Treaty of Salynas

Treaty of Salynas ( _de. Frieden von Sallinwerder, _lt. Salyno sutartis) was a peace treaty signed on October 12 1398 by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights Konrad von Jungingen. It was signed on an islet of the Neman River, probably between Kulautuva and the mouth of the Nevėžis River.lt icon cite book |first=Zenonas |last=Ivinskis |title=Lietuvos istorija iki Vytauto Didžiojo mirties |year=1978 |location=Rome |publisher=Lietuvių katalikų mokslo akademija |id=LCC|79346776 |pages=325–327] It was the third time, after the Treaty of Königsberg (1384) and Treaty of Lyck (1390), that Vytautas promised Samogitia to the Knights. The territory was important to the Knights as it physically separated the Teutonic Knights in Prussia from its branch in Livonia. It was the first time that the Knights and Vytautas attempted to enforce the cessation of Samogitia. However, it did not solve the territorial disputes over Samogitia and they dragged till the Treaty of Melno in 1422.

The treaty

When Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila married Jadwiga of Poland and was crowned as King of Poland in 1386, he appointed his unpopular brother Skirgaila as viceroy for Lithuania. Vytautas seized the opportunity to renew his struggle for power and started the Lithuanian Civil War (1389–1392). He allied himself with the Teutonic Knights, promising them Samogitia. However, Jogaila and Vytautas reconciled in 1392 by signing the Treaty of Astrava. The Knights, betrayed by Vytautas, invaded Lithuanian in 1394 and unsuccessfully besieged Vilnius for three weeks. The invaders were driven away by joint Lithuanian and Polish forces demostrating that the old raids are no longer effective against the new Polish–Lithuanian alliance.lt icon cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia=Lietuvių enciklopedija | title=Salyno taika |first=Zenonas |last=Ivinskis | location=Boston, Massachusetts | publisher=Lietuvių enciklopedijos leidykla |year=1953–1966 |volume=XXVI |pages=351–353 |id=LCC|55020366 ]

A truce between the Knights and Vytautas was signed in 1396. Vytautas needed to secure his western front as he was planning a massive campaign against the Golden Horde, which resulted in a disaster at the Battle of the Vorskla River in 1399.cite book| title=Samogitian Crusade |first=William |last=Urban |publisher=Lithuanian Research and Studies Center |location=Chicago |year=2006 | isbn=0-929700-56-2 |pages=214–215] Preliminary treaty was signed on March 23 1398 in Hrodna; it was finalized in October 1398. According to the treaty Samogitia was ceded to the Knights roughly up to the Nevėžis River, leaving the mouth of Nevėžis in Vytautas' hands. For the fist time the Order also received portion of Sudovia, almost uninhabited territory north and west of the Šešupė River.cite encyclopedia | editor=Simas Sužiedėlis | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Lituanica | title=Salynas, Treaty of| year=1970–1978 | publisher=Juozas Kapočius | volume=V | location=Boston, Massachusetts | id=LCC | 74-114275 | pages=43–44] The treaty recognized spheres of influence: Veliky Novgorod for Vytautas and Pskov for the Knights. Vytautas also promised to help the Knights built two new castles as a compensation for castles he burned in 1392. The Knights promised to help Vytautas in his campaign against the Tatars. The treaty also guaranteed freedom for trade. Sigismund Kęstutaitis and other hostages kept by the Knights since the Civil War were released.

During the week-long celebration following successful negotiations, Lithuanian nobles proclaimed Vytautas as King of Lithuania; while such declaration had no political force, it was a reply to demands by Jadwiga of Poland to pay Polish taxes. It showed determination to keep Grand Duchy of Lithuania separate from the Kingdom of Poland despite the Union of Krewo in 1385. Such proclamation, known only from the chronicles of Johann von Posilge, raised doubts as to reliability among Polish historians. The treaty is noted among Lithuanian historians as it showed extent of Vytautas power in Lithuania: he made territorial secessions without approval from Jogaila, who theoretically was the Supreme Duke of Lithuania.cite book | last=Kiaupa | first=Zigmantas | coauthors=Jūratė Kiaupienė, Albinas Kunevičius | title=The History of Lithuania Before 1795 | origyear=1995 | edition=English | year=2000 | publisher=Lithuanian Institute of History | location=Vilnius | isbn=9986-810-13-2 | pages=134–135]

Aftermath

The Order attempted to take control of Samogitia. They took many hostages into Prussia and presented Samogitian nobles with gifts (wool, salt, clothes). They also built fortresses – one with Vytautas help near Nevėžis River and another (named Friedeburg) near Dubysa. The Knights tried to maintain friendly relationship with Vytautas: they warmly welcomed his wife Anna during her piligrimage to the tomb of Dorothy of Montau and sent him gifts.lt icon cite encyclopedia | editor=Vytautas Spečiūnas | encyclopedia=Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas | title=Ona | year=2004 | publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas | location=Vilnius | isbn=5-420-01535-8 | pages=88] However, soon disagreements arose when the Order demanded to return about 4,000 peseants who escaped into Lithuania. Vytautas argued that they were free people and had the right to choose where to live. The disagreement grew into a war.

The treaty was violated in March 1401 by Vytautas, who assured Polish support by signing the Union of Vilnius and Radom in January 1401.cite book | last=Kiaupa | first=Zigmantas | coauthors=Jūratė Kiaupienė, Albinas Kunevičius | title=The History of Lithuania Before 1795 | origyear=1995 | edition=English | year=2000 | publisher=Lithuanian Institute of History | location=Vilnius | isbn=9986-810-13-2 | pages=137–138] Samogitians organized a local rebellion, capturing and burning the two newly built castles. In fall 1401 the Knights raided Kaunas and Hrodna; in May 1402 Samogitians burned Klaipėda. Vytautas joined the fight in 1402 by attacking Raudondvaris (Gotteswerder). Jogaila's brother Švitrigaila joined the war on the side of the Teutonic Knights as he laid claims to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He confirmed the Treaty of Salynas in exchange for Order's military assistance.

When neither side could achieve decisive victory and Vytautas wished to concentrate his attention to troubles in Smolensk, the Treaty of Raciąż was signed on May 22 1404. It mirrored the Treaty of Salynas, but did not solve the disputes. The second Samogitian uprising in 1409 resulted in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.

References