Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars
Encyclopedia
The Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars (also known as Russo-Lithuanian Wars, or just either Muscovite Wars or Lithuanian Wars)The conflicts are referred to as 'Muscovite wars' (Polish: wojny moskiewskie) in Polish historiography and as 'Lithuanian wars' in Russian one; English historiography uses both, ex. 'Muscovite wars' in Jerzy Lukowski
, Hubert Zawadzki, A Concise History of Poland, Cambridge University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-521-55917-0, p. 63 and 'Lithuanian wars' in Andrew Wilson
, The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation, Yale University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-300-09309-8, p. 53. Some sources also may use Russo- instead of Muscovite. were a series of wars between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
, allied with the Kingdom of Poland
, and the Grand Duchy of Moscow
. After several defeats at the hands of Ivan III
and Vasily III
, the Lithuanians were increasingly reliant on Polish aid, which eventually became an important factor in the creation
of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the first series of wars in the 15th century the Grand Duchy of Lithuania gained control of a lot of Rus' territories, from Kiev
to Mozhaisk, but over the course of the series of wars, particularly in the 16th century, the Muscovites were able to expand their domain westwards, taking control of much of the lands that were once part of Kievan Rus.
and seized Kiev, the former capital of Kievan Rus'. By the mid-14th century, an expanding Lithuania had absorbed Chernigov and Severia
. Algirdas
, the successor of Gediminas, forged an alliance with the Grand Duchy of Tver
and undertook three expeditions against Moscow
, attempting to take advantage of the youth of the Grand Prince of Moscow
, Dmitry Ivanovich, who nevertheless succeeded in fending off these encroachments.
The first intrusions of the Lithuanian troops into the Moscow principality occurred in 1363. In 1368 Algirdas carried out the first major expedition against Moscow. Having devastated the Russian borderland, the Lithuanian prince routed the troops of the prince of Starodoub Simeon Dmitrievich Krapiva and prince of Obolensk Konstantin Yuryevich. On November 21 Algirdas put to rout the Moscow sentry troops on the river Trosna. However Algirdas could not seize the Moscow Kremlin. The troops of Algirdas ruined the area around the city and captured a significant portion of the Muscovite population. In 1370 Algirdas made another expedition against Moscow. He ruined the area around of Volok Lamskiy. On December 6 he besieged Moscow and started to devastate the surrounding area. Having received the message that the prince Vladimir Andreevich was coming to help Moscow, Algirdas returned to Lithuania. In 1372 Algirdas attacked the Moscow principality again and reached Lubutsk. However the Grand Prince of Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich routed the sentry troops of Algirdas and Lithuanians concluded with Moscow an armistice. In 1375 Algirdas devastated the Smolensk principality.
Some elements in Muscovy wished to gain control of all territories that once were part of Kievan Rus, many of which were at that time part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (including today's territories of Belarus
and Ukraine
). Further, Moscow wished to expand its access to the Baltic Sea
, an increasingly important trade route
. Thus the conflict between Lithuania and Muscovy was only just beginning.
, who was married to Sophia
the only daughter of Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania. In 1394, Vytautas devastated the Grand Duchy of Ryazan
, leaving many settlements in ashes. In 1402, he quarrelled with his son-in-law over control of the Duchy of Smolensk
. After Vytautas captured his capital, Yuri of Smolensk fled to Vasily's court and tried to enlist his assistance in regaining Smolensk. Vasily hesitated until Vytautas advanced on Pskov
. Alarmed by Lithuania's continuing expansion, Vasily sent an army to aid the Pskovians against his father-in-law. The Russian and Lithuanian armies met near the Ugra River but neither commander ventured to commit his troops to battle. A peace ensued, whereby Vytautas kept Smolensk.
and defender of the Orthodox Church. He also proclaimed himself sovereign of all Rus and claimed patrimonial rights to the former lands of the Kievan Rus'
. Such ambitions were backed up by steady increase of Muscovite territory and power. The Mongol Yoke in Russia ended after the Great stand on the Ugra river of 1480 with Akhmat Khan
of the Golden Horde
. Moscow extended its influence to the Principality of Ryazan in 1456, annexed the Novgorod Republic
in 1477 and Principality of Tver in 1483. Further expansionist goals of Ivan III clashed with the Lithuanian interests.
