Today in history: Ivan III of Russia

steemizen (69)in #history • 8 years ago

Hello Steemians!

Welcome to today's episode of the "Today in History" serial, where I bring you daily historical facts and events of the current date.

On January 22, 1440, Ivan III Vasilyevich was born in Moscow.

After his father died in 1462, Ivan III was crowned Grand Duchy of Moscow, and has since been known as Ivan III the Great.
He was sometimes called the gatherer of the Rus' lands.

One year after become Grand Duchy he annexed Yaroslavl to Moscow.
In 1470 he declared war against Novgorod which negotiated with Lithuania in hope to get protection from the Polish King, Casimir IV.
On summer of 1471, Ivan's armies defeated the forces of republic of Novgorod two times, first at the Battle of Shelon on July 14, and then another time at the Northern Dvina.
The Novgorod republic agreed to abandon their alliance with Lithuania and paying war indemnity of 15,500 roubles and so became a puppet state of Moscow.

The Battle of Shelon

Just a year later, in 1472, Ivan's brother, Yuri, died.
Yuri had no children and Ivan saw an opportunity and sized his lands.
After taking the lands of his deceased brother, Ivan the Great bought Rostov, in 1474.

Kremlin in Rostov

In 1477, tow Novgorodian envoys came to Moscow and swore in front of Ivan and the Moscow ambassadors that they would turn to Lithuania again.
Ivan the Great responded with an invasion which led to the Novgorodian surrender to Ivan.
He gained direct rule over the Novgorodian lands and the city itself on January 15, 1478, when Archbishop Feofil sealed the document of surrender.

Destruction of the Novgorod assembly

As in 1476, Ivan the Great refused to pay customary tribute to Khan Ahmed, the Khan raised an army and marched on Moscow in 1480.
The war was mostly fought on the Urga river and lasted till November 11th the same year.
The Khan retreated and Ivan thereby successfully defended Moscow.

Ivan the Great tearing the Khan's letter

In 1481, another one of Ivan's brothers, Andrei, passed away and left his lands to Ivan.
It was in 1485, when Ivan annexed Tver, that he gained the title Grand Duchy of All Russia.
All other Duchy recognized him as the Grand Duchy and gave over their territories and the command of their armies.

In 1486, as the last autonomous Muscovite Duchy, Mikhail Andreevich of Vereia has died, Ivan sized his lands.
He occupied Kazan in July 1487, placing a puppet leader on the Khanate, making Kazan another of his puppet states.
Just two years later he annexed Vyatka.
Ivan kept on expanding his lands even further, starting a War with Lithuania in August 1492. which resulted in Lithuania being added under his rule in 1503.

By the end of his reign, Ivan the Great tripled the territory he was controlling.
He will not only be remembered for the unification of what later became known as the Russian state and ending of the Mongolian dominance over Moscow, but also for renovating the Moscow Kremlin.
He hired the Italian master Ridolfo di Fioravante to build several new cathedrals and palaces and also strengthen the walls of the Kremlin.

The Dormition Cathedral - Ridolfo di Fioravante