List of Lithuanian rulers

Term	Incumbent	Lithuanian name	Ruthenian name	Polish name	Remarks
1236 to 1263	Mindaugas	Mindaugas	Mindouh	Mendog	Initially Grand Duke, since 1253 King of Lithuania, lost the title in 1262 upon returning to paganism, but changed the title to Grand Duke; killed by his nephew Treniota
1263 to 1264	Treniota				Son of Skirmantas
1264 to 1267	Vaišvilkas	Vaišvilkas	Vojszalak	Woyszwiłk	Son of Mindaugas, died heirless
1267 to 1269	Švarnas	Švarnas	Shvarno	Szwarno
1269 to 1281	Traidenis	Traidenis	Trajdzien	Trojden
1281 to 1285	Daumantas	Daumantas	Dowmont	Dowmont
1285 to 1291	Butegeidis	Butegeidis alias Butigeidis	Budzikid	Budzikid	Ancestor of the later Gediminid dynasty

House of Some dates are approximate

Term	Incumbent	Lithuanian name	Ruthenian name	Polish name	Remarks
1291	Butvydas	Butvydas alias Budvydas	Lutavier	Budwid	Brother of Butigeidis, father of Vytenis and Gediminas
1295-1316	Vytenis	Vytenis		Witenes	Son of Butvydas
1316-1341	Gediminas	Gediminas	Giedymin, Hedymin	Giedymin	Son of Butvydas. crowned as King of Lithuanians and Ruthenians in 1316, after his death the domain divided between his 7 sons
1341-1345	Jaunutis	Jaunutis	Jewnut	Jewnuta	Son of Gediminas. Overlord and Grand Duke, deposed by his brothers Algirdas and Kęstutis
1345-1377	Algirdas	Algirdas	Olgierd	Olgierd	Son of Gediminas.
1377-1381	Jogaila	Jogaila	Jahajla	Władysław II Jagiełło	Son of Algirdas. Crowned the King of Poland in 1386 and established the personal union of Lithuania and Poland. Founder of the House of Jogailaičiai.
1381-1382	Kęstutis	Kęstutis	Kiejstut	Kiejstut	Son of Gediminas, ruler the Western Lithuania (with capital in Trakai), constantly fighting the Teutonic Knights. Deposed Jogaila in 1381 and took control of the whole Lithuania, only to be captured and killed by him next year.
1382-1401	Jogaila	Jogaila	Jahajla	Władysław II Jagiełło	Also King of Poland 1386-1434. Governor in Lithuania was Skirgaila (1387-1392), then Vytautas (1392-1401).
1401-1430	Vytautas	Vytautas Didysis	Vitaut	Witold	Son of Kestutis. After father was killed, sided with Teutonic knights against Jogaila, then changed sides and became Jogaila's governor in Lithuana in 1392. Was to be crowned King of Lithuania in 1429, but the crown was stopped by the Poles. Died before second crown arrived.
1430-1432	Švitrigaila	Švitrigaila	Svidryhajla	Świdrygiełło	Son of Algirdas, brother of Jogaila. Deposed by followers of Zygimantas son of Kestutis
1432-1440	Sigismund, son of Kestutis	Žygimantas Kęstutatis	Zygimont I Kejstutavicz	Zygmunt Kiejstutowicz	Son of Kestutis, brother of Vytautas.

Personal Union with The act of personal union with Poland was signed as early as 1385, however, continuos line of common rulers of the two countries started only with Casimir IV (even then Polish and Lithuanians twice selected different rulers following earlier common monarch's death, but the Lithuanian one always eventually assumed Polish throne). The monarchs retained separate titles for both parts of the state, and their numbering was kept separately.

The Jogailaičiai house was direct continuation of the Gediminaičiai.

Term	Incumbent	Lithuanian name	Ruthenian name	Polish name	Remarks
1440-1492	Casimir IV	Kazimieras I Jogailaitis	Kazimir Jahelonczyk	Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk	Son of Jogaila. Elected and crowned King of Poland in 1447 after the death of king Władysław
1492-1506	Alexander I	Aleksandras I	Alaksandr	Aleksander I	Son of Casimir IV. Elected and crowned King of Poland in 1501 after the death of king Jan I Olbracht
1506-1548	Sigismund I the Old	Žygimantas Senasis	Žygimont II Stary	Zygmunt I Stary	Son of Casimir IV.
1548-1572	Sigismund II Augustus	Žygimantas Augustas	Žygimont III August	Zygmunt II August	Son of Sigismund I the Old. Factual ruler since 1529.

The union was established with 1569 treaty of Union of Lublin. The elected King of Poland was automatically made the Grand Duke of Lithuania (until then Lithuanian dukedom was hereditary).