Around 1486–1487, territories along the ill-defined Lithuanian–Muscovite border in the upper reaches of the Oka River
were under attack by the Muscovy, allied with Meñli I Giray
, khan
of the Crimean Khanate
. The tensions continued to rise. In August 1492, without declaring a war, Ivan III began large military actions: captured and burned Mtsensk
, Lyubutsk, Serpeysk
and Meshchovsk
, raided Mosalsk
, attacked territory of the Dukes of Vyazma
. Orthodox nobles began switching sides to Moscow as it promised better protection from military raids and an end to religious discrimination by Catholic Lithuanians. Ivan III officially declared war in 1493, but soon the conflict ended. Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander Jagiellon
sent a delegation to Moscow to negotiate a peace treaty. An eternal peace treaty was concluded on February 5, 1494. The agreement marked the first territorial losses of Lithuania: principality of Vyazma
and a sizable region in the upper reaches of the Oka River
. A day before the official confirmation of the treaty, Alexander Jagiellon was betrothed to Helena
, daughter of Ivan III (the role of the groom was performed by Stanislovas Kęsgaila
as Alexander was in Poland).
. While preoccupied with the Ottomans, Poland and Hungary would not provide assistance to Lithuania. The pretext was the alleged religious intolerance to Orthodoxs in the Lithuanian court. Helena
was forbidden by her father Ivan III to convert to Catholicism and that provided numerous opportunities for Ivan III, as defender of all Orthodox, to interfere in Lithuanian affairs and rally up Orthodox believers. The Muscovites promptly overran Lithuanian fortresses in Bryansk
, Dorogobuzh
, Toropets
, Putyvl
. Local nobles, particularly the Vorotynsky
s, often joined the Muscovite cause. Another attack came from southeast into Kiev Voivodeship, Volhynia
, and Podolia
. On July 14, 1500, the Lithuanians suffered a great defeat in the Battle of Vedrosha
. The defeat was one of the reasons for the proposed Union of Mielnik
between Poland and Lithuania.
In 1501, John I Albert
, King of Poland, died leaving his brother Alexander Jagiellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania, the strongest candidate for the Polish throne. Alexander became preoccupied with the succession. However, the war continued, just not as successfully for Muscovy. As Lithuanian forces arrived to the region, the Muscovite forces had to move slower. Additionally, the Livonian Order
, led by Wolter von Plettenberg
, joined the war as an ally of Lithuania. The Livonian troops won near Izborsk
, besieged Pskov
, and engaged in indecisive battle near Lake Smolin. In 1502, Ivan III organized a campaign to capture Smolensk
, but the city withstood the siege as Muscovites chose poor strategy and did not have enough artillery. Peace negotiations began in mid-1502 and a six-year truce was concluded in March 1503. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania lost about a third of its territory: Chernihiv
, Novhorod-Siverskyi
, Starodub
, lands around the upper Oka River
. The Lithuanians also acknowledged Ivan's title sovereign of all Rus.
, who was crowned both as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. In 1507, Sigismund I sent envoys to Moscow requesting Moscow to return the territories acquired by the 1503 truce. At the same time, Khan Meñli I Giray
broke off his alliance with Moscow due to its campaign against Kazan
. Sigismund I received an iarlyk for the Muscovites territories of Novgorod, Pskov
, Ryazan
. The war was intertwined with a rebellion of Michael Glinski
, Court Marshal of Lithuania, a favorite of Alexander Jagiellon, and a man of opportunity. In 1506, Alexander was succeeded by Sigismund I the Old
, who did not show the same favors to Glinski. Jan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński, Voivode of Trakai and Glinki's old political opponent, accused Glinski of treason, poisoning of Alexander, and ambitions to become king himself. He then organized a rebellion, murdered Zabrzeziński (February 1508), and declared himself defender of the Orthodox faith (even though he was a Catholic of Mongol descent). His followers unsuccessfully attacked the Kaunas Castle
in an attempt to liberate prisoner Ahmad, Khan of the Great Horde
. Glinski then established himself in Turaŭ
and contacted Vasili III. Glinski started retreating towards Moscow and attempted to capture Minsk
, Slutsk
, Mstsislaw
, Krychaw. He only managed to take Mazyr
when his relative opened the gates. Near Orsha
, he joined with Muscovite forces, but was defeated by Konstanty Ostrogski
, Grand Hetman of Lithuania. This series of defeats demonstrated the rebellion, despite its claims to protect the rights of the Orthodox, was not supported by the general population and did not spread. The war eventually ended with the inconclusive 'eternal peace treaty' on October 8, 1508, which maintained the territorial accords of the 1503 truce.
