Foreword (OOC):
Welcome to 'The Kingdom Between East and West' my latest timeline and the popular choice given in my recent 'Give me a POD' thread which, in hindsight, I could have done a bit better. Nevertheless, the point of divergence was chosen by the people and it is one I am very happy to try and build a timeline around. The POD in question is based on Vaisvilkas (the son of King Mindaugas and an Orthodox Christian) not retiring to the monastic life in 1267. Admittedly, my knowledge of Lithuania and even Eastern Europe is lacking and so I may sometimes confuse concepts, miss out information or even recycle long disproven thoughts about the nature of the peoples of states of the time. In this, I ask that any mistakes I make- whether they be external (messing up information etc.) or internal (inconsistencies in my TL, spelling/grammatical errors etc.) be brought to my attention when noticed so that I may try to fix my mistakes. Nevertheless, I am thoroughly looking forward to the challenge this timeline may well pose and I hope that you all enjoy reading it as much as I will writing it.
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King Mindaugas, the first King of Lithuania
(1203-1263)
A World Between East and West:
A History of the Kingdom of Lithuania
The 13th Century sits at an important point in European and, indeed, world history. This 100 years would see some colossal changes and shifts all across the world, from Asia to the Americas and from Europe to Africa. From the rise of the Mongols under Genghis Khan and his successors, to the Barons' War and the Magna Carta. By the time this period was over, the Angevin Empire of Henry II and Richard I was gone, the old Ayyubid Dynasty of Saladin had been overthrown by slaves, the Byzantine Empire had lost and then regained the ancient city of Constantinople. Baghdad was in smouldering ruins, the Hohenstaufen Dynasty was gone after its titanic clashes with the Papacy and the Habsburg Dynasty was rising in Austria. France was becoming a major power, the Reconquista was moving into full swing and, in the far East, the Song Dynasty was petering out at the hands of the rising Yuan Dynasty.
But the history we are focused on is not one of Byzantium or China, of France or the Holy Roman Empire but of what, at the beginning of the 13th Century, may have appeared to many Christians as nothing more than a set of pagan tribes. Yet by the end of the century, they were neither pagan nor tribal and, by the end of the century, they were already earning their place as one of the most intriguing and fascinating topics any historian of Eastern Europe could study. Just as in many other parts of the world, the 13th Century was a period of great change within Lithuania and yet a period of religious conflict, of politics stretching far beyond the small borders of the fledgeling state and, in many cases, of treachery and murder. Our story, of course, will extend far beyond the confines of merely the 13th Century both forward into the future and even back into the past. The history of the Kingdom of Lithuania is long and fascinating and it is a history that begins long before the Kingdom even existed.
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Note from the Author (OOC):
For anyone unfamiliar with the workings of my timelines I'll take this time to give you a bit of an explanation for how they usually work. The actual timeline itself is written in the style of an in-context point of view, that is, someone who is writing a history from within the world created. The 'Notes from the Author' section are out of context, that is, anything I personally have to say or clarify about the writing of the timeline or where I will ask any questions of the readers.
I am going to try to keep this timeline more focused than some other timelines I've done such as Union of the Two Crowns where I went on lengthy tangents about subjects such as the Mamluks which, while interesting to me, are not necessarily that important to the main focus: France and England. So the focus is going to be kept much more firmly on Lithuania and other states will mostly appear in regards to their interactions with Lithuania. I will occasionally post an update catching you up on changes elsewhere that aren't to do with Lithuania although they will be much briefer than the others (maybe simply done as an actual timeline?).
'Give me a POD'
Finally, I want to urge you all to respond frequently with constructive criticism, corrections, questions etc. It's always nice to receive feedback or even just answer questions. That should be all and I hope you enjoy the timeline!
Welcome to 'The Kingdom Between East and West' my latest timeline and the popular choice given in my recent 'Give me a POD' thread which, in hindsight, I could have done a bit better. Nevertheless, the point of divergence was chosen by the people and it is one I am very happy to try and build a timeline around. The POD in question is based on Vaisvilkas (the son of King Mindaugas and an Orthodox Christian) not retiring to the monastic life in 1267. Admittedly, my knowledge of Lithuania and even Eastern Europe is lacking and so I may sometimes confuse concepts, miss out information or even recycle long disproven thoughts about the nature of the peoples of states of the time. In this, I ask that any mistakes I make- whether they be external (messing up information etc.) or internal (inconsistencies in my TL, spelling/grammatical errors etc.) be brought to my attention when noticed so that I may try to fix my mistakes. Nevertheless, I am thoroughly looking forward to the challenge this timeline may well pose and I hope that you all enjoy reading it as much as I will writing it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
King Mindaugas, the first King of Lithuania
(1203-1263)
A World Between East and West:
A History of the Kingdom of Lithuania
But the history we are focused on is not one of Byzantium or China, of France or the Holy Roman Empire but of what, at the beginning of the 13th Century, may have appeared to many Christians as nothing more than a set of pagan tribes. Yet by the end of the century, they were neither pagan nor tribal and, by the end of the century, they were already earning their place as one of the most intriguing and fascinating topics any historian of Eastern Europe could study. Just as in many other parts of the world, the 13th Century was a period of great change within Lithuania and yet a period of religious conflict, of politics stretching far beyond the small borders of the fledgeling state and, in many cases, of treachery and murder. Our story, of course, will extend far beyond the confines of merely the 13th Century both forward into the future and even back into the past. The history of the Kingdom of Lithuania is long and fascinating and it is a history that begins long before the Kingdom even existed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note from the Author (OOC):
For anyone unfamiliar with the workings of my timelines I'll take this time to give you a bit of an explanation for how they usually work. The actual timeline itself is written in the style of an in-context point of view, that is, someone who is writing a history from within the world created. The 'Notes from the Author' section are out of context, that is, anything I personally have to say or clarify about the writing of the timeline or where I will ask any questions of the readers.
I am going to try to keep this timeline more focused than some other timelines I've done such as Union of the Two Crowns where I went on lengthy tangents about subjects such as the Mamluks which, while interesting to me, are not necessarily that important to the main focus: France and England. So the focus is going to be kept much more firmly on Lithuania and other states will mostly appear in regards to their interactions with Lithuania. I will occasionally post an update catching you up on changes elsewhere that aren't to do with Lithuania although they will be much briefer than the others (maybe simply done as an actual timeline?).
'Give me a POD'
Finally, I want to urge you all to respond frequently with constructive criticism, corrections, questions etc. It's always nice to receive feedback or even just answer questions. That should be all and I hope you enjoy the timeline!
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