Grand Duchy of Lithuania: Map & History
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 partitions of Poland–Lithuania.
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The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 partitions of Poland–Lithuania. The state was founded by Lithuanians, who were at the time a polytheistic nation of several united Baltic tribes from Aukštaitija. By 1440 the grand duchy had become the largest European state, controlling an area from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south.
Modern Countries Once Part of Grand Duchy of Lithuania
At its mapped extent, Grand Duchy of Lithuania covered territory in 5 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Belarus1250–1449 CE · nearly all
- Lithuania1220–1449 CE · most
- Ukraine1363–1449 CE · a large part
- Moldova1375–1384 CE · a large part
- Russia1363–1449 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Grand Duchy of Lithuania's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania in Depth
History
The first mention of the name Lithuania is found in the Annals of Quedlinburg, which describes the missionary expedition of Bruno of Querfurt to Yotvingians. In the 12th century, Slavic chronicles refer to Lithuania as one of the areas attacked by the Rus'. Pagan Lithuanians initially paid tribute to Polotsk, but they soon grew in strength and organized their own small-scale raids. At some point between 1180 and 1183 the situation began to change, and the Lithuanians started to organize sustainable military raids on the Slavic provinces, raiding the Principality of Polotsk as well as Pskov, and even threatening Novgorod. The sudden spark of military raids marked consolidation of the Lithuanian lands in Aukštaitija.
Military
The Army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a key institution that shaped the state’s political and military power from the 13th to the 18th century. Its origins lay in early local militias formed by Lithuanian tribes, where all able-bodied men were called to defend their land. As the Grand Duchy emerged under Mindaugas, the army became more centralized, combining the forces of local dukes and their retinues (kariaunos). Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, Lithuanian troops fought constant wars against the Teutonic and Livonian Orders, as well as against Rus’ principalities and the Golden Horde.
Religion and culture
After the baptism in 1252 and coronation of King Mindaugas in 1253, Lithuania was recognized as a Christian state until 1260, when Mindaugas supported an uprising in Courland and (according to the German order) renounced Christianity. Up until 1387, Lithuanian nobles professed their own religion, which was polytheistic. Ethnic Lithuanians were very dedicated to their faith. The pagan beliefs needed to be deeply entrenched to survive strong pressure from missionaries and foreign powers. Until the 17th century, there were relics of old faith reported by counter-reformation active Jesuit priests, like feeding žaltys with milk or bringing food to graves of ancestors.
Legacy
Prussian tribes (of Baltic origin) were the subject of Polish expansion, which was largely unsuccessful, so Duke Konrad of Masovia invited the Teutonic Knights to settle near the Prussian area of settlement. The fighting between Prussians and the Teutonic Knights gave the more distant Lithuanian tribes time to unite. Because of strong enemies in the south and north, the newly formed Lithuanian state concentrated most of its military and diplomatic efforts on expansion eastward.
The rest of the former Ruthenian lands were conquered by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Some other lands in Ukraine were vassalized by Lithuania later. The subjugation of Eastern Slavs by two powers created substantial differences between them that persist to this day.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Grand Duchy of Lithuania (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Grand Duchy of Lithuania: Key Facts
| Capital | Vilnius |
|---|---|
| Religions | Baltic mythology, Catholicism, Byzantine Catholic Churches, Eastern Orthodoxy |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Currencies | Lithuanian long currency, groschen, złoty |
| Founded | 1236 |
| Dissolved | 1795 |
Preceded by
- Period of Appanages
Facts from Wikidata Q49683 (CC0).
Grand Duchy of Lithuania Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Grand Duchy of Lithuania appears, with the other states of the time.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 815,401 km² in 1380 CE.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Grand Duchy of Lithuania exist?
Grand Duchy of Lithuania is dated to 1220 CE – 1449 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania?
The capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania was Vilnius.
How large was Grand Duchy of Lithuania at its peak?
At its peak in 1380 AD Grand Duchy of Lithuania covered about 815,401 km².
How did the map of Grand Duchy of Lithuania change over time?
Grand Duchy of Lithuania appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1300 CE to 1400 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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