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Despite the peace treaty, the relationship between two countries remained tense. Sigismund I demanded that Moscow would turn in Michael Glinski for trial, while Vasili III demanded better treatment of his widowed sister Helena. Vasili also discovered that Sigismund was paying Khan Meñli I Giray to attack Grand Duchy of Moscow. At the same time, Albert of Prussia became the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights
and was unwilling to acknowledge Poland's suzerainty as required by the Second Peace of Thorn (1466). The tension eventually resulted in the Polish–Teutonic War (1519–21) and allied Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor with Vasili III.
In December 1512, the Muscovy invaded the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a goal to capture Smolensk
, a major trading center. Their first six- and four-week sieges in 1513 failed, but the city fell in June 1514. Prince Shuisky
was left as viceregent in Smolensk. This angered Glinski, who threatened to rejoin Sigismund I, but was imprisoned by the Russians.
Thereupon, Russia suffered a series of defeats in the field; first, in 1512, Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Konstanty Ostrogski
, ravaged Severia
and defeated a 6,000-strong Russian force, and, in 1514, after taking Smolensk again, the Russians suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Orsha
(on 8 September).
Despite their victory the Polish–Lithuanian army was unable to move quickly enough to recapture Smolensk, although in the previous year (1513) the Polish–Lithuanian army had driven the Russians from Vitebsk
and Polotsk. In March 1515, Russia formed an alliance with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
, but again failed to take Vitebsk, while Polish forces took Velikiye Luki
and Toropets
in 1516. In 1517 the Lithuanian–Polish expedition to Pskov
ended in defeat at the siege of Opochka
, but in 1518 Russian forces were beaten during the siege of Polotsk, when according to the legend the Lithuanian forces were inspired by the sight of their patron saint
, Saint Casimir
.
In 1512 and 1517, the Crimean Tatars
, the allies of Lithuania, devastated the Russian territories. In 1521, the Crimean khan Magmet-Ghirai carried out the ruinous attack on the Moscow principality. The Lithuanian troops led by Dashkovich participated in it and tried to take Ryazan
.
In 1519, the Russian army ravaged the lands around Kreva
, the Crimean Tartars attacked Lviv
and Lublin
, but no side could gain advantage. The war lasted until 1520; in 1522 a peace was signed, under the terms of which the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was forced to cede to Russia about a quarter of its Ruthenia
n possessions, including Smolensk. The Dnieper River
was established as the new border between the countries.
Upon Vasily's death, his son and heir, Ivan IV, was only three years old. The regent and government engaged in interfactional strife. The Polish–Lithuanian monarch decided to take advantage of the situation and demanded the return of territories conquered by Vasily III. Grand Hetman Jerzy Radziwiłł launched an offensive with an army 20,000 strong to regain what Lithuania has lost in the past decades. The Lithuanian assault on Severia failed when, during the winter of 1534–35, three Muscovite armies under the command of Prince Ovchina-Telepnev-Obolensky and Prince Vasily Shuisky
invaded Lithuania, advancing as far as Vilnius and Navahrudak and building the fortress of Ivangorod
on the Sebezh River.
The following year the Lithuanians were aided by the Crimean Tatars, who ravaged the region of Ryazan
, and the Poles, commanded by the Great Crown Hetman Jan Tarnowski
, whose 7,000 strong force defeated the Muscovites at Starodub
and overran Severia with Homel. In response, the Muscovites routed the 40,000-strong Lithuanian army at Sebezh
, built the fortress of Velizh
and devastated the suburbs of Vitebsk
. The resulting 5-year ceasefire (1537) granted Homel to Lithuania, while Muscovy kept Sebezh and Velizh. The truce was corroborated five years later, but negotiations for a more permanent treaty failed.
The next war may be seen as part of the Northern Seven Years' War
or the larger Livonian War
, as it involved most of the powers around the Baltic Sea
. During the reign of Sigismund II Augustus
in Poland and Lithuania, Tsar Ivan IV invaded Livonia
; first in 1568 when the Livonian Knights sought alliance with Poland and Lithuania: the Poles and Lithuanians were able to defend only southern Livonia.
