- Švitrigaila
Švitrigaila (ca 1370 –
10 February 1452 ) was theGrand Duke of Lithuania from 1430 to 1432. He was active in Lithuanian politics from the 1390s until his death.Rebellion against Vytautas
He was born to
Algirdas andUliana of Tver . [http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/113/1011383/1011383a1.htm He was baptized] by his mother intoEastern Orthodoxy . At the age of 11, he (together with his brotherJogaila ) was converted inKraków intoRoman Catholicism , changing his Christian name from Lev to Boleslaw.At that time, the town of
Polotsk was the capital of his lands. In 1392, however, Švitrigaila made an ill-fated attempt to seize neighbouringVitebsk , but was ousted by his cousinVytautas ofLithuania toPrussia .While living abroad, Švitrigaila sided with the
Teutonic Knights in their prolonged struggle against Vytautas. In 1400, he was allowed to return toLithuania , receivingPodolia as his demesne. Four years later, he moved eastward toSeveria .Defection to Moscow and its aftermath
It is believed that Švitrigaila sympathized with the
Russians , being born of a Russian mother (Uliana of Tver ) and married to Anna Ivanovna ofTver . When the war broke out betweenVytautas and his Muscovite son-in-law in 1408, Švitrigaila cast his lot with the latter, surrendering all theSeveria n towns to the Russian army and defecting toMoscow .During his brief stay in
Muscovy , Švitrigaila was rewarded withVolokolamsk and several other towns and put in charge of the Russian army operating against Vytautas. Lacking any military talent, he failed to win a single battle and, on hearing about the invasion ofEdigu , fled to Lithuania, pillagingSerpukhov on his way.Back in Lithuania, he was apprehended as an inveterate traitor and a dangerous pretender and imprisoned in the castle of
Kremenets for 9 years. Finally delivered by Prince Daniel Ostrogski, he escaped toHungary . It was through mediation of theHoly Roman Emperor and his brotherJogaila that he was allowed to return to Lithuania as a sovereign ruler ofSeveria in 1420.Grand Duke of Lithuania
Upon
Vytautas 's death in 1430, Švitrigaila immediately pressed his claim to the throne. He was supported by the Ruthenian and Orthodox population of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania , while the Lithuanian and Catholic population advanced Žygimantas Kestutaitis as a rival candidate. At last Švitrigaila prevailed over his rivals, and was crowned the Grand Duke of Lithuania inVilnius .Švitrigaila started his reign by proclaiming full independence of the Grand Duchy from
Poland and granting important privileges to his Orthodox subjects. That enraged Poland, which declared a war on Švitrigaila and occupied thePodolia n towns, notably the key castle ofKamenets-Podolsky . Švitrigaila sought help in the West and instigated theTeutonic Knights ' invasion of Poland. Despite the successful operations of his generals, he eschewed a decisive battle and signed an armistice inLutsk , obtaining from Poland full recognition of his claims.Downfall and later years
In 1432, however,
Žygimantas Kęstutaitis raised a rebellion and, supported by ethnic Lithuanians and Poles, overran much of the Grand Duchy. Švitrigaila, constrained to leave the Lithuanian capital forVitebsk , was thoroughly defeated in theBattle of Pabaiskas in 1435. Despite continued support from Ruthenians inKiev ,Podolia , andVolhynia , he fled toKraków , suing for peace. After his proposals were dismissed, Švitrigaila had to leave the country for ignominiousexile inWallachia , where he was reported to have become a shepherd.In 1440 Žygimantas was assassinated by nobles who supported Švitrigaila, and Švitrigaila returned to rule
Podolia andVolhynia . At the age of 70 (or 85, according to some sources), he was too old to resume his endless struggle for the Lithuanian throne. Shortly before his death inLutsk in 1452, he bequeathed all his possessions inPodolia andVolynia to the Lithuanian state.Titles
Prince ofVitebsk 1392 – 1393, 1430 – 1436,Podolia 1400 – 1402,Novhorod-Siversky 1404 – 1408, 1420 – 1438,Chernihiv 1419 – 1430,Grand Prince of Lithuania (1430-1432), pan ofVolhynia 1437 – 1452.See also
:
Gediminids :List of Belarusian rulers :List of Lithuanian rulers
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