Lithuanian Expansion under Gediminas in the 1320s

Timeline

1. 1322–1323Vilnius · LithuaniaGediminas sent letters in Latin and German to Pope John XXII and to Hanseatic cities such as Riga, Elbing, and Bremen, declaring acceptance of Christianity and inviting clergy and craftsmen while emphasizing Lithuanian control of trade routes. The aim was to ease pressure from the Teutonic Knights and open Western markets, but the promise of baptism was never fully fulfilled.
2. 1324–1328Kiev · UkraineThrough military action and dynastic marriage diplomacy, Gediminas brought Polotsk, Minsk, Smolensk, and the environs of Kiev into his sphere, installing vassal princes and collecting tribute. Lithuania thereby controlled the Dnieper–Western Dvina trade route, entering complex interplay with the Golden Horde and the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
3. 1328–1330Samogitia · LithuaniaIn the late 1320s, Gediminas continued to clash with the Teutonic Knights and Poland's Władysław I in the directions of Samogitia and Podlachia. Although the border issues were not fully resolved, Lithuania had established suzerainty over vast Rus' lands, laying the foundation for further expansion in the mid-14th century.