Ostrów Agreement

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Vytautas the Great, 17th century painting
Vytautas the Great, 17th century painting
Presumed image of Jogaila, painted around 1475–1480, Kraków, Poland
Presumed image of Jogaila, painted around 1475–1480, Kraków, Poland

Ostrów / Astrava Agreement or Treaty of (Lithuanian: Astravos sutartis, Polish: Ugoda w Ostrowie) was a treaty between Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his cousin Vytautas the Great, signed on August 4, 1392. The treaty ended a destructive civil war launched by Vytautas which had devastated Lithuania and left Samogitia under the control of the Teutonic Knights. The treaty granted Vytautas the status of Grand Duke of Lithuania while Jogaila retained a theoretical political supremacy. It ended the civil unrest and the power struggle between the cousins that erupted in 1380 after Jogaila signed the Treaty of Dovydiškės with the Teutonic Knights in secret. The details of the Jogaila-Vytautas relationship were clarified in several later treaties, including the Union of Vilnius and Radom in 1401.

Contents

[edit] Background

Jogaila and Vytautas were the grandsons of Gediminas, who ruled Lithuania from about 1316 to 1341. His sons, Algirdas and Kestutis, successfully shared power after Gediminas died. However, Algirdas' son Jogaila and Kestutis's son Vytautas came into conflict after their fathers' deaths in 1377 and 1382, respectively. In 1390, Jogaila's rule in Lithuania faced a challenge from Vytautas, who resented the power given to Jogaila's regent in Lithuania, Skirgaila, at the expense of Vytautas' patrimony in Trakai.[1][2] Vytautas' growing popularity forced Jogaila to see him as the rival to his position in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which led to open conflict between the two leaders.[3] The governmental changes implemented in Lithuania by Jogaila were resented by Lithuanian elites as well.[3] Vytautas was supported by Lithuanians who resented Polish interpretations of the recent Union of Krewo.[4] Vytautas maintained good relations with the leadership of the Teutonic Knights; he hoped to persuade them to aid his cause a second time - they would agree, expecting territorial gains, but asked for hostages as a guarantee of Vytautas' loyalty.[1][5]

[edit] Civil war

Warfare started in 1389. After securing his position in Sluck Vytautas turned his sights on Vilnius, but he was betrayed and the Vilnius campaign did not succeed.[3] Vytautas formed an alliance with the Teutonic Knights after these military reversals[2] and soon afterwards a large German force successfully invaded Lithuania and took several castles. Jogaila did not hesitate either, taking a major town and castle at Hrodna.[citation needed]

Another campaign was organized at the end of summer in 1390. On 11 September 1390[6] the joint forces of Vytautas and the Grand Master of Teutonic Knights, Konrad von Wallenrode, initiated a five-week siege on Vilnius.[6] This siege of the Lithuanian capital is notable for the participation of Henry, Earl of Derby, the future King Henry IV of England.[7] The city's castles were held by Skirgaila, commanding combined Polish, Lithuanian and Ruthenian troops.[8] Although the Knights, "with all their powder shot away", lifted the siege of the castle after a month, they reduced much of the outer city to ruins.[9] The siege did not bring an end to the conflict, but it demonstrated an increased dissatisfaction with Jogaila among the regional inhabitants.[6]

Neither Jogaila nor Vytautas had gained a clear advantage and the territories of the Grand Duchy affected by the civil war were being devastated.[2]

[edit] The treaty

Military conflict continued during 1391. Vytautas successfully took Hrodna and several other settlements.[citation needed] In the face of this situation Jogaila made the decision to send a secret envoy, Henry of Masovia, bishop of Płock, to negotiate with Vytautas and convince him to switch sides.[5][dubious – discuss] Secret negotiations were started in the Ritterswerder Castle on an island the Neman River near Kaunas.[5] Henry of Masovia delivered Jogaila's proposal, which satisfied Vytautas. To avoid arousing the suspicion of the Teutonic Knights,[10] Henry proposed to Vytautas' sister Ryngałła (Rymgajla, Rimgailė) and they soon married;[10] (19th century sources assert that Henry became friends with Vytautas, and fell in love with his sister Ryngałła[5]) this marriage of a bishop would have several repercussions. Henry would die about a year later, amidst many speculations.[11] However, Vytautas could not act immediately, as the Knights held Vytautas' relatives as guarantees; it took some time for him to arrange their transfer to safety. In July 1392 Vytautas turned against the Teutonic Knights, launching surprise attacks against several smaller castles and Hrodna.[5]

