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Władysław of Legnica ( Polish: Władysław legnicki; 6 June 1296 – after 13 January 1352), was a Duke of Legnica during 1296–1312 (with his brothers until 1311 and briefly alone during 1311–1312), of Brzeg and Wrocław during 1296–1311 (with his brothers). He was the third son of Henry V the Fat, Duke of Legnica and Wrocław, by his ...
- 6 June 1296
- Anna of Masovia
- after 13 January 1352
- Silesian Piasts
Even Bolesław's rule over Legnica was contested by his brother Władysław and in 1329 he had to pay homage to the Bohemian King John of Luxembourg to secure his reign. As the duchy's capital at the beginning of the 14th century, Legnica was an important city of Central Europe, with a population of approximately 16,000 residents.
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Key Takeaways. The Battle of Legnica was a significant conflict during the Mongol invasion of Europe in 1241. The clash between the Mongol Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian alliance played a crucial role in shaping medieval warfare.
- Overview
- Early life
- Rule of Poland and Lithuania
Władysław II Jagiełło, (born c. 1351—died May 31/June 1, 1434, Grodek, near Lwów, Galicia, Pol. [now Lviv, Ukraine]), grand duke of Lithuania (as Jogaila, 1377–1401) and king of Poland (1386–1434), who joined two states that became the leading power of eastern Europe. He was the founder of Poland’s Jagiellon dynasty.
Jogaila (Jagiełło in Polish) was one of the 12 sons of Algirdas (Olgierd), grand duke of Lithuania, who named him his heir apparent. When his father died in 1377, Jogaila’s title of grand duke was disputed by his relatives, and only after several years and some ruthless actions—such as the imprisonment and murder of his uncle Kęstutis (Kejstut)—did his rule become as secure as his father’s had been. Part of this reign had to be devoted to winning over Keştutis’ son Vytautas (Witold in Polish), who, with the backing of the Teutonic Order, was a rival candidate for the throne of Lithuania. In the decades that followed, Jogaila and his cousin were alternately allies and foes.
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In 1384 Polish nobles, who wanted a strong ruler who could help them in their attempts at recovering territory from Hungary, offered Jogaila marriage to the young Polish queen, Jadwiga (Hedwig, born in 1373 or 1374), to share her throne on the condition that he Christianize Lithuania and unite it completely with Poland. Jogaila considered the plan strategically advantageous. The agreements were set forth in the Treaty of Krewo (1385). Elected king of Poland on Feb. 2, 1386, Jogaila was baptized as a Roman Catholic, taking the name Władysław II, on February 15, married Jadwiga on February 18, and was crowned king on March 4 in Cracow. He began at once to convert Lithuania to Roman Catholicism.
In foreign policy Władysław had four major problems to be solved: restoring Lithuania’s and Poland’s position vis-à-vis the Teutonic Order; halting aggression by the Tatars; regaining Ruthenia, occupied by Hungary; and expanding Poland’s influence in the southeast against its Hungarian rival. In all areas Władysław was successful—thanks, in regard to the first two problems, to the military help of the energetic Vytautas. In a series of wars (1409–11, 1414, 1422, 1431–32)—the first of which included the Battle of Tannenberg (Polish Grunwald; July 15, 1410)—the Teutonic Order was defeated and lost its leading position in northeastern Europe. The territorial losses of the order were small (Samogitia to Lithuania and a little territory on the Vistula River to Poland), but its military and financial power was weakened once and for all.
As for the Tatars, they defeated Vytautas in 1399 at the Battle on the River Vorskla, at the cost of a decisive check on their own territorial expansion. For Władysław this was a double victory: the Tatars were weakened, and Vytautas’ endeavours to become a fully independent ruler of a more powerful Lithuania were brought to an end by the defeat.
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Ruthenia was recovered from Hungary as early as 1387, and Poland grew strong enough to make the prince of Moldavia its vassal. In 1412 Władysław even came to terms with Hungary, formerly an ally of the Teutonic Order, in exchange for a loan. Continually, he played his hand cautiously: although he supported the Hussites in their struggle against King Sigismund of Bohemia and Hungary, for example, he refrained from intervention. Władysław ended his reign with good relations between Poland and Hungary.
In domestic policies Władysław was less successful. He energetically Christianized those parts of Lithuania still pagan, but he was unable to incorporate Lithuania into Poland as he had promised and was forced to let Vytautas act virtually as a sovereign. After Vytautas’ death in 1430, Władysław was still unable to restore his authority in Lithuania, and, after a period of civil war, Vytautas’ brother became governor in Lithuania. In Poland the nobility strengthened its position, especially during the latter part of Władysław’s reign, and Władysław was unable to win the burghers to his side and use them politically as a counterweight to the nobles. In questions of national religion the king showed resoluteness, particularly in his attempt to suppress the Polish followers of Jan Hus.
Władysław of Legnica (Polish: Władysław legnicki; 6 June 1296 – after 13 January 1352), was a Duke of Legnica during 1296–1312 (with his brothers until 1311 and briefly alone during 1311–1312), of Brzeg and Wrocław during 1296–1311 (with his brothers).
Władysław of Legnica (Polish: '''Władysław legnicki'''; 6 June 1296 – after 13 January 1352), was a Duke of Legnica during 1296–1312 (with his brothers until 1311 and briefly alone during 1311–1312), of Brzeg and Wrocław during 1296–1311 (with his brothers).
Who was Władysław of Legnica? Władysław of Legnica, was a Duke of Legnica during 1296-1312, of Brzeg and Wrocław during 1296-1311. He was the third son of Henry V the Fat, Duke of Legnica and Wrocław, by his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Boleslaw the Pious, Duke of Greater Poland.
