Ivan III of Russia

Ivan III (January 22nd 1440 - October 27th 1505), large prince de Vladimir and of Moscow of 1462 with 1505. Wire of Vassili II. He marries Zoe (Sophie Paléologue). He is the father of Vassili III (1479 - 1533), André (1490 - 1533), Youri (1480 - 1533). Its reign is important because it marks a crucial stage of the unification of the Russian State. It is on the steps of the Cathédrale of the Assumption that Ivan III tore the treaty which subjected Moscow to the Mongolian capacity and thus declared the independence of Russia.

Context

At the beginning of the reign of Ivan the Large one, Russia consists of two large territories: south-west, under domination polono-Lithuanian, and the North-East, which pays tribute with the Horde of Gold. The principality of Moscow belongs to this last territory, like those of Novgorod, Pskov and Viatka on which the large-prince does not have any capacity. Moreover, it does not reign without division on that of Moscow, divided into five patrimonial principalities. Ivan directs the first. His/her four brothers share those of Riazan, Rostov, Iaroslavl and Tver.

The original intention of Ivan the Large one, during all its reign, was the enlarging of the territory of its principality to the detriment of the grounds close and the reinforcement to its authority to the detriment of those of the patrimonial princes.

The conquering policy

Using of the matrimonial force, trick and bonds, Ivan manages to annex the patrimonial principalities gradually. The last with being attached is Tver in 1485. It eliminates his brothers consequently occasion either by imprisoning them, or quite simply by making them assassinate. The populations of the principalities accept good heart these annexations.

In 1471, Ivan the Large one attacks the principality independent of Novgorod. It takes pretext of a treaty of union with the Lithuania to declare the war to him. By this treaty, Novgorod accepted a governor polono-Lithuanian and the respect of the franknesses promised by the king Casimir IV from Poland. The army novgorodienne is cut in parts on the edges of Chelogne. The city must give up its project with Lithuania and pay in Moscow an enormous contribution.

In Novgorod, there exists a party which wishes fastening with the principality of Moscow. In 1478, Ivan launches a new campaign. This time, he wants to purge the city of the partisans of Lithuania. He benefits from his catch to annex it definitively. : 72 000 people who are supposément hostile for him are off-set towards the Eastern border.

The annexation of Novgorod widened the border of Moscovie to the Arctic Ocean.

Relations with the Gold Horde

Contrary to its predecessors, Ivan the Large one adopts an aggressive policy opposite its immediate neighbors, the Gold Horde and Lithuania.

The Gold Horde is not any more the powerful empire which made tremble its neighbors at the 14th century. Three khanats were detached from the Horde (Kazan, Astrakhan and the the Crimea) and practice an independent policy. Theoretically, Ivan must always pay tribute with large the khan but, in fact, it does not hold of it any more account.

In 1480, large the khan Ahmed decides to go on Moscow. Ivan, which signed a treaty of mutual assistance with Mengli Giray, khan of the Crimea, awaits it firm footing. The two armies discuss the Ougra and are observed during several days. Finally, Ahmed prefers to withdraw himself without fighting. The dependancy of Russia towards the Gold Horde takes then officially fine. This one will be destroyed in 1502 at the time of a war against the khanat of the Crimea. In 1487, Ivan itself had seized the khanat of Kazan and had placed at its head one of its protected.

Relations with Lithuania

In 1492, the union polono-Lithuanian is temporarily broken when Casimir IV dies. The Lithuanian throne is occupied by his/her son Alexandre, that of Poland by its other wire Jean-Alfred. This same year, Ivan attacks Lithuania, fascinating pretext orthodoxe persecutions of priests. By a treaty signed in 1494, it must yield to Moscow the territories located on the higher course of the Oka. Moreover, the large-duke must recognize in Ivan the sovereign title of of all Russia . This one grants the hand of his/her Elena daughter to him.

Soon, Elena complains that one wants to force to him to disavow his orthodoxe faith. It is again the war. In 1500, the Muscovite armies, helped of the troops tatares of the Crimea and Kazan, enter to Lithuania, beat the troops of the large-duke and are inserted as far as Poland. In 1503, an armistice is signed. Ivan keeps all its Western conquests.

Moscow, Third Rome

It is in 1472 that Ivan the Large one marries Sophie Paléologue, niece of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantin XI, killed at the time of the catch of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. Sophie was the girl of Thomas Paléologue, despot of Morée (Peloponnese). With died of Thomas, it was found under the supervision of the pope. This one hopes by this marriage to support the entry of Russia in the catholic bosom. A nuncio accompanies the princess besides but the métropolite Philippe forces the large-prince Ivan III to refuse the entry in Moscow to him. It lets penetrate however there the Italian artists whom it takes along. One of them, Aristote Firaventi, was the architect of the Cathédrale of the Assumption to the the Kremlin.

The marriage of Ivan and Sophie is seen in Russia like a symbol. By her presence, the new queen legitimates Moscow in her claim with being Third Rome. Besides Ivan adopts like armorial bearings the bicephalous eagle of Byzance.

In parallel, Ivan III builds in Moscow an absolute capacity without precedent copied on that of the Roman Emperors and Byzantines, that the kings of France and England, at that time, do not even have. The publication in 1497 of the Soudiebnik, first Russian code of laws compiled by the scribe Vladimir Goussev, shows this capacity clearly that the Russian sovereign is concentrating between his hands. Moreover, the Italians and the Greeks, made with Sophie, influence it in the creation of a centralized State and a government which one will qualify very soon autocratic .

When Ivan the Large one dies in 1505, Russia became the most powerful country of Eastern Europe.

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