Vitovt The Great - was the ruler (1401–1430) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the
Lithuanians and Ruthenians. He was also the Prince of Hrodna (now Grodno, Belarus) (1370–1382) and the Prince of Lutsk (1387–1389),
postulated king of Hussites.In modern Lithuania and Belarus, Vitovt is revered as a national hero and was an important
figure in the national rebirth in the early 20th century. Vitovt is a popular male given name in Lithuania.
Vytautas Magnus University was named after him. Monuments in his honor were built in many towns in the independent
Republic of Lithuania during the interwar period, 1918-1939.
Reforms
Vitovt backed the economic development of his state and introduced many reforms. Under his rule the Grand Duchy of Lithuania gradually became more centralized, as local princes with dynastic ties to the throne were replaced by the governors loyal to Vitovt. The governors were rich landowners who formed the basis for the Lithuanian nobility. During Vitovt' rule, the influential Radziwiłł and Goštautai families began their rise.
War Against Teuton Order
In 1398 in preparation for the crusade against the Golden Horde, Vitovt had signed the Salynas peace treaty with the Teutonic Knights and transferred Samogitia to them. Samogitia was especially important for the order because it separated Teutonic Knights, based in Prussia, from the Livonian Order, based in Latvia. The two orders desired to unite and form a mighty force. However, the knights ruled Samogitia only for three years, because in 1401 the Samogitians, supported by Vitovt, rebelled and burned two castles. The knights received support from Švitrigaila, brother of Jagiełło, who desired to take Vitovt' title. In 1404 another treaty was signed which, in essence, repeated the Salynas treaty: Samogitia was transferred to the Teutonic Knights. Poland promised not to support Lithuania in case of another war. The knights promised to support Vitovt in the east and not to support any Gediminid who could have claims to the Grand Duke of Lithuania title. However, the treaty did not solve the problems, and all the parties prepared for a war.
In 1408 Vitovt reached peace in the east and returned to Samogitia matters. In 1409 a second rebellion, backed by Vitovt, against the Teutonic Knights started. The rebels burned Skirsnemunė castle. Since both Poland and Lithuania supported the rebels, the war started. Vitovt gathered a large army from 18 lands under his control. The army joined Polish forces and advanced towards the Teutonic headquarters at the castle of Marienburg (present-day Malbork). In 1410 Vitovt himself commanded the forces of the Grand Duchy in the Battle of Grunwald (also called the Battle of Tannenberg or Žalgirio mūšis). The battle ended in a decisive Polish-Lithuanian victory. Even though the siege of Marienburg was unsuccessful, the Teutonic Knights never regained their strength and from then on posed a reduced threat to Poland-Lithuania.
the Royal Seal, with the only survived original depiction of Vitovt
As a result of the First Treaty of Torun in 1411, Vitovt received Samogitia for his lifetime. However, the parties could not agree on the border. Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, agreed to mediate the dispute. In 1413, it was declared that the whole right bank of the Neman River was Samogitia and therefore belonged to Lithuania. The Teutonic Knights disagreed and a new war started in 1414. The war lasted for just a couple of months and the dispute was brought to the Council of Constance. Even though the dispute was not resolved, the Samogitians had a chance to present their case to the leaders of Europe. It is seen as an important event in the diplomatic history of Lithuania. Several other mediation attempts failed and yet another war with the Teutonic Order started in 1422. After a couple of months of fighting, the Treaty of Lake Melno was signed. Samogitia was returned to Lithuania in perpetuity, while the city of Memel (present-day Klaipėda) and surrounding territories stayed with the Order. This border, as established by the treaty, remained stable for some 500 years until the Memel Territory dispute of 1923. With peace established, Vitovt could now concentrate on reforms and the relationship with Poland.
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