At first Lithuania and Poland were allied with Denmark
and fought against Muscovy allied with Sweden
; after several years the coalitions changed and Poland–Lithuania allied themselves with Sweden against Muscovy and Denmark. Eventually the 1570 ceasefire divided Livonia between the participants, with Lithuania controlling Riga
and Muscovites expanding access to the Baltic Sea by taking hold of Narva
.
The Lithuanians felt increasingly pressured by the Tsar; further, Lithuanian lesser nobility pressured the Grand Duke and magnates for gaining the same rights as Polish nobility (szlachta
), i.e. the Golden Freedoms. Eventually, in 1569 after Sigismund II Augustus
transferred significant territories of Grand Duchy to Poland, and after months of hard negotiations Lithuanians partially accepted Polish demands and entered in alliance with the Union of Lublin
, forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the next phase of the conflict, in 1577 Ivan IV took advantage of the Commonwealth internal strife (called the war against Danzig in Polish historiography), and during the reign of Stefan Batory
in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth invaded Livonia, quickly taking almost the entire territory, with the exception of Riga and Reval (now Tallinn
). That war would last from 1577 to 1582.
Stefan Batory replied with a series of three offensives against Muscovy, trying to cut off Livonia from the main Muscovite territories. During his first offensive in 1579 with 22,000 men he retook Polatsk
, Polish–Lithuanian troops also devastated Smolensk
region and Severia
up to Starodoub. During the second, in 1580, with 29,000-strong army Stefan Batory took Velizh, Usvyat, Velikiye Luki
. In 1581 the Lithuanians burnt down Staraya Russa
, with a 100,000-strong army Stefan Batory started the Siege of Pskov
but failed to take the fortress. The prolonged and inconclusive siege led to negotiations, which with the aid of papal legate
Antonio Possevino
ended in the peace of Jam Zapolski
in which the Tsar renounced his claims to Livonia
and Polotsk but conceded no core Muscovite territories. The peace lasted for a quarter of a century, until the Commonwealth forces invaded Muscovy in 1605.
Jerzy Lukowski
Jerzy Tadeusz Lukowski is a Polish-British historian at University of Birmingham. He specializes in studies of the 18th century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.- Selected publications :...
, Hubert Zawadzki, A Concise History of Poland, Cambridge University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-521-55917-0, p. 63 and 'Lithuanian wars' in Andrew Wilson
Andrew Wilson
Andrew Wilson or Andy Wilson may refer to:*Andrew Wilson , Unificationist educator*Andrew Wilson , US actor*Andrew Wilson , Scottish landscape-painter...
, The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation, Yale University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-300-09309-8, p. 53. Some sources also may use Russo- instead of Muscovite. were a series of wars between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
, allied with the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...
, and the Grand Duchy of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
. After several defeats at the hands of Ivan III
Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III Vasilyevich , also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and "Grand Prince of all Rus"...
and Vasily III
Vasili III of Russia
Vasili III Ivanovich was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1505 to 1533. He was the son of Ivan III Vasiliyevich and Sophia Paleologue and was christened with the name Gavriil...
, the Lithuanians were increasingly reliant on Polish aid, which eventually became an important factor in the creation
Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, since Sigismund II Augustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages. In addition, the autonomy of Royal Prussia was...
of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the first series of wars in the 15th century the Grand Duchy of Lithuania gained control of a lot of Rus' territories, from Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
to Mozhaisk, but over the course of the series of wars, particularly in the 16th century, the Muscovites were able to expand their domain westwards, taking control of much of the lands that were once part of Kievan Rus.
14th century: Lithuanian expansion
Muscovy and Lithuania had been involved in a series of conflicts since the reign of Gediminas, who defeated a coalition of Ruthenian princes in the Battle on the Irpen' RiverBattle on the Irpen' River
The Battle on the Irpin River occurred in early 1320s between the armies of Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Prince Stanislav of Kiev, allied with Oleg of Pereyaslavl' and Roman of Bryansk. On the small Irpin River about south west of Kiev, Gediminas resoundingly defeated Stanislav and...
and seized Kiev, the former capital of Kievan Rus'. By the mid-14th century, an expanding Lithuania had absorbed Chernigov and Severia
Severia
Severia or Siveria is a historical region in present-day northern Ukraine and southwestern Russia, centered around the city of Novhorod-Siverskyi in Ukraine.-Severians:...
