Tactics of Manipulation: A Revisionist Study of Gediminas and the Threat of Teutonic Invasion, 1315–1342

In the early fourteenth century, the pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania became a prominent player in the political, economic, military, and religious affairs of Europe and Rus’. As demonstrated by his correspondence with Western Europe, Grand Duke Gediminas (1315–1342) exaggerated Lithuania’s position as a confessional and military frontier. Much like his neighboring kingdoms, the duke presented Lithuania as a victim of Teutonic incursion. The threat of Teutonic invasion, while real, was far from existential; Lithuania was quite capable of defending itself. When examined within the broader context of fourteenth-century European diplomacy, Gediminas’s attacks on the Knights appear to be part of a larger political movement aimed at strengthening Lithuanian economy and shoring up commercial and military alliances.