The first ruler of the common country was Sigismund II Augustus.

Title: King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (Lithuanian: ; Belarusian: ; Polish: )

Term	Incumbent	Lithuanian name	Ruthenian name	Polish name	House	Remarks
1573-1574	Henry III de Valois	Henrikas Valua	Anry Valua	Henryk Walezy	de Valois	He abandoned the throne and fled to France where he was crowned as Henri III
1576-1586	Stephen Bathory	Steponas Batoras	Stiapan Batura	Stefan Batory	Báthory
1587-1632	Sigismund III Vasa	Zigmantas IV Vaza	Žyhimont III Vaza	Zygmunt III Waza	Vasa	Proponent of a personal union between The Republic and Sweden, King of Sweden between 1592 and 1599
1632-1648	Ladislaus IV Vasa	Vladislovas II Vaza	Uladzislaǔ I Vaza	Władysław IV Waza	Vasa
1648-1668	John II Casimir Vasa	Jonas I Kazimieras Vaza	Jan Kazimier Vaza	Jan Kazimierz	Vasa	Abdicated and became a monk, last of the Vasa dynasty in Poland-Lithuania
1669-1673	Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki	Mykolas I Kaributas Vošnioveckis	Michał Karybut Wišniaviecki	Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki	Polish szlachta
1674-1696	John III Sobieski	Jonas II Sobieskis		Jan III Sobieski	Polish szlachta
1697-1706	Augustus II the Strong	Augustas II Saksas	Aǔhust II Mocny	August II Mocny	Wettin	also Elector of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I
1706-1709	Stanisław Leszczyński	Stanislovas I Leščinskis		Stanisław Leszczyński	Polish szlachta	War of Polish Succession
1709-1733	Augustus II the Strong	Augustas II Saksas	Aǔhust II Mocny	August II Mocny	Wettin	also Elector of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I
1733-1736	Stanisław Leszczyński	Stanislovas I Leščinskis		Stanisław Leszczyński	Polish szlachta	War of Polish Succession
1733-1763	August III Wettin	Augustas III Saksas	August III Sas	August III Saski	Wettin
1764-1795	Stanisław August Poniatowski	Stanislovas II Augustas Poniatovskis		Stanisław August Poniatowski	Polish szlachta	During his reign the merger of the Grand Duchy with the Kingdom of Poland was passed in 1791; abdicated following the Partitions of Poland; died in exile in Russia

In Imperial Russia, Lithuania was part of Northwestern Krai. Its territory was mostly in Vilnius (Vilenskaya), Kaunas (Kovenskaya) and Hrodno (Grodnenskaya) Guberniyas. Administration boundaries were constantly shifting. The land was ruled by governor-generals of Lithuanian guberniya, gevernors and governor-generals and of Lithuanian-Vilnius gubernya, then generalgubernator of Vilenskaya gubernya.

The position was cancelled in 1912.

Title: governor-general (Lithuanian: ; Russian: )
Title: governor (Lithuanian: ; Russian: )

Term	Officeholder	Remarks
1794-1797	Nikolay Repin
1797-1798	Yakov Bulgakov
1798-1799	Boris Lassi
1799-1801	Mikhail Kutuzov
1801-1806	Leonty Bennigsen
1806-1809	Aleksander Rimski-Korsakov
1809-1812	Mikhail Kutuzov
1812-1830	Aleksander Rimski-Korsakov
1830-1831	Aleksander Khrapovitsky
1831-1840	Nikolay Dolgorukov
1840-1850	Fedor Mirkovich
1850-1855	Ilya Bibikov
1855-1863	Vladimir Nazimov
1863-1865	Mikhail Muravyov	appointed to suppress an uprising; became known as "hangman of Vilnius"
1865-1866	Konstantin Kaufman
1866-1868	Eduard Baranov
1868-1874	Aleksandr Potapov
1874-1880	Petr Albedinsky
1880-1884	Eduard Totleben
1884-1893	Ivan Kakhanov
1893-1897	Petr Orzhevsky
1897-1901	Vitaly Trotsky
1902-1904	Petr Svyatopolk-Mirsky
1904-1906	Aleksander Freze
1906-1909	Konstantin Krishivitsky

Lithuania was occupied by Germany at the very beginning of the war, as part of Imperial Russia. As both Imperial Russia and German Empire collapsed in 1917-18, the region became a prize that Lithuanians, Bolsheviks (Russians), Bermontians (anti-bolshevik Russians)and Polish were fighting over.
By 1922 the battle was mostly won by proponents of Lithuanian national state, except Vilnius region, which ended up being merged into Poland proper.
Also, Klaipėda Region (German: ), a German-dominated Freistat with Lithuanian population majority) was annexed by Lithuania in 1923 after the Klaipėda Revolt, marking the first time in history the region became part of the country. It was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1939, in accordance with Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

German occupation during World War I (1914-1918)

The Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)

The country was created in 1918 by the Central Powers as part of German/Austrian Mitteleuropa plan, which was cancelled after the German defeat in World War I. As the German defeat draw nearer, the council changed Lithuania's constitution into republic on November 2, 1918.