. Algirdas
Algirdas
Algirdas was a monarch of medieval Lithuania. Algirdas ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377, which chiefly meant monarch of Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
, the successor of Gediminas, forged an alliance with the Grand Duchy of Tver
Tver
Tver is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 403,726 ; 408,903 ;...
and undertook three expeditions against Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, attempting to take advantage of the youth of the Grand Prince of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
, Dmitry Ivanovich, who nevertheless succeeded in fending off these encroachments.
The first intrusions of the Lithuanian troops into the Moscow principality occurred in 1363. In 1368 Algirdas carried out the first major expedition against Moscow. Having devastated the Russian borderland, the Lithuanian prince routed the troops of the prince of Starodoub Simeon Dmitrievich Krapiva and prince of Obolensk Konstantin Yuryevich. On November 21 Algirdas put to rout the Moscow sentry troops on the river Trosna. However Algirdas could not seize the Moscow Kremlin. The troops of Algirdas ruined the area around the city and captured a significant portion of the Muscovite population. In 1370 Algirdas made another expedition against Moscow. He ruined the area around of Volok Lamskiy. On December 6 he besieged Moscow and started to devastate the surrounding area. Having received the message that the prince Vladimir Andreevich was coming to help Moscow, Algirdas returned to Lithuania. In 1372 Algirdas attacked the Moscow principality again and reached Lubutsk. However the Grand Prince of Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich routed the sentry troops of Algirdas and Lithuanians concluded with Moscow an armistice. In 1375 Algirdas devastated the Smolensk principality.
Some elements in Muscovy wished to gain control of all territories that once were part of Kievan Rus, many of which were at that time part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (including today's territories of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). Further, Moscow wished to expand its access to the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, an increasingly important trade route
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
. Thus the conflict between Lithuania and Muscovy was only just beginning.
15th century: strengthening Moscow
Conflicts resumed during the reign of Dmitry's son Vasily IVasili I of Russia
Vasiliy I Dmitriyevich was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1389.He was the oldest son of Dmitri Donskoi and Grand Princess Eudoxia, daughter of Grand Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich of Nizhny Novgorod.-Domestic policy:...
, who was married to Sophia
Sophia of Lithuania
Sophia was the only daughter of Vytautas the Great of Lithuania and his first wife Anna. On January 21, 1391, while her father was engaged in the Lithuanian Civil War, she married Vasili I of Russia. She was the longest serving consort of Russia.After his death in 1425 she became regent for their...
the only daughter of Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania. In 1394, Vytautas devastated the Grand Duchy of Ryazan
Ryazan
Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
, leaving many settlements in ashes. In 1402, he quarrelled with his son-in-law over control of the Duchy of Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
. After Vytautas captured his capital, Yuri of Smolensk fled to Vasily's court and tried to enlist his assistance in regaining Smolensk. Vasily hesitated until Vytautas advanced on Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
. Alarmed by Lithuania's continuing expansion, Vasily sent an army to aid the Pskovians against his father-in-law. The Russian and Lithuanian armies met near the Ugra River but neither commander ventured to commit his troops to battle. A peace ensued, whereby Vytautas kept Smolensk.
First war (1492–1494)
Ivan III considered himself an heir to the fallen Byzantine EmpireByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and defender of the Orthodox Church. He also proclaimed himself sovereign of all Rus and claimed patrimonial rights to the former lands of the Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
. Such ambitions were backed up by steady increase of Muscovite territory and power. The Mongol Yoke in Russia ended after the Great stand on the Ugra river of 1480 with Akhmat Khan
Akhmat Khan
Akhmat Khan was a khan of the Great Horde between 1465 and 1481.In 1465, Akhmat seized power in the Horde by rising against his brother Maxmud of Astrakhan, who had been its ruler since 1459. In 1472, Akhmat entered into alliance with the Polish king Casimir IV against Ivan III...
of the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
. Moscow extended its influence to the Principality of Ryazan in 1456, annexed the Novgorod Republic
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
in 1477 and Principality of Tver in 1483. Further expansionist goals of Ivan III clashed with the Lithuanian interests.