During the summer Jogaila met Vytautas in person in the Astrava mansion in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Polish: Ostrów, the ruins' site is tentatively located west of Lida near Dzitva River, to the east of the village of Yantsavichy[12] in Belarus) to finalize the treaty.[5] Jogaila handed over the government of Lithuania to his cousin in exchange for peace. Vytautas was to rule Lithuania as its Grand Duke (Magnus Dux), while Jogaila adopted for a few years the higher title Supreme Prince (Prince Supremus).[13] Skirgaila was removed from the Duchy of Trakai to become prince of Kiev.[2] The treaty was enacted in several phases, adjusting the equivocal points stated in the Act of Kreva.[14] The treaty strengthened Lithuania's central government as well.[14]

Vytautas accepted his new status but continued to demand Lithuania's complete separation from Poland.[15] The Lithuanian defeat at the Battle of the Vorskla River against the Golden Horde made him abandon his hopes of breaking union with Poland and becoming king of his own; instead together with Poland of Jogaila he turned against the Teutonic Knights.[2] Another step in the alliance between Poland and Lithuania were made in 1401 via the Union of Vilnius and Radom and the alliance would result in major victory of Poland and Lithuania over the Knights in the 1410 battle of Grunwald.[2][16] The conflicts with the Teutonic Knights continued until 1422; Samogitia was regained by Lithuania. Vytautas reigned until 1430; Jogaila reigned until 1434.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Giedrė Mickūnaitė, From Pamphlet to Political Theory: The Establishment of Lithuanian Dynastic Tradition in Erik Kooper, The Medieval Chronicle II, Rodopi, 2002, ISBN 90-420-0834-2, p. 157
  2. ^ a b c d e f Daniel Z. Stone, The Polish-Lithuanian State, 1386–1795. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001, ISBN 0-295-98093-1, p. 10
  3. ^ a b c Gudavičius, Edvardas (1999). Lietuvos istorija. Nuo seniausių laikų iki 1569 metų, p.173. ISBN 9986-39-112-1. 
  4. ^ Rosamond McKitterick, The new Cambridge medieval history, Cambridge University Press, 1995, ISBN 0521382963, Vol. 7 p.732
  5. ^ a b c d e f Karol Szajnocha, Dzieła, Nakl. i Drukiem J. Ungra, 1877, Google Print, p.163-167 (public domain)
  6. ^ a b c Gudavičius, Edvardas (1999) p.174
  7. ^ Turnbull, Stephen (2003) p.54
  8. ^ The joint forces of Vytautas and the Teutonic Knights consisted largely of volunteers and mercenaries from western Europe, notably from France, the German states, and England. Paweł Jasienica, Polska Jagiellonów, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy. ISBN 83-06-01796-X., p. 83–84.
  9. ^ The phrase "with all their powder shot away" is quoted by Stephen Turnbull from the chronicler Wigand of Marburg; Turnbull also mentions that Henry Bolingbroke, the future King Henry IV of England, took part in the siege of Vilnius. Stephen Turnbull, Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights, Vol. 2: The Stone Castles of Latvia and Estonia, 1185-1560, Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-712-3, p.53–54.
  10. ^ a b Gudavičius, Edvardas (1999) p.176
  11. ^ (Polish) O Ryngalle, która skradła, Tygodnik Płocki, 28-12-2004
  12. ^ (Belarusian) Site of signing the Astrava Agreement
  13. ^ . New Cambridge Medieval History, 732. Daniez Z. Stone, The Polish-Lithuanian State, 1386–1795. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001, ISBN 0-295-98093-1, p. 10.
  14. ^ a b Gudavičius, Edvardas (1999) p.178
  15. ^ Francis Dvornik, The Slavs in European History and Civilization. Rutgers University Press. 1992. ISBN 0-8135-0799-5, p. 222–225
  16. ^ Stephen R. Turnbull, Tannenberg 1410: Disaster for the Teutonic Knights, Osprey Publishing, 2003, ISBN 1841765619, Google Print, p.19
  • Marek Derwich, Monarchia Piastów, Warszawa-Wrocław 2003, Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie, ISBN 83-7023-989-7
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