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Example research essay topic: Raided Curonian Lands Masovian Duke Boleslas Lithuania - 1,420 words

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... also made peace with Tautvilas, who later took control of Plots, and served as a subordinate of Mindaugas. In January 1256 the Samogitians, under the leadership of Duke Alminas, entered into an active battle with the Livonian Crusaders, and raided Curonian lands, then under Livonian rule. The Samogitians negotiated a 2 -year cease-fire with the Crusaders in the spring of 1257, following successful battles. 1259 marked the end of the negotiated cease-fire, and the battles between the Samogitians and the Crusaders were renewed. Mindaugas, in the meantime, had been striving to retain friendly relations with the Order, particularly after the Tartars had plundered his lands during the winter. To this end, he signed over all of Samogitians to the Order on August 7 th.

At about the same time, the Samogitians army of 3, 000 raided Curonian lands. This army soundly defeated the Livonian army of Crusaders, led by Bernhardt Have, Officer of Kuldyga, in a battle near Skuodas. The Order lost 33 of its cavalrymen in the battle. This victory of the Samogitians prompted the Semigallians to begin an insurrection against the Livonian Order, which lasted from 1259 to 1272. Notwithstanding such events, Mindaugas remained in no hurry to change his policies. On July 13, 1260 the Samogitians crushed the joint forces of the Prussian and Livonian Crusaders in Curonian lands near Duke Lake.

Livonian Land Magistrate Burchard of Hornhausen, Prussian Land Marshall Botel, and 150 cavalrymen were killed. This was the greatest defeat, suffered by the Order during the XIII and XIV century. It gave rise to battles for liberation throughout the Baltic Sea area. One such fight was the Great Prussian Insurrection, which lasted for 14 years between 1260 and 1274. In autumn 1261 Mindaugas, convinced by the arguments of his military commander Treniota and the Samogitians, took the Samogitians under his own jurisdiction, renounced Christianity, and entered into a war with the Order.

Unfortunately, the war effort did not go well, and Mindaugas blamed Treniota. In autumn 1263 Treniota conspired with Duke Daumantas of Nasa, and had Mindaugas assassinated. He then declared himself to be the Grand Duke of Lithuania. In spring 1264 Treniota was murdered by the servants of Mindaugas. Vaisalgas, a son of Mindaugas, who had converted to the Orthodox Christian faith and become a monk, took the seat of the capital of Lithuania. With the help of the Dukes of Volynia, he managed to quell the resistance, occurring in Lithuania.

Daumantas, who had arranged the assassination of Mindaugas, fled to Pskov in 1265. There, he had himself baptised, was appointed the Duke of Pskov, and ruled successfully until his death in 1299. He was declared a saint for his merits to Pskov. 1267 was the year of the return to the monastery by Vaisalgas, who passed the seat of rule to Svarnas, the husband of his sister and son of Duke Daniel of Volynia. It proved to be an ill-fated move. Soon thereafter, Levas, a brother of Svarnas had Vaisalgas murdered, because he had not been granted the rule of Lithuania. Svarnas died not long after. 1269 was the year, when Traidenis came into power in Lithuania.

Possibly, he had been a descendant of the rivals of Mindaugas, because during the early days of his rule, he retained friendly relations with Levas, who had assassinated Vaisalgas. Additionally, in 1279 he gave the hand of his daughter Gaudimante in marriage to Duke Boleslas (Boleslas) II, the son of Duke Ziemovit (Ziemowit) I of Masovian, who had been killed by the warriors of Mindaugas in 1262. Boleslas II named his son after Traidenis, even though he was born after Traidenis had already died. Traidenis actively fought the Teutonic Order. Following the defeat of the Great Prussian Insurrection, he provided haven for the refugees from Prussia, supported the Jatvingians and Samogitians, and renewed the military incursions into Livonia.

