Vytautas the Great

Vytautas the Great was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1392 to 1430. He expanded and consolidated Lithuanian power and commanded Lithuanian forces at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.

Battle of Grunwald: A 1410 battle in which Polish-Lithuanian forces defeated the Teutonic Order near Grunwald in Prussia. Vytautas commanded Lithuanian forces in this decisive victory over the Teutonic Order.
Kęstutis: A Lithuanian grand duke who ruled alongside his brother Algirdas and was Vytautas’s father. Kęstutis’s death in a dynastic struggle shaped Vytautas’s early opposition to Jogaila.
Union of Horodło: A 1413 agreement that strengthened the Polish-Lithuanian union and extended Polish heraldic privileges to Catholic Lithuanian nobles. Vytautas and Jogaila used the union to formalize cooperation while distinguishing Catholic and Orthodox elites.
Sophia of Lithuania: A daughter of Vytautas who married Vasily I of Moscow and became grand princess of Moscow. Her marriage connected Vytautas’s family to the ruling house of Moscow.
Treaty of Salynas: A 1398 agreement in which Vytautas ceded Samogitia to the Teutonic Order in return for political and military support. The treaty shows how Vytautas used territorial concessions to secure allies and advance his rule.
Algirdas: A Lithuanian grand duke who expanded the state eastward and ruled jointly with his brother Kęstutis. Algirdas’s family alliance with Kęstutis established the political setting into which Vytautas was born.
Council of Constance: A church council held from 1414 to 1418 that addressed the Western Schism and condemned Jan Hus. Vytautas’s representatives advanced Samogitia’s Christianization and the Lithuanian ruler’s standing at the council.
Sigismund Kęstutaitis: A son of Kęstutis who succeeded Vytautas as grand duke of Lithuania after a political struggle. His succession followed Vytautas’s death and continued the Kęstutis family’s claim to rule.
Samogitian Uprisings: A series of revolts by Samogitians against the Teutonic Order, including major uprisings in 1401 and 1409. Vytautas backed the 1409 revolt, helping bring the Teutonic Order into war with Poland and Lithuania.
Jogaila: The Lithuanian grand duke who became King of Poland as Władysław II Jagiełło in 1386. Vytautas’s rivalry and later partnership with Jogaila shaped his route to power.

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