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VYTAUTAS THE GREAT

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... that if Jogaila died they would not elect a new king without consulting Vytautas. ... revived his claim to the Lithuanian crown, and Jogaila reluctantly consented ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: VYTAUTAS THE GREAT


1
VYTAUTAS THE GREAT
2
  • Lithuanian Vytautas the Great, Polish Witold
    Wielki born 1350, Lithuania
  • Died Oct. 27, 1430, Trakai, Lithuania.

3
  • Lithuanian national leader who consolidated his
    country's possessions, helped to build up
    national consciousness, and broke the power of
    the Teutonic Knights. He exercised great power
    over Poland.

4
  • Vytautas was the son of Kestutis, who for years
    had waged a struggle with his brother Algirdas
    for control of Lithuania.

5
  • The conflict between the two branches of the
    family continued into the next generation, as
    Vytautas vied with Algirdas' son Jogaila.

6
  • Both Vytautas and his father were captured by
    Jogaila in 1382 and Kestutis was murdered while a
    prisoner.

7
  • Vytautas, however, escaped and two years later
    was able to make peace with Jogaila, who returned
    to Vytautas the family lands seized earlier. In
    an effort to consolidate his position and widen
    his power, Jogaila married the 12-year-old Polish
    queen Jadwiga and was crowned king of Poland in
    Kraków on Feb. 15, 1386, as Wladyslaw II
    Jagiello.

8
  • Vytautas then waged an intermittent struggle for
    power with Jogaila and on occasion sought further
    assistance from the Teutonic Order.

Trakai castle
9
  • Vytautas' popularity grew until his cousin was
    forced to adopt a conciliatory position.
  • Jogaila offered to make Vytautas his vice regent
    over all of Lithuania.
  • The offer was accepted, and in August 1392 a
    formal compact was signed. As time was to show,
    Vytautas by this act became supreme ruler of
    Lithuania in fact if not in law.

10
  • Vytautas began his rule by subduing and banishing
    rebellious and ineffective nobles and trying to
    conquer the Mongols in the east. His forces,
    however, were defeated by the Mongols in the
    Battle of the Vorskla River in present-day Russia
    on Aug. 12, 1399.

11
  • In this same period, union between Poland and
    Lithuania was proclaimed in a treaty concluded at
    Vilnius in January 1401. Under the terms of the
    treaty, the Lithuanian boyars promised that in
    the event of Vytautas' death they would recognize
    Jogaila as grand prince of Lithuania, and the
    Polish nobility agreed that if Jogaila died they
    would not elect a new king without consulting
    Vytautas.

12
  • Vytautas and Jogaila then turned their attention
    westward, and there followed a series of wars
    with the Teutonic order, which recognized
    Svitrigaila (Swidrygiello), a brother of Jogaila,
    as grand prince of Lithuania.

13
  • Vytautas was able to drive Svitrigaila out of the
    country, but the Teutonic Order was able to
    retain control of a portion of Lithuania. Early
    in 1409 Vytautas concluded a treaty with Jogaila
    for a combined attack on the Order, and on June
    24, 1410, the Polish-Lithuanian forces crossed
    the Prussian frontier.

14
  • In the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) on July
    15, 1410, the Teutonic Knights suffered a blow
    from which they never recovered. German supremacy
    in the Baltic area was broken and
    Poland-Lithuania began to be regarded in the West
    as a great power.

15
  • In 1429 Vytautas revived his claim to the
    Lithuanian crown, and Jogaila reluctantly
    consented to his cousin's coronation as king, but
    before the ceremony could take place Vytautas
    died.
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