas
, but this brother died under unclear circumstances – according to rumor he was poisoned by either Vytautas or Skirgaila. Klemens Moskarzewski was replaced with Jan Oleśnicki from Kraków
as governor of Vilnius. Jogaila decided to seek a compromise with Vytautas.
, Bishop of Płock: Vytautas would become the Grand Duke of Lithuania if he would recognize Jogaila as supreme duke. By summer Vytautas had secured the release of many of the hostages he had given to the Knights, and accepted the offer. Since this agreement with Jogaila was reached in secret, the Knights suspected nothing when Vytautas invited them to the festivities at his headquarters, the Ritterswerder
Castle on an island in the Neman River
. Most of the prominent guests were taken prisoner and Vytautas' army proceeded to attack and destroy the undermanned wooden castles of Ritterswerder, Metenburg, and Neugarten (New Hrodna) near Hrodna.
The Ostrów Agreement
, formalizing the arrangement and ending the civil war, was signed on August 4, 1392. Vytautas became Grand Duke and reclaimed his patrimony in Trakai
while Skirgaila was compensated with the Principality of Kiev
, where he died in 1397. While Vytautas was technically a vassal of Jogaila, he exercised considerable power in the Grand Duchy. His independence was legalized in the 1401 Union of Vilnius and Radom. Vytautas ruled Lithuania until his death in 1430; his relationship with Jogaila during these years is sometimes likened to the peaceful power-sharing demonstrated by their fathers Algirdas and Kęstutis. The Knights, betrayed for the second time, resumed their wars against Lithuania. They sought to take Samogitia, which Vytautas had twice promised them. The Treaty of Salynas
was signed in 1398, leaving Samogitia to the Knights, to quiet the Duchy's western front while Vytautas was organizing a major campaign against the Golden Horde
. Vytautas suffered a major defeat at the Battle of the Vorskla River
in 1399. The cousins joined their forces at the Battle of Grunwald
in 1410, which ended the threat from the Teutonic Orders.
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his cousin Vytautas the Great
Vytautas the Great
Vytautas ; styled "the Great" from the 15th century onwards; c. 1350 October 27, 1430) was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. Vytautas was the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
. At issue was control of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
, then the largest state in Europe. Jogaila had been crowned King of Poland in 1386; he installed his brother Skirgaila
Skirgaila
Skirgaila , also known as Ivan; ca. 1353 or 1354 – 11 January 1397 in Kiev; baptized 1383/1384 as Casimir) was a regent of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for his brother Jogaila from 1386 to 1392. He was son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his second wife Uliana of Tver.-Biography:After...
as ruler of Lithuania. Skirgaila proved unpopular and Vytautas attempted to depose him. When his first attempt to take the capital city of Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
failed, Vytautas forged an alliance with the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, their common enemy – just as both cousins had done during the Lithuanian Civil War between 1381 and 1384
Lithuanian Civil War (1381–1384)
The Lithuanian Civil War of 1381–1384 was the first struggle for power between the cousins Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania and later King of Poland, and Vytautas the Great. It began after Jogaila signed the Treaty of Dovydiškės with the Teutonic Knights which was aimed against his uncle Kęstutis,...
. Vytautas and the Knights unsuccessfully besieged Vilnius in 1390. Over the next two years it became clear that neither side could achieve a quick victory, and Jogaila proposed a compromise: Vytautas would become Grand Duke and Jogaila would remain Superior Duke. This proposal was formalized in the Ostrów Agreement
Ostrów Agreement
The Ostrów or Astrava Agreement was a treaty between Jogaila , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his cousin Vytautas the Great, signed on August 4, 1392...
of 1392, and Vytautas turned against the Knights. He went on to reign as Grand Duke of Lithuania for 38 years, and the cousins remained at peace.
