Editing History of Lithuania (section)

====Mindaugas and his kingdom====
{{Main|History of Lithuania (1219–95)}}
[[File:Papal bull regarding Lithuanian ruler Mindaugas 1251.jpg|thumb|[[Pope Innocent IV]]'s bull regarding Lithuania's placement under the jurisdiction of the [[Bishop of Rome]], [[Mindaugas]]' baptism and coronation]]
From the early 13th century, frequent foreign military excursions became possible due to the increased cooperation and coordination among the Baltic tribes.<ref name="Baczkowski 55-61"/> Forty such expeditions took place between 1201 and 1236 against Ruthenia, Poland, Latvia and Estonia, which were then being conquered by the [[Livonian Order]]. [[Pskov Republic|Pskov]] was pillaged and burned in 1213.<ref name="Ochmański 43-45"/> In 1219, twenty-one Lithuanian chiefs signed a peace treaty with the state of [[Galicia–Volhynia]]. This event is widely accepted as the first proof that the Baltic tribes were uniting and consolidating.<ref name=gerutis>{{cite book |last=Jakštas |first=Juozas |editor= Albertas Gerutis|others= translated by Algirdas Budreckis|title= Lithuania: 700 Years |year=1984 |edition=6th |publisher= Manyland Books|location= New York|isbn=0-87141-028-1 |pages=45–50 |chapter=Beginning of the State}}</ref>

From the early 13th century, two German crusading [[Military order (monastic society)|military orders]], the [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword]] and the [[Teutonic Knights]], became established at the mouth of the [[Daugava River]] and in [[Chełmno Land]] respectively. Under the pretense of converting the population to Christianity, they proceeded to conquer much of the area that is now Latvia and [[Estonia]], in addition to parts of Lithuania.<ref name="Baczkowski 55-61"/> In response, a number of small Baltic tribal groups united under the rule of [[Mindaugas]]. Mindaugas, originally a ''kunigas'' or major chief, one of the five [[List of early Lithuanian dukes|senior dukes]] listed in the treaty of 1219, is referred to as the ruler of all Lithuania as of 1236 in the [[Livonian Rhymed Chronicle]].<ref name=LV-Mind>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Edvardas |last=Gudavičius | author-link=Edvardas Gudavičius |author2=Rimantas Jasas | editor= Vytautas Spečiūnas |encyclopedia= Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas |title=Mindaugas |year=2004 |publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas |location=Vilnius |isbn=5-420-01535-8 |pages=15–18|language=lt}}</ref>

[[File:Teutonic Order 1260.png|thumb|left|[[State of the Teutonic Order]] in 1260]]
In 1236 the pope declared a crusade against the Lithuanians.<ref name="Bumblauskas 29-30">Eidintas et al. (2013), pp. 29–30</ref> The [[Samogitians]], led by [[Vykintas]], Mindaugas' rival,<ref name="Ochmański 46-47">Ochmański (1982), pp. 46–47</ref> soundly defeated the Livonian Brothers and their allies in the [[Battle of Saule]] in 1236, which forced the Brothers to merge with the Teutonic Knights in 1237.<ref name="kiaupa">{{cite book |last=Kiaupa |first=Zigmantas |author2=Jūratė Kiaupienė |author3=Albinas Kuncevičius |title= The History of Lithuania Before 1795 |chapter=Establishment of the State |orig-date= 1995|edition= English|year= 2000|publisher= Lithuanian Institute of History|location= Vilnius|isbn= 9986-810-13-2|pages=45–72}}</ref> But Lithuania was trapped between the two branches of the Order.<ref name="Bumblauskas 29-30"/>

Around 1240, Mindaugas ruled over all of [[Aukštaitija]]. Afterwards, he conquered the [[Black Ruthenia]] region (which consisted of [[Grodno]], [[Brest, Belarus|Brest]], [[Navahrudak]] and the surrounding territories).<ref name="Baczkowski 55-61"/> Mindaugas was in process of extending his control to other areas, killing rivals or sending relatives and members of rival clans east to Ruthenia so they could conquer and settle there. They did that, but they also rebelled. The Ruthenian duke [[Daniel of Galicia]] sensed an occasion to recover Black Ruthenia and in 1249–1250 organized a powerful anti-Mindaugas (and "anti-pagan") coalition that included Mindaugas' rivals, Yotvingians, Samogitians and the [[Livonia]]n Teutonic Knights. Mindaugas, however, took advantage of the divergent interests in the coalition he faced.<ref name="Ochmański 47-48">Ochmański (1982), pp. 47–48</ref>

