Summary of Timothy Snyder: The Making of Modern Ukraine. Class 6: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania

00:00:00 - 00:50:00

This video discusses the history of Ukraine and the rise of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It focuses on the importance of language and how the Slavic language Old Church Slavonic became the language of secular law in the Kievan state. The video also discusses the various succession crises and attempts by various rulers to make Vladimir the capital of all of Rus'.

• 00:00:00 In this lecture, Timothy Snyder discusses the history of Ukraine and Russia, focusing on the importance of language and the ability of humans to move between languages. He also mentions the importance of dynasties and how they can become more than one thing in order to stay in power.
• 00:05:00 This lecture explores the history of Ukraine, focusing on the three main leaders of early Rus': Volodymyr, Yaroslav, and Sviatopolk. Sviatopolk is eventually defeated by Yaroslav, and Yaroslav then rules Kiev with Mstislav.
• 00:10:00 Yaroslav, a Scandinavian prince, rules over Kievan Rus' during the 1020s-1040s, building a church modeled after that of Constantinople and bringing priests from Constantinople. Yaroslav's conversion to Christianity and his attempts to balance Byzantine and Slavic influences lead to the days of the week and the idea of Sunday as the day of rest.
• 00:15:00 The video discusses how the Slavic language Old Church Slavonic was developed and how it became the language of secular law in the Kievan state.
• 00:20:00 This video discusses the development of the Ukrainian state, from its origins in the grand duchy of Lithuania to its eventual rise to prominence as Vladimir, the capital of Rus'. The video also discusses the various succession crises and attempts by various rulers to make Vladimir the capital of all of Rus'.
• 00:25:00 The video discusses the origins of the state of Russia, focusing on the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The video explains that the state of Russia (formerly known as Kievan Rus') was divided into three parts after the Mongol invasion. Galicia-Volhynia, which was ruled by its own princes, became part of Poland, while Suzdal, the area around what would later become Moscow, remained under direct Mongol domination. The third and most important trajectory is the one we will follow today, which is the rise of the Lithuanian state.
• 00:30:00 The video discusses the history of Lithuania and its relationship with other countries. Lithuania emerged as a major power due to pressure from both the west (due to Christianity) and the east (due to the Mongol invasions). After consolidating its state, the Lithuanians moved south and conquered parts of Rus' and Ukraine. Despite this success, their paganism lasted for another four centuries and many people had contact with them.
• 00:35:00 The video discusses how the pagan Lithuanian rulers tolerated Christianity while ruling over a country which was majority Christian. The video also discusses how the Lithuanian rulers converted to Christianity after making contact with the Christians.
• 00:40:00 The Teutonic Knights, a Christian military order, came to control much of what is now Eastern Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries. They fought against the Lithuanians, who resisted their efforts to convert them to Christianity. The Lithuanians eventually absorbed much of what was once Rus', becoming the dominant power in the region.
• 00:45:00 The speaker discusses how the Lithuanian Grand Dukes and Polish Kings became one entity and led to the Battle of Grunwald, which was a decisive victory for the Poles.
• 00:50:00 The video discusses the history of Ukraine, focusing on the late medieval period and the rise of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lithuania defeats the Teutonic Knights, an army from Germany, and this victory is remembered in central park in New Haven, Connecticut.