Background
The family of Gediminas created a state that covered the territories of present-day Lithuania, BelarusBelarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
, and parts of Poland and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Gediminas died in 1341; afterwards his sons Algirdas
Algirdas
Algirdas was a monarch of medieval Lithuania. Algirdas ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377, which chiefly meant monarch of Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
and Kęstutis
Kestutis
Kęstutis was monarch of medieval Lithuania. He was the Duke of Trakai and governed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1342–82, together with his brother Algirdas , and with his nephew Jogaila...
, the fathers of Jogaila and Vytautas, co-ruled the Grand Duchy peacefully. However, after Algirdas' death in 1377, Kęstutis, Jogaila, and Vytautas began struggling for power. During their first conflict, the Lithuanian Civil War between 1381 and 1384
Lithuanian Civil War (1381–1384)
The Lithuanian Civil War of 1381–1384 was the first struggle for power between the cousins Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania and later King of Poland, and Vytautas the Great. It began after Jogaila signed the Treaty of Dovydiškės with the Teutonic Knights which was aimed against his uncle Kęstutis,...
, Vytautas and Jogaila both struck short-lived alliances with the Teutonic Knights. Vytautas did not manage to seize the throne, and reconciled with Jogaila in 1384. Jogaila created a significant new alliance when he married Queen Jadwiga of Poland
Jadwiga of Poland
Jadwiga was monarch of Poland from 1384 to her death. Her official title was 'king' rather than 'queen', reflecting that she was a sovereign in her own right and not merely a royal consort. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou, the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elizabeth of...
in February 1386 and was crowned King of Poland. This marriage required some concessions from the Lithuanians, since Jadwiga was a member of several prominent European families. As a precondition to the marriage, the Union of Krewo
Union of Krewo
In a strict sense, the Union of Krewo or Act of Krėva was a set of prenuptial promises made in the Kreva Castle on 14 August 1385 by Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, in exchange for marriage to the underage reigning Queen Jadwiga of Poland...
was signed in August 1385; it included a commitment on the part of the leaders to renounce paganism and Christianize their subjects, and established a personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
between Poland and Lithuania. The Union was an unwelcome development for the Teutonic Knights, as it united Poland and Lithuania, two states hostile to the Order, and a Christianized Lithuania
Christianization of Lithuania
The Christianization of Lithuania – Christianization of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that took place in 1387, initiated by the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila and his cousin Vytautas, that signified the official adoption of Christianity by Lithuanians, one of the last pagan...
deprived the Knights of their ideological justification for warring on that state. Thus the Order sought opportunities to undo the Polish–Lithuanian union; they demanded Samogitia
Samogitia
Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...
, a section of western Lithuania that bordered the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, and refused to recognize Jogaila's baptism in 1386.
Vytautas became duke of Hrodna
Hrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
and Podlaskie; Jogaila designated his brother Skirgaila
Skirgaila
Skirgaila , also known as Ivan; ca. 1353 or 1354 – 11 January 1397 in Kiev; baptized 1383/1384 as Casimir) was a regent of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for his brother Jogaila from 1386 to 1392. He was son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his second wife Uliana of Tver.-Biography:After...
regent in Lithuania. Skirgaila, who also ruled Vytautas' patrimony in Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
, was disliked by the Lithuanian nobility. Vytautas, on the other hand, became increasingly popular; Jogaila began to see him as a rival. Vytautas was supported by Lithuanians who resented the Polish interpretation of the recent Union of Krewo. These Lithuanians wished to maintain distinct legal structures and reserve official posts for Lithuanians. The Lithuanian elites also resented the changes in government that Jogaila implemented there.
1389–1390
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
and stabilize the situation, but this move only angered the opposition. In May 1389 Jogaila tried to mediate the conflict between Skirgaila and Vytautas in Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
. Vytautas was pressured into signing a formal document declaring that he was loyal to Skirgaila and supported him, but his position as Duke of Lutsk
Lutsk
Lutsk is a city located by the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutskyi Raion within the oblast...
was not formally acknowledged. Vytautas secured his position in Lutsk, and turned his sights on Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. According to Teutonic testimony at the Council of Constance
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
, Vytautas planned to take advantage of his sister's wedding by sending wagons filled with meat, hay, and other goods to Vilnius. The wagons would be escorted by armed men, who would capture the castle once inside the city. This plan was uncovered by a German spy and the conspirators were executed. In another setback, two of Vytautas' strongest allies, his brother Tautvilas and his brother-in-law Ivan Olshanski
Ivan Olshanski
Ivan Olshanski is the first known and undisputed member of the princely Olshanski family. Historians only know his fathers name, Algimantas. Ivan was a faithful companion of Vytautas the Great, Grand Duke of Lithuania. They both were married to daughters of Sudimantas of Eišiškės...
