Grand Princes of Lithuania

Lithuania was the last European country to be Christianized (1387). The Lithuanian state had been created as a defence against the German crusaders who conquered the Baltic during the 13^th century. The constant wars transformed Lithuania into a great power and it controlled a vast territory stretching from the Baltic sea to the Black sea. The reason why the Lithuanians became Christians 1387 was that their grand prince had become king over Poland. Lithuania and Poland would thereafter often be in a personal union, which 1569 was transformed into a real union. The Poles dominated this union however and the Lithuanian nobility were gradually polonaised.

1238-1263 1263-1264 1264-1267 1267-1269 1269-1281 1281-1285 1285-1291 1291-1295 1295-1316 1316-1341 1341-1345 1345-1377 1377-1381 1381-1382	Mindaugas ( = 1253) Treniota Vaišalgas (Vaišelga) Švarnas Traidenis Daumantas Butigeidis Butvydas Vytenis Gediminas Jaunutis Algirdas Jogaila Kęstutis
1382-1392	Jogaila (restored)
1387-1392	Skirgaila (regent)
1392-1430 1430-1432 1432-1440	Vytautas Švitrigaila Žygimantas Kęstutaitis
1440-1492	Kazimieras
1492-1506	Aleksandras
1506-1548	Žygimantas Senasis (the Old)
1544-1572	Žygimantas Augustas

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

The grand principality of Lithuania and the kingdom Poland were 1569 united in a permanent union with a weak central power, its name can be translated to either “the Republic” or "the commonwealth". The kings/grand princes were thereafter elected jointly by the Sejm and came from different families.

1573-1574	Henrikas Valua *
1576-1586	Steponas Batoras
1588-1632	Žygimantas Vaza
1632-1648 1648-1668 1669-1673 1674-1696	Vladislovas Vaza * Jonas Kazimieras Vaza Mykolas Kaributas Višnioveckis Jonas Sobieskis
1697-1704	Augustas II Stiprusis (the Strong)
1705-1709	Stanislovas Leščinskis
1709-1733	Augustas II (restored)
1733-1734	Stanislovas Leščinskis (restored)
1734-1763	Augustas III
1764-1795	Stanislovas Augustas Poniatovskis