Editing History of Lithuania (section)

====Traidenis, Teutonic conquests of Baltic tribes====
{{Main|History of Lithuania (1219–95)}}
[[File:Daumantas of Pskov.jpg|thumb|upright=.7|[[Daumantas of Pskov]] killed Mindaugas in revenge for the king's taking of Daumantas' wife]]
Mindaugas was murdered in 1263 by [[Daumantas of Pskov]] and [[Treniota]], an event that resulted in great unrest and civil war. Treniota, who took over the rule of the Lithuanian territories, murdered Tautvilas, but was killed himself in 1264. The rule of Mindaugas' son [[Vaišvilkas]] followed. He was the first Lithuanian duke known to become an [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople|Orthodox]] Christian and settle in Ruthenia, establishing a pattern to be followed by many others.<ref name="Bumblauskas 33"/> Vaišvilkas was killed in 1267. A power struggle between Shvarn and [[Traidenis]] resulted; it ended in a victory for the latter. Traidenis' reign (1269–1282) was the longest and most stable during the period of unrest. Tradenis reunified all Lithuanian lands, repeatedly raided Ruthenia and Poland with success, defeated the Teutonic Knights in Prussia and in Livonia at the [[Battle of Aizkraukle]] in 1279. He also became the ruler of Yotvingia, Semigalia and eastern Prussia. Friendly relations with Poland followed, and in 1279, Tradenis' daughter [[Gaudemunda of Lithuania]] married [[Bolesław II of Masovia]], a [[Piast dynasty|Piast]] duke.<ref name="Baczkowski 55-61"/><ref name="Ochmański 50-53"/>

Pagan Lithuania was a target of [[Northern Crusades|northern Christian crusades]] of the Teutonic Knights and the [[Livonian Order]].<ref name=empire>{{cite book |last=Rowell |first=C. S. |title=Lithuania Ascending: A Pagan Empire Within East-central Europe, 1295–1345 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i4hpVJ51y4oC&pg=RA4-PA302 |access-date=2007-01-02 |date=1994-06-24 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0-521-45011-X |pages=302–304}}</ref> In 1241, 1259 and 1275, Lithuania was also ravaged by raids from the [[Golden Horde]], which earlier (1237–1240) [[Mongol invasion of Rus'|debilitated Kievan Rus']].<ref name="Ochmański 50-53"/> After Traidenis' death, the German Knights finalized their conquests of Western Baltic tribes, and they could concentrate on Lithuania,<ref name=cd-831>{{cite book |last=Kiaupa |first=Zigmantas |title=Gimtoji istorija. Nuo 7 iki 12 klasės |url=http://mkp.emokykla.lt/gimtoji/ |access-date=2012-05-25 |year=2002 |publisher=Elektroninės leidybos namai |location=Vilnius |isbn=9986-9216-9-4 |chapter=Prie Mindaugo palikimo: Treniota, Vaišvilkas, Švarnas ir Traidenis |chapter-url=http://mkp.emokykla.lt/gimtoji/?id=831 |language=lt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303191252/http://mkp.emokykla.lt/gimtoji/ |archive-date=2008-03-03 }}</ref> especially on Samogitia, to connect the two branches of the Order.<ref name="Ochmański 50-53"/> A particular opportunity opened in 1274 after the conclusion of the [[Prussian uprisings|Great Prussian Rebellion]] and the conquest of the Old Prussian tribe. The Teutonic Knights then proceeded to conquer other Baltic tribes: the [[Nadruvians]] and [[Skalvians]] in 1274–1277 and the [[Yotvingians]] in 1283. The Livonian Order completed its conquest of Semigalia, the last Baltic ally of Lithuania, in 1291.<ref name=kiaupa />