, lost their territories in Navahrudak and Halshany
Halshany
Halshany is a village and former town in Belarus, Hrodna Voblast. It is known as the former seat of the Holszanski princely family and the location of the ruined Halshany Castle.-History:...
.
Vytautas then sought a military alliance with the Knights, sending captive knight Marquard von Salzbach
Marquard von Salzbach
Marquard von Salzbach was a Teutonic Knight, who played a prominent role in shaping the relationship between the Knights and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania between 1389 and 1410....
to negotiate. On January 19, 1390 in Lyck Vytautas signed the Treaty of Lyck
Treaty of Lyck
The Treaty of Lyck was a treaty between Vytautas the Great, future Grand Duke of Lithuania, and the Teutonic Knights, represented by Marquard von Salzbach, komtur Arnold von Bürglen, and Thomas, son of Lithuanian duke Survila. It was signed on January 19, 1390 in Lyck...
affirming the terms of an earlier agreement, the Treaty of Königsberg
Treaty of Königsberg (1384)
The Treaty of Königsberg was signed in Königsberg on January 30, 1384 during the Lithuanian Civil War between Vytautas the Great and representatives of the Teutonic Knights. Vytautas waged a civil against his cousin Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania and future King of Poland, and allied himself...
, signed in 1384 during his first conflict with Jogaila. Under the terms of this treaty, the Knights were promised Samogitia
Samogitia
Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...
, up to the Nevėžis River
Nevežis River
Nevėžis River is the sixth longest river in Lithuania and one of the main tributaries of the Neman River. Its length is , and it flows only within the geographical confines of Lithuania. It is the second longest river in Lithuania, after the Šventoji River, that flows exclusively within its borders...
, in exchange for their military assistance. Having been earlier betrayed, the Knights asked for hostages as a guarantee of Vytautas' loyalty: his brothers Sigismund
Sigismund Kestutaitis
Sigismund Kęstutaitis was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1432 to 1440. Sigismund was his baptismal name; Sigismund's pagan Lithuanian birth name is unknown. He was son of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Kęstutis and his wife Birutė....
and Tautvilas, his wife Anna, his daughter Sophia
Sophia of Lithuania
Sophia was the only daughter of Vytautas the Great of Lithuania and his first wife Anna. On January 21, 1391, while her father was engaged in the Lithuanian Civil War, she married Vasili I of Russia. She was the longest serving consort of Russia.After his death in 1425 she became regent for their...
, his sister Rymgajla
Rymgajla
Rymgajla was daughter of Birutė and Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and thus sister of Vytautas the Great. Rimgailė is a typical dual-stemmed pagan Lithuanian name constructed from rim- + gail- , which is quite common in Lithuania at present.By marriage with Henry of Masovia, she was Princess of...
, his favorite Ivan Olshanski
Ivan Olshanski
Ivan Olshanski is the first known and undisputed member of the princely Olshanski family. Historians only know his fathers name, Algimantas. Ivan was a faithful companion of Vytautas the Great, Grand Duke of Lithuania. They both were married to daughters of Sudimantas of Eišiškės...
, and a number of other nobles.
In May a delegation of 31 Samogitian nobles arrived in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
and promised loyalty to Vytautas by signing the 1390 Treaty of Königsberg
Treaty of Königsberg (1390)
The Treaty of Königsberg was signed in Königsberg on May 26, 1390 during the Lithuanian Civil War between Samogitian nobles and representatives of the Teutonic Knights. The 31-member or 30-member delegation from seven Samogitian regions arrived to Königsberg around pentecost...
