Ivan the Terrible

By laurakulojarvi
  • Aug 25, 1530

    Ivan IV was born

  • Period: Aug 25, 1530 to May 12, 1546

    Early life of Ivan

    Ivan had a harsh early life as his regency was passed among the feuding nobility. Ivan and his brother often went hungry and were neglected which caused Ivan to develop a hatred and distrust for the nobility.
  • Dec 4, 1533

    The death of Ivan's father

    Ivan's father dies and immediately after his death, Ivan who was three years old at the time was proclaimed grand prince of Moscow.
  • Period: Jan 2, 1547 to Jan 2, 1560

    Ivan's good period

    Ivan won great victories, added lands to Russia, gave Russia a code of laws, and ruled justly.
  • Jan 16, 1547

    Ivan is crowned as Tsar

    Ivan is crowned as Tsar
    At the age of sixteen, Ivan was crowned as Russia's first Tsar. His claim to Tsar of all Russia was thought to be absurd as both Ivan's and Moscow's political power were non-existent. Despite his youth, Ivan proved to be a capable administrator as he rebuilt Moscow after a fire, introduced the first parliament, founded a standing army, known as the Streltzi, reformed the Church and stamped out many clerical cases of abuse.
  • Period: Jan 14, 1560 to Jan 15, 1580

    Ivan's bad period

    Began in 1560 after Anastasia had died. He accused the boyars of poisoning his wife and started seeing everyone as traitors which caused the oprichnina to be formed.
  • Mar 24, 1560

    The death of Anastasia (Ivan's first wife)

    The death of Anastasia (Ivan's first wife)
    Upon the death of Anastasia in 1560, Ivan IV went into a deep depression and his behavior became more erratic. He became paranoid causing the creation of his own police force that hunted down and killed anyone Ivan considered as traitors
  • Sep 18, 1561

    Oprichnina

    Oprichnina
    A state policy implemented by Tsar, Ivan the Terrible in Russia between 1565 and 1572. The policy included mass repression of the boyars (Russian aristocrats), including public executions and confiscation of their land and property. The reign of terror that Ivan initiated by the oprichnina proved far more dangerous to the stability of the country than the danger that it was designed to suppress.
  • Oct 12, 1570

    Novgorod

    Novgorod
    In 1570, Ivan personally led his oprichniki troops against Novgorod, in order to destroy the city and execute several thousand of its inhabitants.
  • Dec 6, 1570

    The murdering of St. Phillip II

    Ivan IV murdered St. Phillip II and began the massacre of great Novgorod. He thought the town was full of traitors and killed thousand of men, women, and children.
  • Nov 14, 1572

    the fall of oprichnina

    Ended during 1572, when it was abolished as a result of the failure of the oprichnina regiments to defend Moscow from attack by the Crimean Tatars. The entire era of the oprichnina leaves a bloody imprint on Ivan’s reign, causing some doubts about his mental stability.
  • May 16, 1581

    Murdering of Ivan's oldest son

    Ivan committed an act that was both a personal tragedy and a national disaster. During a violent quarrel, he killed his oldest son.
  • Jan 1, 1582

    Beating of Ivan's daughter in law

    Ivan the Terrible beat his pregnant daughter in law, because he found her in her room with a small amount of clothing on. The beating caused a miscarriage.

  • Ivan the Terrible dies

    On March 18, 1584, Ivan the Terrible died from what appeared to be a stroke. He left the country without a strong ruler. His ill-prepared son Fyodor became the czar when Ivan died.