Union of Krewo

The Union of Krewo was a 1385 agreement linking the dynastic interests of Lithuania and Poland through Grand Duke Jogaila’s conversion to Christianity and marriage to Queen Jadwiga.

Jogaila: Jogaila was Grand Duke of Lithuania and, as Władysław II Jagiełło, king of Poland. His conversion and marriage formed the agreement’s dynastic core.
Teutonic Order: The Teutonic Order was a Catholic military order that ruled territories around the Baltic Sea. Its campaigns against pagan Lithuania helped make conversion and alliance urgent.
Battle of Grunwald: The Battle of Grunwald was a 1410 battle in which Polish-Lithuanian forces defeated the Teutonic Order. The alliance fostered at Krewo later enabled a major joint campaign against the Order.
Union of Horodło: The Union of Horodło was a 1413 agreement strengthening cooperation between Poland and Lithuania while preserving Lithuania’s separate institutions. Unlike Krewo’s dynastic commitments, it more explicitly organized shared political privileges.
Jadwiga of Poland: Jadwiga was crowned king of Poland in 1384 and ruled until her death in 1399. Her marriage to Jogaila connected Poland’s crown to Lithuania’s ruling dynasty.
Lithuanian Civil War (1381–1384): The Lithuanian Civil War of 1381–1384 was a dynastic struggle between Jogaila and his uncle Kęstutis, followed by Kęstutis’s son Vytautas. The conflict weakened Jogaila’s position and shaped his search for allies.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a federated state formed by Poland and Lithuania in 1569 and lasting until 1795. It was a later, much more integrated outcome of the relationship begun at Krewo.
Union of Mielnik: The Union of Mielnik was a 1501 agreement proposing a closer union between Poland and Lithuania that was not fully implemented. Its unrealized plan illustrates later disputes over how far Krewo’s partnership should extend.
Christianization of Lithuania: The Christianization of Lithuania was the process by which the last major pagan state in Europe adopted Christianity. Jogaila pledged to convert Lithuania as part of the settlement.
Kęstutis: Kęstutis was a Lithuanian co-ruler who fought the Teutonic Order and contested power with his nephew Jogaila. His conflict with Jogaila preceded the agreement’s negotiations.

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