Władysław II Jagiełło

Władysław II Jagiełło

Jogaila was the last pagan ruler of medieval Lithuania. In 1386 he converted to Catholicism and was baptized as Władysław. His reign in Poland started in 1399, upon the death of King Jadwiga, and lasted a further thirty-five years. During his reign, the Polish-Lithuanian state was the largest state in the Christian world. He died in 1393, and was succeeded by his son, Wladimir II Jagiełło.

About Władysław II Jagiełło in brief

Summary Władysław II JagiełłoJogaila was the last pagan ruler of medieval Lithuania. Born a pagan, in 1386 he converted to Catholicism and was baptized as Władysław in Kraków. In 1387 he converted Lithuania to Christianity. His reign in Poland started in 1399, upon the death of King Jadwiga, and lasted a further thirty-five years. During his reign, the Polish-Lithuanian state was the largest state in the Christian world. He was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty in Poland that bears his name and was previously also known as the Gediminid dynasty in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The dynasty ruled both states until 1572, and became one of the most influential dynasties in late medieval and early modern Europe. The reign of Jogaila extended Polish frontiers and is often considered the beginning of Poland’s Golden Age. He died in 1393, and was succeeded by his son, Wladimir II Jagiełło. He is buried in the Wrocław Cathedral in Wroclaw, Poland, where he was buried alongside his wife, Jad wiga. He also had a son, Kęstutis, who became the last Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1377. He ruled in Lithuania from 1377 until 1380, when he was overthrown in the Vilnius Civil War. In the same year, Lithuania faced constant armedursions from the Teutonic Knights.

He concluded the secret Treaty of Dovydišk, in which he agreed to fight against the Knights. In 1410, he defeated the Knights at the Battle of Grunwald and secured the Polish and Lithuanian borders. This marked the emergence of the Polish–Lithuaian alliance as a significant force in Europe. His death in 1390 was followed by the Peace of Thorn, which marked the end of his rule in Lithuania and the start of his reign as King of Poland. The Treaty of Thorn was signed between the two states in 1410 and 1411. He had a daughter, Jana, who was married to the Polish king, and later became Queen of Poland and King of Lithuania, as well as the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. Jana died in 1415, and her husband was succeeded as King by her brother, Wladek, who died the following year. His son, Wladimir II, became the first Polish king to die in battle in 1416. He later died in a battle in the battle of Krewo in 1421. He left a son and a daughter. Jna died in 1516, and his son was buried in Krasnodar, Poland. In 1523, he was replaced by his brother, Kładek. He then became King of the Republic of Poland, and in 1528, he became the sole ruler of that state. He went on to rule Poland and Lithuania until 1536.