The Lithuanian Civil War of 1389–1392 was the second civil conflict between
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.
Background
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 with the Kingdom of Poland when he secured an agreement, known as the Union of Krewo (August 1385), to marry the twelve-year-old Queen
of Poland Jadwiga of Poland. He married Jadwiga and was crowned jure uxoris king of Poland in February 1386.[1] As a condition to the marriage and coronation, Jogaila agreed to renounce paganism himself and Christianize his subjects, and establish 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 waging the Lithuanian Crusade.[2] Thus the Order sought opportunities to undo the Polish–Lithuanian union; they demanded Samogitia, a section of western Lithuania that bordered the Baltic Sea,[3] and refused to recognize Jogaila's baptism in 1386.[4]
Vytautas became duke of
Podlaskie; Jogaila known now by his Christian name Władysław II (Władysław II Jagiełło) designated his brother Skirgaila regent in Lithuania.[5][6] Skirgaila, who also ruled Vytautas' patrimony in Trakai, was disliked by the Lithuanian nobility.[citation needed] Vytautas, on the other hand, became increasingly popular; Władysław II began to see him as a rival.[7] Vytautas was supported by Lithuanians who resented the Polish interpretation of the recent Union of Krewo.[8] These Lithuanians wished to maintain distinct legal structures and reserve official posts for Lithuanians.[5] The Lithuanian elites also resented the changes in government that king Władysław II implemented there.[7]
Civil war
1389–1390
Portrait of an English Knight, from the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales. The fictional knight took part in many crusades, including one against the Lithuanians.
Vytautas then sought a military alliance with the Knights, sending captive knight
Ivan Olshanski, and a number of other nobles.[6][12]
Jogaila, later known as Władysław II Jagiełło
In May, a delegation of 31 Samogitian nobles arrived in
Canterbury Tales, possibly as a compliment to the English knights and the future king.[15] 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.[14]
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
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.[14] On 11 September 1390, the joint forces launched a five-week siege on the city.[7] Vilnius' castles were held by Skirgaila, commanding combined Polish, Lithuanian, and Ruthenian troops.[17] The Knights reduced much of the outer city to ruins[13] and managed to destroy the Crooked Castle, which was never rebuilt.[18] Vytautas' brother Tautvilas Kęstutaitis and Jogaila's brother Karigaila died during the siege.[6] 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.[19] 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.[7]
Von Wallenrode called for new volunteers from France, England, and Scotland. Among those who responded was
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.[6] In November 1391 Vytautas attacked the areas near Merkinė and Hrodna, cutting off the easiest communication route between Jogaila and Skirgaila.[24]
In the meantime the Knights were buying lands in Prussia. In May 1392, von Wallenrode began negotiations with
Piast dukes since 1377.[27] Opolczyk, the ruler of Opole in Silesia, had little interest in the volatile regions to his north.[27] In 1392, he circulated a proposal to partition Poland among the Teutonic Knights, the Holy Roman Empire, Silesia, and Hungary, but it was rejected.[28] These purchases by the Knights threatened Poland's northern borders.[25]
Neither Jogaila nor Vytautas had gained a clear advantage and the territories of the Grand Duchy affected by the civil war were being devastated.
Galicia, Moldavia, and Wallachia rather than to create fresh troubles in the north.[25] Jogaila was preoccupied with the management of his court, battles in the southeast, and his sickly wife.[25] 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.[23]Klemens Moskarzewski was replaced with Jan Oleśnicki from Kraków as governor of Vilnius.[25] Jogaila decided to seek a compromise with Vytautas.[6]
In spring 1392, Jogaila proposed a compromise through his envoy,
Neman River.[6] 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.[20][25][29]
The
Union of Vilnius and Radom.[30] 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.[28] 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.[5] The cousins joined their forces at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, which ended the threat from the Teutonic Orders.[2]
^Maroszek, Józef (2007). "Evidence of a Stormy History"(PDF). My Little Europe. 4. Cross-border Centre for Civil Education and Information in Białystok: 32. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2008-09-10.
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