Duchy of Podolia

The Duchy of Podolia (Ukrainian: Подільське князівство, Polish: Księstwo podolskie; Lithuanian: Podolės kunigaikštystė) was a historical polity that emerged from the territory of the former Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia. The principality was formed in the southwestern lands of the former kingdom during the 14th-century Galicia–Volhynia Wars, a conflict over its succession and territories involving the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Hungary.

The Principality was established by the Koriatovych brothers (Lithuanian: Karijotaičiai), sons of Karijotas and members of the Lithuanian Gediminid dynasty. Prominent among the early rulers were Prince Yuriy Koriatovych and his brothers Oleksandr, Konstantin, and Fedir. They gained control over Podolia following the Lithuanian victory over the Golden Horde at the Battle of Blue Waters (c. 1362/1363), likely under the authority of their uncle, Grand Duke Algirdas of Lithuania. While some sources mention Yuriy and Oleksandr acknowledging Polish suzerainty under King Casimir III of Poland around 1366, their primary allegiance appears to have been initially with Lithuania.

In 1377, following a military campaign in the region, Podolia became a fiefdom of the Kingdom of Hungary under King Louis I of Hungary. After King Louis I's death in 1382, the Koriatovych rulers supported the election of Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, as King of Poland in 1386, aligning themselves with the emerging Polish-Lithuanian union. Previous allegiances to the Hungarian crown became complex and contested during Hungary's subsequent succession struggles.

Around 1393/1394, Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania conquered Podolia, removing the last ruling brother, Fedir Koriatovych. Podolia was then granted by King Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło) to the Voivode of Krakow, Spytko II of Melsztyn, around 1395. Following Spytko's death at the Battle of the Vorskla River in 1399, King Jogaila granted Podolia to his own brother, Prince Švitrigaila. In 1401, Švitrigaila briefly fled to the Teutonic Order amid conflicts within the Polish-Lithuanian realm. Around 1403, Fedir Koriatovych, who had found refuge in Hungary, formally renounced his claims to the principality.

Finally, in 1434, following further conflicts and consolidation of Polish control, the territory of the former principality was fully incorporated into the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and reorganized as the Podolian Voivodeship.