HISTORY OF

LITHUANIA
CONTENT:

1. Prehistory;
2. Entering into a period;
3. Establishment of the state;
4. Grand Duchy of Lithuania;
5. Lithuania’s alliance with Poland;
6. Tsarist Russian empire;
7. During the interwar Republic (1918-1940);
8. Soviet Lithuania;
9. Second Republic of Lithuania(1990-2013).
FIRST PEOPLE IN LITHUANIA
(before 11 thousand years).
 THE BEGINNING OF THE BALTS’
 HISTORY
History started 4-3 thousand
before BC.
 In the sixth century tribes of the
Balts split into separate tribes
(lowlanders, Prussians,
Lithuanians, Latgale, Selonians,
Curonians, Semigallians,
Yotvingians, skalvians).
 Formed the eastern and western
Balts.
 The Balts engaged in agriculture
and animal husbandry
 The Balts were pagans.
THE LANDS OF THE BALTS IN XI-XII c.
CONFEDERATION OF LITHUANIAN
LANDS IN XII-XIII c.
XII – XIII a.
 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE OF
LITHUANIA
Lithuania's name was first mentioned in 1009 in annals of
Quedlinburg (Chronicle)
THE UNIFIER OF LANDS OF LITHUANIA IS
MINDAUGAS
 In 1251 Mindaugas was
baptized;

 In 1253 Mindaugas was

crowned as the King of
Lithuania.
LITHUANIA OF MINDAUGAS TIMES
(1236 – 1263)
GRAND DUCHY OF
LITHUANIA (GDL)
 GRAND DUCHY OF LITHUANIA (GDL)

 Gediminas dynasty -
ruled the longest Grand
Dukes of Lithuania
Dynasty (1316 - 1372).
 Dynasty pioneer – the
Duke Gediminas.
Gediminas considered to
be the founder of Vilnius.
 VYTAUTAS THE GREAT (1392 – 1430)

 Vytautas the Great,

Grand Duchy of Lithuania
has made the biggest
country in Europe - the
land stretching from the
Baltic to the Black Sea.
GRAND DUCHY OF LITHUANIA IN
VYTAUTAS’ TIMES
 THE BATTLE OF GRUNWALD (1410)
The largest Lithuanian and Polish battle against the German knights.
 KREVOS AGREEMENT. BAPTISM OF
LITHUANIA 1387.
Duke of Lithuania Jogaila in 1385 in Kreva Castle signed
Kreva contract. Baptized and began the baptism of
Lithuania;
 IN 1547 IN
KARALIAUCIUS
THE FIRST
LITHUANIAN
BOOK
“CATECHISM” BY
MARTYNAS
MAŽVYDAS WAS
RELEASED.
 IN 1579 THE
OLDEST HIGH
SCHOOL WAS
ESTABLISHED IN
LITHUANIA -
VILNIUS
UNIVERSITY
LITHUANIA IN ALLIANCE
WITH POLAND
THE UNION OF LUBLIN (1569). REPUBLIC
OF TWO NATIONS.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish nobles,

the noblemen and the ruler of both countries -
Sigismund Augustus signed the Union of Lublin.
 REPUBLIC OF TWO NATIONS
(1569–1795)

 Nobility elected the king;

 The persons appointed
by the king up by the
Senate;
 Nobility Sejm;
 A uniform currency (Gold)
 1791-05-03
CONSTITUTION –
THE FIRST
EUROPEAN
CONSTITUTION.
 COLLAPSE OF REPUBLIC OF TWO
NATIONS (RTN)

 In 1772 – RTN I division;

 In 1793 - RTN II division;
 In 1795 - RTN III division,
followed by the final collapse
of the RTN.
LITHUANIA IN RUSSIAN
EMPIRE
(1795–1915 )
 LITHUANIA IN RUSSIAN EMPIRE (1795 –
1915)
 After the split, the RTN
collapsed, the Grand
Duke of Lithuania came
into the Russian Empire.

 The Russian order was

introduced in Lithuania.
 ETHNIC REVIVAL IN LITHUANIA. FIRST
LITHUANIAN NEWSPAPERS

 The first Lithuanian

newspapers - "Dawn"
and "Bell“ appeared in
the end of the XIXth c.

 Newspapers were
published in Tilsit (now
Sovetsk) and Ragainė
(now Nieman).
KAISER OCCUPATION OF LITHUANIA
(1915– 1918)