Publication details
Strategic Alliances and Religious Rivalries. The Teutonic Knights and Lithuanian Dukes
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | The paper investigates the complex relationships between the Teutonic Order and the Lithuanian Dukes in the medieval Baltic region. The Teutonic Order, originally established to spread Christianity among pagan tribes, frequently found its religious mission clashing with political ambitions, resulting in protracted conflicts with Poland and Lithuania. The Order’s efforts to expand its territories through military and diplomatic means often overshadowed its spiritual objectives. Key historical events, such as the Order's occupation of Danzig Pomerania and the conversion of the Gediminid dynasty, particularly under the Polish-Lithuanian Union (1385/6), reshaped the regional power dynamics. These developments significantly weakened the Order’s claims of crusading legitimacy. Although the Order projected itself as a bastion of Christian values, political pragmatism frequently dictated its actions, including its interactions with Lithuanian elites, with whom it shared elements of chivalric culture despite ongoing hostilities. The interactions between the Teutonic Knights and the Lithuanian dukes reveal a complex interplay of religious, political, and diplomatic factors. The Order’s professed commitment to Christianity often aligned with territorial ambitions and the need to counterbalance Polish authority. The dynamics surrounding Jogaila’s baptism exemplify the intricate balance between religious ideology and political maneuvering. These relationships, marked by shifting allegiances and strategic calculations, shaped the historical landscape of Central Eastern Europe. The challenges and opportunistic strategies of this era illustrate how faith and governance were deeply intertwined, influencing the region's transformation. |
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