Union of Lublin: Poland and Lithuania Merge into Europe's Largest State
The Lithuanian magnates walked out. Twice. They'd ruled territories stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea for three centuries, and now Poland wanted a shared king, shared parliament, shared currency. King Sigismund II Augustus forced the issue by annexing Ukraine, Podlachia, and Volhynia—Lithuania's wealthiest lands—in March 1569. The Lithuanians returned to the table. By July 1, they'd signed: one commonwealth, 400,000 square miles, the largest state in Europe. It lasted 226 years. But here's the thing—Lithuania kept its own army, treasury, and laws. They called it a union.
July 1, 1569
457 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Poland
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Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
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Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
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Union of Lublin
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Great Duchy of Lithuania
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real union
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Grand Duchy of Lithuania
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Union of Lublin
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Grand Duchy of Lithuania
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Real union
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Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
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Reino de Polonia (1385-1569)
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Königreich Polen
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Rzeczpospolita
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