Around 1486–1487, territories along the ill-defined Lithuanian–Muscovite border in the upper reaches of the Oka River
Oka River
Oka is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as to the town of Kaluga. Its length exceeds...
were under attack by the Muscovy, allied with Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray , also spelled as Mengli I Giray, was a khan of the Crimean Khanate and the sixth son of the khanate founder Haci I Giray....
, khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of the Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
. The tensions continued to rise. In August 1492, without declaring a war, Ivan III began large military actions: captured and burned Mtsensk
Mtsensk
Mtsensk is a town in Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Zusha River northeast of Oryol. It stands on the Moscow–Simferopol highway. Population: 28,000 ....
, Lyubutsk, Serpeysk
Serpeysk
Serpeysk is a village in Meshchovsky District of Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Serpeyka River. It was first noted in 1406 as a military fort on the boundary between Muscovy and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the town changed hands several times. It was...
and Meshchovsk
Meshchovsk
Meshchovsk is a town in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Tureya River southwest of Kaluga. Population: It was first mentioned in Russian chronicles in connection with the Mongol invasion of Rus in 1238...
, raided Mosalsk
Mosalsk
Mosalsk is a town and the administrative center of Mosalsky District of Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located west of Kaluga. Population: First attested in 1231 , it became the center of one of the Upper Principalities in the 14th century...
, attacked territory of the Dukes of Vyazma
Vyazma
Vyazma is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk and Mozhaysk. Throughout its turbulent history, the city defended western approaches to the city of Moscow...
. Orthodox nobles began switching sides to Moscow as it promised better protection from military raids and an end to religious discrimination by Catholic Lithuanians. Ivan III officially declared war in 1493, but soon the conflict ended. Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jagiellon...
sent a delegation to Moscow to negotiate a peace treaty. An eternal peace treaty was concluded on February 5, 1494. The agreement marked the first territorial losses of Lithuania: principality of Vyazma
Vyazma
Vyazma is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk and Mozhaysk. Throughout its turbulent history, the city defended western approaches to the city of Moscow...
and a sizable region in the upper reaches of the Oka River
Oka River
Oka is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as to the town of Kaluga. Its length exceeds...
. A day before the official confirmation of the treaty, Alexander Jagiellon was betrothed to Helena
Helena of Moscow
Helena Ivanovna of Moscow was a Grand Duchess of Lithuania and Queen of Poland as a wife of king of Poland Alexander Jagiellon.-Biography:...
, daughter of Ivan III (the role of the groom was performed by Stanislovas Kęsgaila
Stanislovas Kesgaila
Stanislovas Kęsgaila Jonaitis was a Lithuanian nobleman, son of Jonas Kęsgaila from the Kęsgailos family.Stanislovas Kęsgaila was the Elder of Samogitia , Grand Hetman of Lithuania , castellan of Trakai and Vilnius . His main patrimonial property was in Kražiai. Stanislovas was married three...
as Alexander was in Poland).
Second war (1500–1503)
Hostilities were renewed in May 1500, when Ivan III took advantage of planned Polish and Hungarian campaign against the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. While preoccupied with the Ottomans, Poland and Hungary would not provide assistance to Lithuania. The pretext was the alleged religious intolerance to Orthodoxs in the Lithuanian court. Helena
Helena of Moscow
Helena Ivanovna of Moscow was a Grand Duchess of Lithuania and Queen of Poland as a wife of king of Poland Alexander Jagiellon.-Biography:...
was forbidden by her father Ivan III to convert to Catholicism and that provided numerous opportunities for Ivan III, as defender of all Orthodox, to interfere in Lithuanian affairs and rally up Orthodox believers. The Muscovites promptly overran Lithuanian fortresses in Bryansk
Bryansk
Bryansk is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Moscow. Population: -History:The first written mention of Bryansk was in 1146, in the Hypatian Codex, as Debryansk...
, Dorogobuzh
Dorogobuzh
Dorogobuzh is a historic town and the administrative center of Dorogobuzhsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, straddling the Dnieper River to the east of Smolensk and west of Vyazma. Population:...
, Toropets
Toropets
Toropets is a town and the administrative center of Toropetsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located where the Toropa River enters Lake Solomeno. Population: -History:...
