History of Belarus Short Overview Part 1 (up to 1700)

100-35 thousand years ago	First attempts to settle on the territory covering today’s Belarus were made 100-35 thousand years ago. 22-14 thousand years ago, people had to move southwards because of the approaching glacier
9-6 thousand years ago	In the Mesolithic epoch, the land of Belarus was fully lived in. There appeared instruments of labour made from silicon plates, and the bow. Religious faiths originated (paganism).
The end of the 5th—3rd millennia BC.	During the Neolithic Period people started extracting flint. Primitive trade, agriculture and cattle breeding started.
The end of the 3rd-beginning of the 1st millennium BC	At the end of the 3rd millennium Indo-Europeans came to Belarus. Under the influence of Indo-European culture the transition to the Bronze age occurred. Cattle breeding and agriculture were spreading further and copper and bronze articles appeared as the result of trade. In the late tribal community, the first signs of property differentiation could be found.
8th-6th centuries BC-8th century AD	During the Iron Age, people started manufacturing iron articles. Slavic tribes settled on the territory of Belarus and came into contact with Baltic tribes. As the result of this interaction the communities of the Krivichi, the Dregovichi and the Radimichi, predominantly Slavic, were formed.
9th-12th centuries AD	The first state formation came into being on the territory populated by the Krivichi-the Principality of Polatsk, with its center in the city of Polatsk, whose history dates back to 862 AD. The first Prince of Polatsk mentioned in the written documents is Rogvolod, who ruled at the end of the 10th century. The Principality of Polatsk came to the apex of its might and power under the rule of Prince Usiaslau Charadej. At the end of the 10th century, the Principality of Turau, with its center in the town of Turau, was formed. Periodically both the Principality of Polatsk and the Principality of Turau, as many other Belarusian territories, were subjected to the authority of the Princes of Kiev but, as the process of feudal fragmentation started, they got rid of Kiev's rule. However, they failed to maintain their territorial integrity and broke up into smaller principalities. The 10th-12th centuries was the time of the feudal system formation, which at first combined some features of feudalism, primitive communal and slave-owning systems. At the end of the 10th century, Christianity of Byzantine tradition spread across Belarusian territories and spurred the development of culture, the rise of architecture and the development of fine arts and writing. In the first half of the 13th century, the formation of the Belarusian language began.
The first half of the 13th-14th centuries	Under the threat of the crusaders' and Mongolo-Tatars' aggression (the latter conquered the eastern and southern parts of Rus (ancient Russia)), the north-western territories of Belarus situated around Navahrudak united with the territories of the neighbouring Baltic tribes into one state-the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Mindovg became the head of the new state and in 1253, pursuing political goals, he became king and embraced Catholicism, which he soon abandoned. Navahrudak became the first capital of the Duchy and was superseded by Vilnya (modern Vilnius) in 1323. Even though the Baltic elite had more political power in the new state, the quantitavely prevalent Slavic population predetermined the administrative set up, the socio-economic and cultural development of the Grand Duchy. The Old Belarusian language was the official language of the country, which contributed greatly to the annexation of new East-Slavic territories. Mindovg's successors, by means of treaties, usurpation and arranged dynastic marriages, subjected all Belarusian territories to their authority. Later some Ukranian territories were also annexed to the Duchy.
1385	The fact that the territory of the Grand Duchy was populated not only by Christians but also by Lithuanian pagans became an ideological pretext for the Teutonic Order and its subdivision the Livonian Order (the former German Order of Knights of the Sword) to start military aggression against the Grand Duchy. In order to eliminate this pretext and to find allies to curb crusaders' aggression, the Grand Duke Jahajla, whose political status in the country was rather shaky, signed the Krev Union with the Kingdom of Poland, according to which Jahajla succeeded to the Polish Throne. However, in return for this Jahajla had to join all his lands to the Kingdom of Poland and convert Lithuanian pagans to Catholicism. Catholics in their turn were given special privileges, which caused tensions between Orthodox and Catholic believers and displeased the adherents of political independence of the Grand Duchy. Jahajla's cousin Vitaut became the leader of the opposition. In alliance with crusaders and his local supporters, he waged war against the King of Poland. Having won the war, Vitaut became the Grand Duke of Lithuania and granted independence to the Grand Duchy.
