Polygraph

Lithuania was the last country in Europe to Christianize.

Posted by The Lawfare Podcast, Checked

Polygraph verdictTrue
Sources
6 support2 context
Said
1 time·
Confidence
70%
The Lawfare PodcastOct 8, 2026
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61 claimsThe check →

Multiple sources state that Lithuania was the last European country to be Christianized, with most dating it to 1387 (Jogaila's baptism and the Act of Krėva). The claim matches the passage exactly, and the sources are mostly unrated or secondary, so confidence is capped.

A guest makes this claim. Listeners heard it, so it counts against the post, and on the guest's own record.

What was said

… Sure, we talked about Russia, and I think that Lithuania is feeling a little anxious about Russia these days, with, you know, drones flying over it and into it every day, so there you go, bit of Lithuania gossip. Lithuania was the last country in Europe to Christianize, and the believe it was the Knights Templar ah, ran crusades against Lithuania every year until they did. Well, hey, there you go. I like hopefully that has nothing to do with the Pink Soup Day, because otherwise it'd be much darker story. Ah, but who knows? …
The Lawfare Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. The Grand Princes of Lithuania and Washington Examiner sources both describe Lithuania as the last European country to be Christianized, dating it to 1387.[1][2]

Supports. A government-linked Polish history source states that the last country to be baptized in Europe, by the end of the fourteenth century, was Lithuania.[3]

Supports. The Wikiwand article on the Christianization of Lithuania calls Lithuania the last pagan country in Europe, and 3seaseurope describes it as the last European nation to convert.[4][5]

Supports. A 1517 Christian History Almanac episode describes Lithuania as one of the so-called last European countries to join Christendom, in 1386.[6]

Context. A journal article gives a later completion date of 1413 and says the Grand Duchy was the last Christianised country in Europe, a date discrepancy that does not reverse the claim.[7]

Context. A History Skills article says Sweden was the last Scandinavian realm to Christianise fully. This concerns Scandinavia, not Europe as a whole, so it does not contradict the claim.[8]

Sources

8 sources: 8 not rated

  1. 1Grand Princes of Lithuaniatacitus.nu · not rated · cited for: supports
  2. 2How Christianity happened - Washington Examinerwashingtonexaminer.com · not rated · cited for: supports
  3. 3The Great Change. The Christianization of Europe. - zpe.gov.plzpe.gov.pl · not rated · cited for: supports
  4. 4Christianization of Lithuania - Wikiwandwikiwand.com · not rated · cited for: supports
  5. 5Romuva, the Native Religion, Regains Believers in Lithuania3seaseurope.com · not rated · cited for: supports
  6. 6Wednesday, February 15, 2023 - 15171517.org · not rated · cited for: supports
  7. 7[PDF] Thanatos - Journal.fijournal.fi · not rated · cited for: context
  8. 8How western Europe became Christian - History Skillshistoryskills.com · not rated · cited for: context

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