Токтамиш - Вітовт: з історії політичного союзу кінця XIV ст

ENThe article deals with the events on 1396-1399 A.D. We are talking about a political alliance with the GDL sovereign Vytautas and Tokhtamysh ruler of the Golden Horde. This political union actually changed the political palette of Central and Eastern Europe. For one thing, the Golden Horde Khan asked direct assistance from the European countries for the first time. In the future, it has become the usual practice. Secondly, the rider of the Ulus Jochi officially resign a right of ownership on the part ofsome western Uluses of his state for benefit of the GDL. Thereby he authorized not only prior conquests of the GDL, but also created the legal preconditions for new acquisitions of Gediminovich's kin in Horde possessions. Third, the utter defeat of Tokhtamysh on the river Vorskla in 1399 finally launched the process of internecine wars in the Golden Horde. At the same time, this defeat and its consequences opened up in the future the possibility for further expansion to the Black Sea ports to Vytautas. During spring- summer 1397 Toktamysh with his troops retreated to the territory of the GDL, to Kyiv. There, under the protection of Vytautas, Khan collected a new army. His status - legitimate ruler of the Ulus Jochi, gave him the opportunity to conclude a political alliance with GDL and declare the military campaign to the East with the aim to defeat the rebels - Timur Kutluk and Edigei. At the same time, Vytau- tas took advantage of this Union for strengthening his power in the GDL, in the Ukrainian lands under GDL ownership, as well as the transfer of Lithuanian possessions abroad up to Black Sea. There existed lively trade routes of Great Silk Road, capture of them promised great profits and dividends to the policy. [...].