Title: King (Lithuanian: ; German: )

Term	Incumbent	Remarks
1918	Mindaugas II	Never assumed his powers. Elected by Lithuanian Council on July 9, 1918, with condition that he learns Lithuanian language.

Early Soviet Lithuania (1918-1919)

• Lithuanian SSR (proclaimed December 16, 1918)
• Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (proclaimed February 27, 1919)

Term	Officeholder	Remarks
December 16, 1918-February 20, 1919	Vincas Mickevicius-Kapsukas	Chairman of revolutionary government (Sovnarkom)
February 20, 1919-September 1, 1919	Kazimierz Cichowski	Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Congress of Soviets

Semi-independend state established in Vilnius region by occupying Polish forces. Merged into Poland in 1922, where it remained until 1939.

Term	Officeholder	Remarks
October 12, 1920-November 30, 1921	Lucjan Zeligowski	effective military dictator
November 30, 1921-March 24, 1922	Aleksander Meysztowicz	Chairman of the Provisional Commission of Government

Title: President (Lithuanian: )

Term	Officeholder	Remarks
April 4, 1919-June 19, 1920	Antanas Smetona
June 19, 1920-June 7, 1926	Aleksandras Stulginskis	Until assuming his duties as elected President in December 21, 1922 was acting President (as the leader of Parliament). Reelected in June, 1923.
June 7, 1926-December 18, 1926	Kazys Grinius	Elected by the parliament, but overthrown by a military coup d'etat
December 18, 1926-December 19, 1926	Jonas Staugaitis	Formally, for one day, as the head of Seimas (renounced the office after the coup d'etat)
December 19, 1926	Aleksandras Stulginskis	Formally, as the new head of Seimas, only for several hours
December 19, 1926-June 15, 1940	Antanas Smetona	Second term, elected president after a military coup d'etat; after the Soviet ultimatum of 1940 he defected to Germany and then to the USA
June 15, 1940-June 17, 1940	Antanas Merkys	The Prime Minister, de facto acting president after Smetona's defection. Not recognised by Lithuanian diplomats abroad; he assumed the role of president illegally, as Antanas Smetona neither resigned nor died.
June 17, 1940-July 21, 1940	Justas Paleckis	Chosen unconstitutionally by leaders of Lithuanian communists under pressure from the Soviet Union, not recognized internationally nor by the Lithuanian diplomatic service

World War II and preceding events (1940-1944)

The country was occupied by Soviet Union in 1940 (in accordance to 1939 treaty with Nazi Germany to divide the region amongst themselves). Vilnius region was also annexed by Soviets and reunited with Lithuania.

As German-USSR war started in 1941, in few days the country was occupied by German forces. As the Nazi army were drawing near, June revolt against Soviets took place, formally restoring Republic of Lithuania. The occuping German forces showed no intention to let it exist, causing the provisional government to disband itself.

Title: The First Secretary of the central comity of Communist Party of Lithuania (Lithuanian: ; Russian: )

Term	Officeholder	Remarks
July 21, 1940-June 24, 1941	Antanas Sniečkus	First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Lithuanian SSR. Fled the country in 1941

Republic of Lithuania (1941)

Title: Prime Minister (Lithuanian: )

German occupation during The land was part of Reichskommissariat Ostland.

Soviet Union reoccupied the country in 1944, as the Nazi Germans were retreating. Klaipėda region was also taken by Soviets and attached to Lithuania in 1945.

Title: The First Secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Lithuania (Lithuanian: ; Russian: )

The leader of the Parliament was the official head of state from declaration of Independence in 1990 until the new Constitution came into force in 1992 thus establishing the office of President.

The state and its leadership was not recognized internationally until September 1991.

Title from 1990 to 1992: Chairman of the Supreme Council (Parliament) (Lithuanian: )
Title from 1992 onwards: President (Lithuanian: )

Leadership of Republic of Lithuania in exile (1940-1991)

Leadership alternate to Soviet rule.

• June 15, 1940-December 24, 1983 Stasys Lozoraitis (in Rome)
• December 24, 1983-November 15, 1987 Stasys Bačkis (in Washington)
• November 15, 1987-September 6, 1991 Stasys Lozoraitis (in Washington)

See also

• List of early Lithuanian dukes

 

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