, Putyvl
Putyvl
Putyvl or Putivl is a town in north-east Ukraine, in Sumy Oblast. Currently about 20,000 people live in Putyvl.-History:One of the original Siverian towns, Putyvl was first mentioned as early as 1146 as an important fortress contested between Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversky principalities of...
. Local nobles, particularly the Vorotynsky
Vorotynsky
Vorotynsky was one of the most eminent Rurikid princely houses of Muscovite Russia. Their lands lay principally in the Upper Oka region and comprised the towns of Peremyshl and Vorotynsk as well as parts of Novosil and Odoyev....
s, often joined the Muscovite cause. Another attack came from southeast into Kiev Voivodeship, Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...
, and Podolia
Podolia
The region of Podolia is an historical region in the west-central and south-west portions of present-day Ukraine, corresponding to Khmelnytskyi Oblast and Vinnytsia Oblast. Northern Transnistria, in Moldova, is also a part of Podolia...
. On July 14, 1500, the Lithuanians suffered a great defeat in the Battle of Vedrosha
Battle of Vedrosha
The battle on the Vedrosha River was a battle in the course of the Russo-Lithuanian war of 1500-1503 which ended with a decisive Russian victory and proved to be of strategic significance...
. The defeat was one of the reasons for the proposed Union of Mielnik
Union of Mielnik
The Act of Mielnik or Union of Mielnik was an attempt to unite the Kingdom of Poland with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1501. It was not ratified by the Lithuanian Seimas or by the Polish Sejm . The Act of Mielnik remained just a political project...
between Poland and Lithuania.
In 1501, John I Albert
John I Albert of Poland
John I Albert was King of Poland and Duke of Głogów .-Life:John was the third son of Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland, and Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of Albert II of Germany. As crown prince, he distinguished himself by his brilliant victory over the Tatars at Kopersztyn...
, King of Poland, died leaving his brother Alexander Jagiellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania, the strongest candidate for the Polish throne. Alexander became preoccupied with the succession. However, the war continued, just not as successfully for Muscovy. As Lithuanian forces arrived to the region, the Muscovite forces had to move slower. Additionally, the Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
, led by Wolter von Plettenberg
Wolter von Plettenberg
Wolter von Plettenberg was the Master of the Livonian Order from 1494 to 1535 and one of the greatest leaders of the Teutonic knights. He was an important early Baltic German....
, joined the war as an ally of Lithuania. The Livonian troops won near Izborsk
Izborsk
Izborsk is a rural locality in Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It contains one of the most ancient and impressive fortresses of Western Russia....
, besieged Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
, and engaged in indecisive battle near Lake Smolin. In 1502, Ivan III organized a campaign to capture Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
, but the city withstood the siege as Muscovites chose poor strategy and did not have enough artillery. Peace negotiations began in mid-1502 and a six-year truce was concluded in March 1503. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania lost about a third of its territory: Chernihiv
Chernihiv
Chernihiv or Chernigov is a historic city in northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Chernihiv Oblast , as well as of the surrounding Chernihivskyi Raion within the oblast...
, Novhorod-Siverskyi
Novhorod-Siverskyi
Novhorod-Siversky is a historic city in the Chernihiv Oblast of Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Novhorod-Siversky Raion, and is situated on the bank of the Desna River, 330 km from the capital, Kiev, and 45 km south of the Russian border. Current estimated population:...
, Starodub
Starodub
Starodub is a town and the administrative center of Starodubsky District of Bryansk Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Babinets River , southwest of Bryansk. Population: 16,000 .-History:...
, lands around the upper Oka River
Oka River
Oka is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as to the town of Kaluga. Its length exceeds...
. The Lithuanians also acknowledged Ivan's title sovereign of all Rus.
Third war (1507–1508)
In 1506, Alexander died. Vasili III, who succeeded his father Ivan III in 1505, advanced his bid for the Polish throne, but Polish nobles chose Sigismund I the OldSigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
, who was crowned both as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. In 1507, Sigismund I sent envoys to Moscow requesting Moscow to return the territories acquired by the 1503 truce. At the same time, Khan Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray , also spelled as Mengli I Giray, was a khan of the Crimean Khanate and the sixth son of the khanate founder Haci I Giray....
broke off his alliance with Moscow due to its campaign against Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
. Sigismund I received an iarlyk for the Muscovites territories of Novgorod, Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
, Ryazan
Ryazan
Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
. The war was intertwined with a rebellion of Michael Glinski
Michael Glinski
Michael Glinski was a noble from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of distant Tatar extraction who was also a tutor of his nephew, Ivan the Terrible. As a young man, Glinski served in the court of Emperor Maximilian I and earned distinction for his military service. Around 1498 he returned to Lithuania...
