|
Grand Princes of Lithuania
Lithuania was the last European country to be Christianized
(1387). The Lithuanian state had been created as a defence against the
German crusaders who conquered the Baltic during the 13th century.
The constant wars transformed Lithuania into a great power and it controlled
a vast territory stretching from the Baltic sea to the Black sea. The reason why the Lithuanians became Christians 1387 was that their grand prince had
become king over Poland. Lithuania and Poland would thereafter often be in a
personal union, which 1569 was transformed into a real union. The Poles
dominated this union however and the Lithuanian nobility were gradually polonaised.
The
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The grand principality of Lithuania and the kingdom Poland were 1569
united in a permanent union with a weak central power, its name can
be translated to either “the Republic” or "the commonwealth". The
kings/grand princes were thereafter elected jointly by the Sejm and
came from different families.
| 1573-1574 |
Henrikas Valua * |
| 1576-1586 |
Steponas Batoras |
 |
| 1588-1632 |
Žygimantas Vaza |
 |
1632-1648
1648-1668
1669-1673
1674-1696 |
Vladislovas Vaza *
Jonas Kazimieras Vaza
Mykolas Kaributas Višnioveckis
Jonas Sobieskis |
| 1697-1704 |
Augustas II Stiprusis (the Strong) |
 |
| 1705-1709 |
Stanislovas Leščinskis |
| 1709-1733 |
Augustas II (restored) |
|
| 1733-1734 |
Stanislovas Leščinskis
(restored) |
| 1734-1763 |
Augustas III |
|
| 1764-1795 |
Stanislovas Augustas Poniatovskis |
The third partition of Poland 1795 had the result that all of Lithuania
became a part of the Russian empire. The Russian emperors would thereafter
use the title “grand prince of Lithuania” but without giving the Lithuanians
the same autonomy that Finland and Poland would later receive. Lithuania
regained its independence after the First World War.
Kingdom of Lithuania
|
1918
1918-1940
1940-1990
1990- |
Mindaugas II
Republic of Lithuania
Part of the
Soviet Union
Republic of Lithuania |
|
= 1253)