. The joint forces of Vytautas and the Teutonic Knights consisted largely of volunteers and mercenaries from western Europe, notably from France, the German states, and England. Henry, Earl of Derby, the future King Henry IV of England
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
and Marshal of France Jean Le Maingre
Jean Le Maingre
Jean II Le Maingre , called Boucicaut was marshal of France and a knight renowned for his military skill.He was the son of marshal Jean I Le Maingre, also called Boucicaut...
were among the participants. The English crusaders left detailed records of their actions in Prussia and Lithuania, and their exploits were mentioned by Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
in the Canterbury Tales, possibly as a compliment to the English knights and the future king. In the meantime, Jogaila achieved some military successes; his forces captured several castles in Podlaskie, leaving them to be guarded by Polish garrisons, and took Hrodna in April 1390 after a six-week siege.
The newly-assembled coalition organized a number of small campaigns in Lithuania; the largest was undertaken at the end of summer. During this campaign the Knights burned wooden castles at Kernavė
Kernave
Kernavė was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site . It is located in the Širvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania...
, possibly the first capital of Lithuania, which never recovered from the destruction. While the army was laying siege to Georgenburg
Jurbarkas
Jurbarkas is a city in Tauragė County, Lithuania. It is on the right-hand shore of the Neman River at its confluence with the tributaries Mituva and Imsre...
, Grand Master Conrad Zöllner von Rothenstein died. The coalition decided to abandon this siege and march on Vilnius instead, as such a large army could not easily be re-assembled. On 11 September 1390 the joint forces launched a five-week siege on the city. Vilnius' castles were held by Skirgaila, commanding combined Polish, Lithuanian, and Ruthenia
Ruthenia
Ruthenia is the Latin word used onwards from the 13th century, describing lands of the Ancient Rus in European manuscripts. Its geographic and culturo-ethnic name at that time was applied to the parts of Eastern Europe. Essentially, the word is a false Latin rendering of the ancient place name Rus...
n troops. The Knights reduced much of the outer city to ruins and managed to destroy the Crooked Castle
Vilnius Castle Complex
The Vilnius Castle Complex , is a group of cultural, and historic structures on the left bank of the Neris River, near its confluence with the Vilnia River, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The buildings, which evolved between the 10th and 18th centuries, were one of Lithuania's major defensive...
, which was never rebuilt. Vytautas' brother Tautvilas Kęstutaitis and Jogaila's brother Karigaila
Karigaila
Karigaila was a son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his second wife Uliana of Tver. He became the ruler of Mstsislaw after he captured it from the Principality of Smolensk. He is sometimes mistaken for his brother Constantine, who was the founder of the House of Czartoryski...
died during the siege. The besiegers ran into various difficulties. Their supplies of gunpowder were dwindling, the weather was deteriorating, the terms of service for some volunteers from western Europe ended, and the Knights needed a new Grand Master. They decided to return to Prussia. The siege did not bring an end to the conflict, but it demonstrated an increased dissatisfaction with Jogaila among the regional inhabitants.
1391–1392
Sophia of Lithuania
Sophia was the only daughter of Vytautas the Great of Lithuania and his first wife Anna. On January 21, 1391, while her father was engaged in the Lithuanian Civil War, she married Vasili I of Russia. She was the longest serving consort of Russia.After his death in 1425 she became regent for their...
, married Vasili I of Russia
Vasili I of Russia
Vasiliy I Dmitriyevich was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1389.He was the oldest son of Dmitri Donskoi and Grand Princess Eudoxia, daughter of Grand Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich of Nizhny Novgorod.-Domestic policy:...