[[File:Seal of Mindaugas.jpg|thumb|upright=.7|[[Seal of Mindaugas]]]]
In 1250, Mindaugas entered into an agreement with the Teutonic Order; he consented to receive baptism (the act took place in 1251) and relinquish his claim over some lands in western Lithuania, for which he was to receive a royal crown in return.<ref name=voruta>{{cite journal |first=Tomas |last=Baranauskas |author-link=Tomas Baranauskas |date=23 March 2003 |title=Mindaugo karūnavimo ir Lietuvos karalystės problemos | url= http://www.voruta.lt/article.php?article=87 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051026174819/http://www.voruta.lt/article.php?article=87 | archive-date= 2005-10-26 | journal=[[Voruta (newspaper)|Voruta]] | volume=6 | issue=504 | issn=1392-0677 | access-date =2012-05-04|language=lt}}</ref> Mindaugas was then able to withstand a military assault from the remaining coalition in 1251, and, supported by the Knights, emerge as a victor to confirm his rule over Lithuania.<ref name="Ochmański 48-50">Ochmański (1982), pp. 48–50</ref>

On 17 July 1251, [[Pope Innocent IV]] signed two [[papal bull]]s that ordered the Bishop of [[Chełmno]] to crown Mindaugas as [[List of rulers of Lithuania|King of Lithuania]], appoint a bishop for Lithuania, and build a cathedral.<ref name=MGweb>{{cite journal|last=Butkevičienė |first=Birutė |author2=Vytautas Gricius |date=July 2003 |title=Mindaugas — Lietuvos karalius |journal=Mokslas Ir Gyvenimas |volume=7 |issue=547 |issn=0134-3084 |url=http://ausis.gf.vu.lt/mg/nr/2003/07/7mlk.html |access-date=2012-05-04 |language=lt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523045154/http://ausis.gf.vu.lt/mg/nr/2003/07/7mlk.html |archive-date=2007-05-23 }}</ref> In 1253, Mindaugas was crowned and a [[Kingdom of Lithuania]] was established for the first and only time in Lithuanian history.<ref>{{in lang|lt}} Tomas Baranauskas. [http://www.voruta.lt/archyvas/24/1116 ''Lietuvos karalystei – 750'']{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. 2001.</ref><ref name="Department of State Lithuania">[https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/lithuania/191349.htm Lithuania profile: history.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218201135/https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/lithuania/191349.htm |date=18 December 2021 }} U.S. Department of State Background Notes. Last accessed on 02 June 2013</ref> Mindaugas "granted" parts of Yotvingia and Samogitia that he did not control to the Knights in 1253–1259. A peace with Daniel of Galicia in 1254 was cemented by a marriage deal involving Mindaugas' daughter and Daniel's son [[Shvarn]]. Mindaugas' nephew [[Tautvilas]] returned to his [[Principality of Polotsk|Duchy of Polotsk]] and Samogitia separated, soon to be ruled by another nephew, [[Treniota]].<ref name="Ochmański 48-50"/>

In 1260, the Samogitians, victorious over the Teutonic Knights in the [[Battle of Durbe]], agreed to submit themselves to Mindaugas' rule on the condition that he abandons the Christian religion; the king complied by terminating the emergent conversion of his country, renewed anti-Teutonic warfare (in the struggle for Samogitia)<ref name="Bumblauskas 33"/> and expanded further his Ruthenian holdings.<ref name="Ochmański 50-53">Ochmański (1982), pp. 50–53</ref> It is not clear whether this was accompanied by his personal [[apostasy]].<ref name="Baczkowski 55-61"/><ref name="Bumblauskas 33">Eidintas et al. (2013), p. 33</ref> Mindaugas thus established the basic tenets of medieval Lithuanian policy: defense against the German Order expansion from the west and north and conquest of [[Ruthenia]] in the south and east.<ref name="Baczkowski 55-61"/>

Mindaugas was the principal founder of the Lithuanian state. He established for a while a Christian kingdom under the pope rather than the [[Holy Roman Empire]], at a time when the remaining pagan peoples of Europe were no longer being converted peacefully, but conquered.<ref name="Bumblauskas 30-33">Eidintas et al. (2013), pp. 30–33</ref>