Ivan the Terrible

Ivan the Terrible is Born

Aug 25, 1530

Ivan the Terrible is born on August 25, 1530. Ivan the Terrible's father was Vasily III Ivanovich who was the Grand Prince of Moscow at the time.

Vasily III of Russia dies

Dec 3, 1533

Vasily III of Russia on December 3rd, 1533 Vasily III dies of Sepsis which was a life-threatening condition caused by the body's response to an infection. Usually the body released chemicals to fight off an infection and its response is out of balance. Elena Glinskaya who is Ivan's mom ruled as regent since Ivan was only 3 years old.

Ivan now the first Tsar

1547

On 16 January 1547 Ivan the Terrible was crowned Tsar of all of Russia when he was 16. After his coronation he married Anastasia Romanov.

Early Years as Tsar

1547

After the Great Fire in 1547 during the early years of his reign he did peaceful reforms and modernization. Also, he established the first Russian parliament which was called the Chosen Council and was led by nobles. He then introduced self-government in rural areas where there was mainly peasants in the Northeast of Russia.

Russian Printing

Period: 1550 to 1560

In 1553 Ivan established the Moscow Print Yard. When the first printing press was introduced to Russia, Russian printers printed several religious books. After the printing press was introduced to Russia it discontented most of the traditional Scribes leading to the Moscow Printing Yard being burned. Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets were forced to flee from Moscow and left to Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After they started to print again in 1568.

Oprichnina

Period: 1560 to 1570

During the 1560s Russia was by famine, drought, Tartar Invasions and by the sea-trading blockade held by the Swedes, Poles, and the Hanseatic League. One of Ivan's advisors was defected by the Lithuanians and then took command of the Lithuanian troops and destroyed Velikiye Luki. After on December 3rd, 1564 Ivan left from Moscow. While he was out of Moscow Ivan sent 2 letters where he announced his abdication which is an act of relinquishing monarchical authority.

Oprichniki

1564

Oprichniki was a personal guard that Ivan the Terrible hired. Oprichniki were landlords of the peasents land and they took everything that the peasants possessed and they forcibly made the peasants pay them 10 years worth of their prduce in one year which made some of the peasants to flee and that led to an overall production drop. Also, the price of their grain increased tenfold .

Sack of Novgorod

1570

Under the horrible conditions of the Oprichnina there was an epidemic. A plague that killed 10,000 people in Novgorod and it killed 600 people daily in Moscow. Ivan the Terrible grew suspicion that the noblemen of the wealthy city, Novgorod were planning to defect which would place the city in control of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1570 he ordered the Oprichniki to raid the city. They burned and pillaged Novgorod and surrounding villages.

Russo-Crimean War

1571

120,000 strong Crimean and Turkish men went past the defensive fortifications on the Oka River, then crossed the Ugra river, and rounded up 6000 Oprichniki. They were crushed by the Crimeans and the Turkish. Also, they destroyed unprotected cities, and they set fire to the surburbs of the capital. After 3 hours most of Moscow was completely burnt out. There was 150,000 Russian held captive. This war was devastating to Ivan and Russia since the Crimean and Turkish destroyed Moscow.

Battle of Molodi

1572

60,000 Crimean and about 25,000 Russian crossed the Oka River, near Serpukhov killed the 200 Russian vanguard. But they didn't know that 25,000 Russian forces had already built revolutionary fortifications beyond the Oka River. They planned a left side and right side flank of the incoming attackers. Then, the armies clashed and they clashed for multiple days. The large amount of close quarters fighting made the Tartar's great skill in archery basically useless. Russia had 5000 casualties.