, Grand Duke of Moscow. This alliance strengthened Vytautas' influence in Slavic lands and represented a potential new ally against Poland. At the same time, Jogaila's brother Lengvenis
Lengvenis
Lengvenis was one of the sons of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and the ruler of Great Novgorod Republic . He was known for his skills as a military leader....
was losing his power in Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod is one of Russia's most historic cities and the administrative center of Novgorod Oblast. It is situated on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. The city lies along the Volkhov River just below its outflow from Lake Ilmen...
to Moscow. The Teutonic Knights were idled during the protracted selection of their new Grand Master, Konrad von Wallenrode
Konrad von Wallenrode
Konrad von Wallenrode was the 24th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1391 to 1393. Modern sources are friendly towards Konrad, although they claim he was hot-blooded, proud, and had tendencies to be cruel....
; their general chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
delayed his election. In May 1391 the new master mortgaged Złotoria (Slatoria), a castle near Thorn
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, from Władysław Opolczyk, count palatine
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
of Sigismund of Hungary, for 6,632 guldens
Guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch gulden — from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries...
. This angered Jogaila and he invaded Dobrzyń Land
Dobrzyn Land
Dobrzyń Land is a historic region around the town of Dobrzyń nad Wisłą in Poland, east of the Vistula River and south of the Drwęca, where it borders on the Kulmerland...
, but was driven away.
Von Wallenrode called for new volunteers from France, England, and Scotland. Among those who responded was William Douglas of Nithsdale
William Douglas of Nithsdale
Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale was a Scottish Knight and Northern Crusader.-Early life:William Douglas was an illegitimate son of Archibald the Grim, 3rd Earl of Douglas and an unknown mother....
. During the autumn of 1391 the Teutonic Knights organized another campaign against Vilnius. In Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
they organized a lavish feast, which was prominently featured in Konrad Wallenrod
Konrad Wallenrod (poem)
Konrad Wallenrod is an 1828 narrative poem, in Polish, by Adam Mickiewicz, set in the 14th-century Grand Duchy of Lithuania.Mickiewicz wrote it, while living in St. Petersburg, Russia, in protest against the late-18th-century partitioning of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by the Russian...
, an 1828 poem by Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
. They devastated the nearby towns of Ukmergė
Ukmerge
-Early history:Ukmergė was first mentioned as a settlement in 1333. It was essentially a wooden fortress that stood on a hill, near the confluence of the Vilkmergė River and the Šventoji River. Ukmergė was attacked by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order in 1333, 1365, 1378, 1386, and even...
and Maišiagala
Maišiagala
Maišiagala is a historic town in Vilnius district municipality, Lithuania. It is located about northwest of Vilnius near the Vilnius–Panevėžys highway. According to the 2001 census, it had population of 1,634.-History:...
, but lacked the resources for a second siege on Vilnius. In November 1391 Vytautas attacked the areas near Merkinė
Merkine
Merkinė is a town in Dzūkija National Park in Lithuania, located at the confluence of the Merkys and Neman Rivers.First mentioned in 1359, Merkinė is one of the oldest Lithuanian settlements. It received the Magdeburg rights in 1569. The town is the location of The Mount of Queen Bona, a mound...
and Hrodna, cutting off the easiest communication route between Jogaila and Skirgaila.
In the meantime the Knights were buying lands in Prussia. In May 1392 von Wallenrode began negotiations with Sigismund of Hungary to buy Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
for 500,000 guldens
Guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch gulden — from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries...
. Negotiations fell apart as the title to the land was contested by several dukes. The Neumark purchase was closed with Jobst of Moravia
Jobst of Moravia
Jobst of Moravia, Jobst von Mähren from the House of Luxembourg was the eldest son of Margrave John Henry of Moravia, the younger brother of Emperor Charles IV....
only in 1402. During July 1392 the Knights agreed to pay Władysław Opolczyk 50,000 guldens for the Dobrzyń Land
Dobrzyn Land
Dobrzyń Land is a historic region around the town of Dobrzyń nad Wisłą in Poland, east of the Vistula River and south of the Drwęca, where it borders on the Kulmerland...
, which had been contested among Piast dukes since 1377. Opolczyk, the ruler of Opole
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, had little interest in the volatile regions to his north. In 1392 he circulated a proposal to partition Poland among the Teutonic Knights, the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, Silesia, and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, but it was rejected. These purchases by the Knights threatened Poland's northern borders.
