(→Websites: Added websites) |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
}} | }} | ||
==History== | |||
Lithuanians have inhabited the eastern littoral of the Baltic Sea for more than 2,000 years. The Baltic peoples that now inhabit the region arrived the sixth and seventh centuries, pushed westward by the Slavs from their original home farther east. In the thirteenth century, the Teutonic Knights conquered the neighboring areas which later became Estonia and Latvia and forced Christianity on the inhabitants. But the Lithuanians formed a unified state to protect themselves against the Knights, successfully resisting annexation, and remained pagan until 1253, when Mindaugas became its first Christian ruler. In 1385, in response to a continued German threat in the west, Lithuania formed a political alliance with Poland. Grand Duke Jagiello became king of Poland in 1386 as Ladislaus II by his marriage with Jadwiga, daughter of Louis I of Poland and Hungary. Jagiello accepted Christianity as a condition of the union and Lithuania officially became a Christian nation in 1387, adopting Roman Catholicism. The state’s fortunes declined in the sixteenth century and, to counter an increasing threat with the rise of Muscovy, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania merged with Poland in 1569, creating a commonwealth. | Lithuanians have inhabited the eastern littoral of the Baltic Sea for more than 2,000 years. The Baltic peoples that now inhabit the region arrived the sixth and seventh centuries, pushed westward by the Slavs from their original home farther east. In the thirteenth century, the Teutonic Knights conquered the neighboring areas which later became Estonia and Latvia and forced Christianity on the inhabitants. But the Lithuanians formed a unified state to protect themselves against the Knights, successfully resisting annexation, and remained pagan until 1253, when Mindaugas became its first Christian ruler. In 1385, in response to a continued German threat in the west, Lithuania formed a political alliance with Poland. Grand Duke Jagiello became king of Poland in 1386 as Ladislaus II by his marriage with Jadwiga, daughter of Louis I of Poland and Hungary. Jagiello accepted Christianity as a condition of the union and Lithuania officially became a Christian nation in 1387, adopting Roman Catholicism. The state’s fortunes declined in the sixteenth century and, to counter an increasing threat with the rise of Muscovy, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania merged with Poland in 1569, creating a commonwealth. | ||
| Line 16: | Line 17: | ||
In March 1990, the Lithuanian parliament declared independence from the Soviet Union. Lithuania’s independence was recognized by the Soviet Union on Sept. 6, 1991. It is now organized into 10 counties [apskritis], The counties are divided into smaller administrative units - districts [rajonas]. Lithuania later applied for admission to NATO and the EU and plans to join the EU in the next enlargement. In November of 2002 Lithuania was formally invited to join NATO.<ref name="profile">The Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Family History Record Profile: Lithuania,” Word document, private files of the FamilySearch Content Strategy Team, 2003.</ref> | In March 1990, the Lithuanian parliament declared independence from the Soviet Union. Lithuania’s independence was recognized by the Soviet Union on Sept. 6, 1991. It is now organized into 10 counties [apskritis], The counties are divided into smaller administrative units - districts [rajonas]. Lithuania later applied for admission to NATO and the EU and plans to join the EU in the next enlargement. In November of 2002 Lithuania was formally invited to join NATO.<ref name="profile">The Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Family History Record Profile: Lithuania,” Word document, private files of the FamilySearch Content Strategy Team, 2003.</ref> | ||
==Timeline== | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
edits