1392-1430	Under Vitaut's rule the Grand Duchy of Lithuania reached the apex of its power. Vitaut made every effort to strengthen his authority through inner reforms aimed at centralization of his power and through active multifaceted foreign policy targeted at the victory over crusaders and annexation of new eastern territories. He was also engaged in diplomatic activities hoping to acquire the title of king. As the result of Vitaut's activities, the Grand Duchy expanded greatly and gained considerable international authority. The Battle of Gruenwald contributed greatly to the growing authority of the Grand Duchy since in this battle the joint forces of Poland and the Grand Duchy crushed the Teutonic Order
1430-1432	Vitaut's policy continued by his successor Svidryhaila, who was striving to convert the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into a kingdom.
1440-1492	Under the rule of Kazimir Jagellon, who was elected King of Poland in 1447, the dynastic union between Poland and the Grand Duchy was reestablished. In 1468 Kazimir introduced the first Belarusian statute book. Since the Grand Duchy had not had a grand duke for a substantial period of time, the Ducal Council-the Pany-rada-rose to authority and in the late 15th-early 16th century and became the supreme body of state power. Since Kazimir simultaneously carried out the functions of both the grand duke and the king of Poland, the Grand Duchy lost its initiative in foreign affairs and in the process of east-slavic territories consolidation. This initiative was taken over in the late 15th century by the Grand Principality of Moscow, which soon claimed all the territories of Ancient Rus. During the wars of 1492-1522 the Principality of Moscow conquered a number of eastern territories, among which were some territories of the Grand Duchy. These lands were partially won back in 1534-1537.
Mid 16th century	By the mid 16th century the state system of the Grand Duchy had been shaped and its basic principles were reflected in the Statutes of 1529 and 1566. The state, which was divided into pavets (districts) and vajavodstvas (counties), was ruled by the Grand Duke and the Pany-rada. The Sojm (the Parliament) became the feudal barons' representative institution, representatives for which were elected in each district.
1558-1583 1569	The fight for superiority in the Eastern Baltic region spurred the beginning of the Livonian War between the Grand Duchy and the Russian state. The failures of the Grand Ducal army, one of which was the capture of Polatsk by Russians, resulted in the establishment of the Ljublin Union, according to which a new federative state was formed-the Rzeczpospolita-with a joint ruler, who was elected by the nobility (shljahta) and the Sejm (the Parliament). The Grand Duchy had preserved its administrative set up, its army, coat of arms and state seal but it had lost a considerable part of its territories, which were annexed by the Kingdom of Poland. At that point the territory of the Grand Duchy was limited to Belarusian and Lithuanian lands. The political Union helped the new state successfully finish the war, win back the lost territories and establish dominance in Livonia.
1609-1618	The lands around Smolensk and the city itself, which were lost to Russia in the early 16th century, were gained back in the early 17th century. In the 15-16th centuries feudalism reached the highest degree of its development on the territory of Belarus. Due to the growing demand on agricultural products in Europe, feudal barons started farming on vast plots of land, which were cultivated by serfs. Serfdom was officially recognized in the Statute of the Grand Duchy in 1588. At this time a rapid growth of cities could be observed, which in the late 14th century were granted an autonomous status according to the Magdeburg privilege. Handicraft flourished and a number of guilds and merchant corporations were established.
1596 г	Propagation of Renaissance and Reformation in the Belarusian lands in the 16th century. Long-lasting religious tolerance existed in that state until the end of the 16th century, when counter-Reformation followed, directed against both Protestant and Orthodox believers. It resulted in the signing of the Brest Church Union, which recognized supremacy of the Pope of Rome and Catholic doctrines at the Orthodox Church of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with its ceremonial rites remaining intact.
1648-1651 1654-1667 1696	The Orthodox population stood up against the Brest Union introduction. This resistance, together with the difficult economic situation of peasants and city workers, provoked the beginning of an anti-feudal war, which was unleashed by the Zaporozhian Cossacks. Russia did not miss the chance to use this period of political unrest for its own benefit and started a new war on the territory of the Rzeczpospolita, as a result of which the bigger part of Belarus was lost to Russia. However, in some time the Russian army suffered a number of defeats and Russia had to sign the Andrusov Armistice, according to which Belarusian lands (except Smolensk) were returned to the Rzeczpospolita.The war brought about a severe crisis in economics and had a negative impact on the demographic situation. The population of Belarus decreased twofold, the development of cities was seriously hindered, the process of Polonization (the propagation of Polish culture) accelerated and affected such social classes as the shljahta (the nobility) and the social stratum of city-dwellers. The Belarusian language lost its status of the official language and was replaced by Polish. The shljahta's privileged status caused tension and instability in the country.