Among the Moscow princes, Ivan 3 is especially distinguished. The results of the reign of this sovereign are really impressive. He managed to unite almost all Russian-speaking lands around Moscow. Under him, the Mongol yoke was finally thrown off. These and other successes of Ivan Vasilyevich became possible thanks to his flexible diplomacy and wisdom.
Political situation
Ivan III was born in 1440 in the family of Moscow Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich the Dark. His father had almost all his reign to fight with relatives - contenders for the throne. During the civil strife, Vasily was blinded and the last years of his life was almost incapacitated. The eldest son Ivan became his eyes and ears. From a young age, the heir studied public administration. All the skills he received under his father helped him in the future, when the Grand Duke had to make difficult and responsible decisions.
With the death of Vasily Vasilyevich in 1462, Ivan 3 began to rule. The results of his father's reign, despite the civil strife, were encouraging. Moscow became the main Russian political center. Its neighbors were the Golden Horde, the Tver and Ryazan principalities, Lithuania and the Novgorod Republic. All these states had periodic conflicts with the Kremlin,therefore, Ivan Vasilyevich had to get used to the constant turmoil in foreign policy from the first years of his reign.
Fight against Lithuania
In the era of Mongol rule, Moscow managed to unite most of the lands that belonged to northeastern Russia. These were territories in the valley of the upper reaches of the Volga and its tributary, the Oka. However, another force appeared in the West, which could become an alternative Russian center.
This was Lithuania, in which, despite the ruling Lithuanian dynasty, a significant majority of the population were Eastern Slavs. In the XIV-XV centuries. this state went for rapprochement with Catholic Poland. The two countries entered into a union and created the Commonwe alth. The Novgorod aristocracy, headed by Martha Boretskaya, was drawn to the new union. Ivan 3 could not allow such a development of events. The results of the reign of this sovereign showed that he was seriously aware of the Polish-Lithuanian threat and tried his best to overtake his opponent in “gathering lands” at least a step.
Abolition of the Novgorod Republic
In 1471 the prince of Moscow declared war on Novgorod. According to the Korostyn peace treaty, the vassal independence of the republic from the Kremlin was confirmed. This compromise calmed the situation for a while.
Ivan had many spies in Novgorod who kept an eye on the mood of the local aristocracy. When they informed the prince about a new attempt to send an ambassador to the Polish king, it was decided in Moscow to use thisbetrayal as a pretext for war. Novgorod surrendered almost without a fight. So in 1478 he was finally attached to the emerging Russian state. The main symbol of local freedom, the veche bell, was taken to Moscow.
Accession of Tver
Ivan 3 acted just as resolutely in disputes with other neighbors, the results of whose reign showed the effectiveness of his offensive policy. In former times, Tver was the main enemy of Moscow. That era was left behind, and now the ruler of this principality, Mikhail Borisovich, tried to compromise with the Kremlin. When Ivan Vasilyevich was a young man, he was married to the sister of the ruler of Tver, Maria. The couple had an only son. He was also named Ivan. On the maternal side, this boy became a contender for the throne of Tver.
When Mikhail tried to move closer to Poland, Ivan Vasilyevich immediately came with an army to his capital. The prince of Tver, realizing the hopelessness of his position, fled abroad. So in 1485, Ivan managed to annex his inheritance without a war.
At the same time, other "independent" Russian cities - Pskov and Ryazan - remained in a vassal position in relation to Moscow. This success included the results of the reign of Ivan 3. The table shows the main events associated with his reign.
| Year | Event |
| 1478 | Abolition of the Novgorod Republic |
| 1480 | End of dependence on the Mongols |
| 1485 | Accession of the Principality of Tver |
The end of the Khan's yoke
Another important problem for the entire Russian people has long been the Tatar-Mongol threat. For a long time, the khans collected tribute from the Slavic princes. In 1380 Dmitry Donskoy defeated the Tatars in the Battle of Kulikovo. Since then, their influence has become much weaker, due to political fragmentation in the Golden Horde. The characteristics and results of the reign of Ivan 3 were in the final resolution of this problem.
The last khan who tried to make the Moscow prince his tributary was the Khan of the Great Horde Akhmat. He no longer owned Siberia, the Crimea and the Nogais, like his predecessors, but he was still dangerous. In 1480 he went on a campaign against Moscow. Ivan Vasilyevich went to repel the enemy at the head of the squad. The two armies stood on opposite banks of the Ugra River, and never clashed in battle because of Akhmat's indecision. Realizing that he could not get along with the prince, he turned back. After this episode, the Tatar-Mongol yoke was finally thrown off. The results of the reign of Ivan 3, in short, were that he was able to secure Moscow from external threats. The prince died in 1505, overshadowed by his victories and successes.
