Ivan the terrible

Born

Aug 25, 1530

Ivan Vasilyevich was born on the 25th August in 1530 near Moscow, Russia

Became prince

Dec 10, 1533

His father died when he was only three so Ivan was proclaimed the Grand Prince of Moscow. His mother Yelena Glinskaya acted as king.

Mothers death

Feb 28, 1538

Elena was able to successfully rule Russia for four years, until she died suddenly, apparently from poisoning. This left Ivan as an eight year old orphan. She was soon replaced by a group of noblemen fiercely fighting for power.

Crowned Czar

Jun 2, 1547

when he turned 16 he was finally the leader of all of Russia

Expansion of Russia to the East

Apr 11, 1552

Ivan crushed the Tatar stronghold of Kazan and Astrakhan.

Change of Character

Oct 12, 1553

he suffered a near-fatal illness and several years later his wife Anastasia died. He thought the nobles poisoned her. He went on a campaign of killings against the nobles.

Russo-Turkish war

Dec 4, 1556

The khanate was conquered by Ivan the Terrible, who had a new fortress built on a steep hill overlooking the Volga.

Left then returned

Jul 21, 1564

Ivan secretly left Moscow. The panicked people wanted him to return. Ivan agreed to come back but he was demanding absolute power to punish anyone he believed was disloyal.

Oprinchnina

Apr 18, 1565

This was a system called separate estate made by Ivan. Certain territories and cities across Russia were separated. they were administered by Russia’s first police force, also called Oprichnina

Western Wars

Mar 1, 1567

heavy military losses with a severe drought. Famine and plague epidemics took their toll while Russia’s most prosperous areas grew deserted.Ivan’s military luck seemed to be running out as they kept loosing

1570 Massacre

Dec 3, 1570

This was a massacre of the wealthy city of Novgorod. Ivan Suspected its people of treason, so he ha personally led the troops to deal with them. The city was ravaged and thousands murdered.

War

Dec 3, 1571

The Crimean Tatars ravaged the unprotected towns and villages around Moscow and set fire to the capital. Ivan finally managed to defeat their armies but the Russians could no longer cope in the west parts. Ivan had to give away some of the lands he conquered earlier and Russia had wait for another century to gain a secure position on the Baltic coast.

Personal Life

May 15, 1581

During a violent dispute Ivan accidentally killed his eldest son (the chosen heir). – Ivan killed him by hitting him with his pointed staff.

Death

Mar 18, 1584

After his death, the ravaged country was left to his unfit and childless son Feodor.

Lost power

Dec 3, 1584

By the end of his life, Ivan was typically bad tempered and unpredictable showing the end of power.