Neither Jogaila nor Vytautas had gained a clear advantage and the territories of the Grand Duchy affected by the civil war were being devastated. Polish nobles
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
were dissatisfied with the war; Jogaila was spending a great deal of time on Lithuanian matters and the expected benefits of the Union of Krewo had not materialized. The Union was meant to strengthen Polish control over Galicia, Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, and Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
rather than to create fresh troubles in the north. Jogaila was preoccupied with the management of his court, battles in the southeast, and his sickly wife. He attempted to replace Skirgaila with his younger brother Vygantas
Vygantas
Vygantas was Duke of Kernavė. He was one of the sons of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania , and his second wife Uliana Alexandrovna of Tver....
, but this brother died under unclear circumstances – according to rumor he was poisoned by either Vytautas or Skirgaila. Klemens Moskarzewski was replaced with Jan Oleśnicki from Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
as governor of Vilnius. Jogaila decided to seek a compromise with Vytautas.
Peace treaty
In spring 1392 Jogaila proposed a compromise through his envoy, Henry of MasoviaHenry of Masovia
Henry of Masovia was a noble and a bishop of the Kingdom of Poland.- Biography :Henry of Masovia, born between 1368 and 1370 in Rawa Mazowiecka was the youngest child of one of the Piast dynasty princes of Masovia, Siemowit III of Masovia, and his second wife, the princess of Ziębice, Anna...
, Bishop of Płock: Vytautas would become the Grand Duke of Lithuania if he would recognize Jogaila as supreme duke. By summer Vytautas had secured the release of many of the hostages he had given to the Knights, and accepted the offer. Since this agreement with Jogaila was reached in secret, the Knights suspected nothing when Vytautas invited them to the festivities at his headquarters, the Ritterswerder
Ritterswerder
Ritterswerder was a short-lived wooden castle built by the Teutonic Knights in fall 1391. It was located on an island in the Neman River near Lampėdžiai, now part of the city of Kaunas....
Castle on an island in the Neman River
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
. Most of the prominent guests were taken prisoner and Vytautas' army proceeded to attack and destroy the undermanned wooden castles of Ritterswerder, Metenburg, and Neugarten (New Hrodna) near Hrodna.
The Ostrów Agreement
Ostrów Agreement
The Ostrów or Astrava Agreement was a treaty between Jogaila , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his cousin Vytautas the Great, signed on August 4, 1392...
, formalizing the arrangement and ending the civil war, was signed on August 4, 1392. Vytautas became Grand Duke and reclaimed his patrimony in Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
while Skirgaila was compensated with the Principality of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, where he died in 1397. While Vytautas was technically a vassal of Jogaila, he exercised considerable power in the Grand Duchy. His independence was legalized in the 1401 Union of Vilnius and Radom. Vytautas ruled Lithuania until his death in 1430; his relationship with Jogaila during these years is sometimes likened to the peaceful power-sharing demonstrated by their fathers Algirdas and Kęstutis. The Knights, betrayed for the second time, resumed their wars against Lithuania. They sought to take Samogitia, which Vytautas had twice promised them. The Treaty of Salynas
Treaty of Salynas
Treaty of Salynas was a peace treaty signed on October 12, 1398 by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights Konrad von Jungingen. It was signed on an islet of the Neman River, probably between Kulautuva and the mouth of the Nevėžis River...
was signed in 1398, leaving Samogitia to the Knights, to quiet the Duchy's western front while Vytautas was organizing a major campaign against the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
. Vytautas suffered a major defeat at the Battle of the Vorskla River
Battle of the Vorskla River
The Battle of the Vorskla River was a great battle in the medieval history of Eastern Europe. It was fought on August 12, 1399, between the Tatars, under Edigu and Temur Qutlugh, and the armies of Tokhtamysh and Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania...
in 1399. The cousins joined their forces at the Battle of Grunwald
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
in 1410, which ended the threat from the Teutonic Orders.