On February 16, 1270 the Lithuanians soundly defeated the Livonian Crusaders at the Battle of Ice near Karusa, Estonia. Livonian Land Master Often of Luttenberg and 52 cavalry soldiers were killed. On March 5, 1279 Traidenis beat the Livonian army near Aizkraukle in Livonia. At the time, this army had been in process of retreat from an incursion into Lithuania. Livonian Land Master Ernest of Rassburg and 71 cavalry soldiers were killed. After this victory, the Semigallians, who had persistently fought for their liberation throughout the XIII century, rebelled against the rule of the Order for a final time.

Traidenis took their lands under his own jurisdiction. It was not until 1290, before the Order was finally able to take control of Semigallians. Many Semigallians fled to Lithuania at that time. 1281 was the year in which Traidenis died, and Daumantas came into power in Lithuania. A XVI century genealogical legend named Daumantas as the son of Mindaugas. At this time, the oldest Lithuanian chronicle, still surviving as part of the Halich-Volynia Chronicle, was written in Novogrudok, then under jurisdiction of Lithuania (Halich is also written as Halich and is also known as Galicia).

Therein, Vaisalgas, the son of Mindaugas was glorified, and Traidenis was cursed. One of the most loyal allies of Traidenis in Jatvingia, Skomantas, had defected to the side of the Crusaders. 1283 was the time, when the Crusaders were finally able to overcome the resistance of the Jatvingians (Sudovians). Part of the Jatvingians population fled to Lithuania, and another part was exiled to Samba. The lands of Jatvingia became deserted. The Prussian Crusaders attacked Lithuania for the first time this same year. A continual war began with the Crusaders.

On March 24, 1285 Daumantas invaded the territory under jurisdiction of the Tver Bishop, and was killed there. Butigeidis, most likely his son, became the ruler of Lithuania. He continued a policy of persecuting enemies of the family of Mindaugas and the allies of Traidenis. When the Lithuanians, together with the dukes of Volynia, attacked the territory of Masovian Duke Boleslas, a brother-in-law to Traidenis in 1286, Levas, the man responsible for the execution of Vaisalgas, was known to have advised his son not to march with the Lithuanians, because they could be seeking vengeance for the death of Vaisalgas. In about 1268 was an incident, whereby Pelusis, insulted by "the second in command to the King of Lithuania, " defected to the Crusaders. Secretly he arrived at the wedding of his enemy with a band of soldiers he had been provided.

There, he slaughtered 70 dukes of Lithuania, along with the host. 1289 was the year, when the Prussian Crusaders seized Skalva, and built Ragaine Castle at the Nemunas River. The castle became the major buttress in the fight against Lithuania. Butigeidis and his brother, Butvydas entered into a peace pact with Mstislav, the Duke of Lots by providing him with Volkovysk in return. In about 1291, the leader of Lithuania became Butvydas, the brother of Butigeidis. The brief period of his rule was marked by continual battles with the Teutonic Order. Vytenis, the son of Butvydas, organised several marches into Poland, where he proved himself a strong military leader and diplomat.

He was able to re-establish friendly relations with Masovian Duke Boleslas. On June 10, 1294 Vytenis defeated the army of Casimir (Casimir) II, the Duke of Leczyca in a battle near Troja now. Casimir II, himself and numerous cavalry soldiers were killed. The battle was the most significant military victory for Lithuania in Poland.

In about 1295, Vytenis was declared the ruler of Lithuania. On September 30, 1296 a conflict erupted between the Riga townspeople and the Livonian Order. Vytenis invaded Livonia in winter of the same year. The Archbishop of Riga and the townspeople became determined to enter into closer contact with Lithuania. On March 30, 1298 Vytenis entered into an alliance with Riga city and its Archbishop against the Livonian Order. He promised that Lithuania would accept Christianity, just as it had during the times of Mindaugas.

The citizenry of Riga and Lithuania manage to deal several painful blows to the Livonian Order. During the Turaida Battle on June 1 st, the Livonian Land Master Bruno and 22 knights were killed. Then, the townspeople built a castle for the Lithuanians at the approach to Riga, which was called the Castle of the Lithuanians during the entire XIV century. However, the allied army of the Prussian and Livonian Crusaders beat the Lithuanians and the Riga townspeople on June 29 th. Although at that point Riga was forced into drawing a cease-fire pact with the Order, its alliance with Lithuania continued.


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