The division of the country into zemshchina and oprichnina was due to a deep internal political crisis. The prerequisites for this have been brewing for several years since the accession of the eldest son of Vasily III. The reforms of Ivan the Terrible, in short, were very tough and led to social instability, a dynastic crisis.
The course of events
In early December 1564, Ivan IV left the capital. The Tsar had previously left Moscow. But this time the procession was mysterious. With him, the monarch carried the treasury, icons, a library, and symbols of power. A month later, he announced his abdication in favor of Ivan, the eldest son. The monarch explained his decision by the constant betrayals of the boyars, ordering church people.
After the message of the tsar was read, the situation in Moscow sharply escalated. Thousands of people approached the Kremlin, demanding the return of Grozny. The Boyar Duma was forced to make concessions. The king at that time was in the Alexander settlement. It was there that a delegation headed bywith Archbishop Pimen. The ambassadors persuaded the king to return. On January 5, 1565, the cruel reforms of Ivan the Terrible began. Briefly, all transformations can be described in one word - terror.
Disengagement of State
Zemshchina and oprichnina under Ivan the Terrible - two parts of a single territory. The latter belonged to the exclusive jurisdiction of the sovereign. The oprichnina included the best lands in strategic and economic terms. On the territory under the jurisdiction of the king, his own army, his own thought, was created. All income from the land went to the treasury. Oprichniki implemented Grozny's policy - they collected taxes, kept order. In another part of the state, there was also a thought and an army.
The policy of the king
Zemshchina and oprichnina were necessary to strengthen the monarchy. On the territory controlled by the king, mass executions began. De alt with all traitors. Prominent military leaders and outstanding figures fell into disgrace. There is evidence that a conspiracy against Grozny was brewing in the Zemstvo. According to sources, the English Queen Elizabeth I and the Russian Tsar exchanged messages in which they indicated their readiness to provide each other with political asylum in case of overthrow from the throne.
Historians note that the repression was generally indiscriminate. Grozny was known for his prejudices, tough character, suspicion. The executions themselves were carried out by his "army". The most famous guardsman was Malyuta Skuratov. He was an extremely cruel man who took pleasure in his own performance.sentences. In general, we can say that the zemshchina and the oprichnina made it possible to establish royal power, to destroy all the infidels.
Formation features
Separating the oprichnina, Grozny first created a detachment of a thousand people. Subsequently, its number reached 6 thousand. The servants were divided into two categories. Zemshchina and oprichnina meanwhile did not exist separately. A special detachment formed by him operated on the territory controlled by the tsar. However, servicemen constantly reported to Grozny about the affairs that were being conducted in the zemstvo. The king was always aware of all events. There were special people in the detachment who performed "special assignments".
As Ak. Platonov, the government ordered everyone to act together. The zemshchina and the oprichnina were supposed to unite and, with the participation of the tsar, solve important state issues.
Demarcation value
The establishment of the oprichnina led to the fact that the land ownership of large feudal lords was quickly destroyed. The boyars and princes were pushed back to the outskirts of the state, where wars were constantly fought. The division of the country was the first attempt to resolve the contradiction of the system. The new policy of the king crushed the landownership of noble people in the form in which it existed from ancient times. Through the forced and systematic change of territories, the old ties between the princes and the patrimonial estates were destroyed. As a result, suspicious people were either eliminated or scattered around the country.
Consequences
The main purpose of the division of the country wasthe destruction of the remnants of feudal fragmentation. The tsar's policy was aimed at suppressing boyar-princely independence. Klyuchevsky, formulating the general result of the oprichnina and zemshchina, indicated the following: Grozny's contemporaries realized that by removing sedition, the tsar introduced anarchy.
As a result, the Commonwe alth managed to push back the Russian army on the western borders. The Livonian War ended with Russia's minor achievements. The Swedes managed to capture Koporye, Narva and other counties. Moscow was burned down in 1571 by the Crimean Tatars. This event was a consequence of the low combat capability of the oprichnina employees. On their territory, in the fight against their people, they were brave and fearless. But when it came to protecting the state, they could not show any outstanding skills. It is worth noting that in most cases the protection of the borders was carried out by the army of the zemstvo. Another consequence of the delimitation of the territory was an even greater enslavement of the peasantry.
