Vytautas the Great (1350 - 1430), was a Lithuanian national leader who consolidated his country’s possessions, helped to build up a national consciousness, and broke the power of the Teutonic Knights.
Vytautas was the son of Kęstutis, who for years had waged a struggle with his brother Algirdas for control of Lithuania. The conflict between the two branches of the family continued into the next generation. Both Vytautas and his father were captured by Jogaila in 1382. Vytautas, however, escaped and two years later was able to make peace with Jogaila, who returned to Vytautas the family lands seized earlier. Jogaila married the 12-year-old Polish queen Jadwiga and was crowned king of Poland in Kraków on Feb. 15, 1386, as Władysław II Jagiełło.
Vytautas then waged an intermittent struggle for power with Jogaila and on occasion sought further assistance from the Teutonic Order. 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.
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.
In this same period, union between Poland and Lithuania was proclaimed in a treaty concluded at Vilnius in January 1401.
Vytautas and Jogaila then turned their attention westward, and there followed a series of wars with the Teutonic Order, which recognized Švitrigaila (Swidrygiełło), a brother of Jogaila, as grand prince of Lithuania. Vytautas was able to drive Svidrigaila 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. 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.
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.
Painting: Battle of Grunwald (detail) by Jan Matejko, 3D by Rafał Kidziński.
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