LITHUANIA, lith'fi-Vni-a. (Letuva), a region in eastern Europe situated between 52° 30 and 57° 45' N. and 20° 50' and 28° 20' E. About 63,000 square miles of Lithuania proper belonged (in 1914) to Russia and formed the governments of Grodno, Minsk, Moghiler, Vilna and Vitebsk; while about 6,500 square miles belonged to the kingdom of Prussia. Thus the whole territory is bounded by Cour land on the north, Poland on the west, Russia on the east and a portion of the Ukraine on the south. According to Lithuanian claims made in 1918 their territory is described as consisting of some 13,500 square miles of eastern Prussia with over 7,000,000 inhabitants (mostly Ger mans), and 131,000 square miles of Russian soil with a population of over 11,500,000 (Russians, Poles, Lithuanians and Jews), including the towns of Konigsberg, Memel, Libau, Windau and Riga. The total purely Lithuanian popu lation is estimated at about 2,000,000. Thus, while Lithuania proper is generally regarded as the region between the Lower Dvina and the Niemen, the historical-geographical name is applied to a far larger area. The Lithuanians were, tributary to Russia in the 11th century, but gained their independence when Russia was distracted by the troubles under the successors of Vladimir. Ringold, in 1235, bore the title of grand-duke, and under his successors the whole of Russian Lithuania became independ ent. At that time (during the 13th century) the Lithuanians, hemmed in between the Slays and the Germans, were also confined between two civilizations — Oriental and Occidental Greek Christianity on the one side and the Roman Church on the other. Though lacking natural frontiers, they not only maintained their national existence and customs, but even ex tended their dominions to the Black Sea. Ringold (or Ryngald) gained several victories over the Mongols and stopped their advance into western Europe. His successor, Mindaugis, fought against the Russians, the Poles, the Sword-Bearers and the Teutonic Knights. He appealed to the Pope for aid against the Knights, was baptized in 1252 and defeated his enemies in 1261. Two years later he was mur dered. His sons drenched the soil with blood in revenge upon the murderers, and the country fell into a 20 years' anarchy. The real founder
of Lithuanian power was Gediminas (1315 40), head of the Jagellans dynasty. He ruled the country wisely and formed alliances with western Europe. He arranged with the Pope to establish Christianity in Lithuania, but Ger man intrigues prevented the plan. One of his sons, Algirdas (1345-77), defeated Teutonic Knights, Poles, Tartars and Muscovites, marched three times to Moscow and even in vaded the Crimea. Jagello, son of Algirdas, by his marriage with Hedwige, united Lithuania with Poland and succeeded in establishing Christianity. At the time of the union with Poland (1386), Lithuania included the basin of the Niemen and of its tributary, the Neris, with Vilna as the metropolis; Samogitia (Zemai tiga) ; White Russia: the ancient principalities of Polotsk and Vitebsk; Black Russia, with Kiev, Chernigov and Perejaslav; and Volynia and Podolia, with Brest-Litovsk, Lutsk and Cherson. Though forming the largest Euro pean state at the time, the Lithuanians lacked unity ; the country was split between the Greek and Roman Catholic creeds. By the °Political at Lublin in 1569 Lithuania and Poland became more closely united under one head, with the proviso, however, that each country should retain its own laws, army, chancellor and other dignitaries. The of the country was inevitable, the Lithuanians be ing in a minority. But the °union) produced only disunion, internecine, strife and anarchy. Instead of having two armies, they had none, and in consequence the three partitions of Poland-Lithuania by Russia, Prussia and Aus tria were easily accomplished in 1772, 1775 and 1779. Poland was cut up between Russia, Prus sia and Austria, and the two former shared Lithuania between them. In 1840 an imperial ukase abolished the name of Lithuania; the process of °Russification) was carried through with bloody repression. The Latin alphabet was prohibited and many thousands of Lithu anian books were burnt by government orders. It was not till 1904 that the former persecu tion regulations were repealed by Russia.