, Court Marshal of Lithuania, a favorite of Alexander Jagiellon, and a man of opportunity. In 1506, Alexander was succeeded by Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
, who did not show the same favors to Glinski. Jan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński, Voivode of Trakai and Glinki's old political opponent, accused Glinski of treason, poisoning of Alexander, and ambitions to become king himself. He then organized a rebellion, murdered Zabrzeziński (February 1508), and declared himself defender of the Orthodox faith (even though he was a Catholic of Mongol descent). His followers unsuccessfully attacked the Kaunas Castle
Kaunas Castle
Kaunas Castle is located in Kaunas, Lithuania. Archeological evidence suggests that it was originally built during the mid-14th century, in the Gothic style. Its site is strategic – a rise on the banks of the Nemunas River near its confluence with the Neris River...
in an attempt to liberate prisoner Ahmad, Khan of the Great Horde
Great Horde
- Dissolution of the Golden Horde :The peripheral regions of the Golden Horde broke off as follows: 1438: Kazan Khanate, 1441: Crimean Khanate, 1466: Astrakhan Khanate The remnant, which became known as the Great Horde, was left with the steppe between the Dnieper and Yaik, the capital Sarai and a...
. Glinski then established himself in Turaŭ
Turau
Turaŭ or Turaw is a town in the Zhytkavichy Raion of Homiel Province of Belarus and the former capital of the medieval Principality of Turov and Pinsk.-History:...
and contacted Vasili III. Glinski started retreating towards Moscow and attempted to capture Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, Slutsk
Slutsk
Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...
, Mstsislaw
Mstsislaw
Mstsislaw is a town in Mahilyow Voblast, Eastern Belarus. As of 2004, its population is 11,700.Mstsislaw was first mentioned in the Ipatiev Chronicle under 1156. It was initially included within the Principality of Smolensk, but had become the capital of the Principality of Mstsislaw by 1180. In...
, Krychaw. He only managed to take Mazyr
Mazyr
Mazyr, also Mozyr is a city in the Homiel Province of Belarus on the Pripyat River about 210 km east of Pinsk and 100 km northwest of Chernobyl and is located at approximately . The population is 111,770 . The total urban area including Kalinkavičy across the river has a population of...
when his relative opened the gates. Near Orsha
Orsha
Orsha is a city in Belarus in Vitebsk voblast on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers.-Facts:*Location: *Population: 125,000 *Phone code: +375 216*Postal codes: 211030, 211381–211394, 211396–211398-History:...
, he joined with Muscovite forces, but was defeated by Konstanty Ostrogski
Konstanty Ostrogski
Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski was a Lithuanian duke of slavonic origin and a Grand Hetman of Lithuania since September 11, 1497, until his death. As a speaker of the Ruthenian language he is considered to be one of the precursors of the Belarusian language and a national hero in Belarus.He...
, Grand Hetman of Lithuania. This series of defeats demonstrated the rebellion, despite its claims to protect the rights of the Orthodox, was not supported by the general population and did not spread. The war eventually ended with the inconclusive 'eternal peace treaty' on October 8, 1508, which maintained the territorial accords of the 1503 truce.
Fourth war (1512–1522)
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
and was unwilling to acknowledge Poland's suzerainty as required by the Second Peace of Thorn (1466). The tension eventually resulted in the Polish–Teutonic War (1519–21) and allied Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor with Vasili III.
In December 1512, the Muscovy invaded the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a goal to capture Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
, a major trading center. Their first six- and four-week sieges in 1513 failed, but the city fell in June 1514. Prince Shuisky
Shuisky
The Princes Shuisky were a Rurikid family of boyars descending from Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Vladimir-Suzdal and Prince Andrey Yaroslavich, brother to Alexander Nevsky. Their name is derived from the town of Shuya, of which they gained ownership in 1403. The family briefly reached the...
was left as viceregent in Smolensk. This angered Glinski, who threatened to rejoin Sigismund I, but was imprisoned by the Russians.
Thereupon, Russia suffered a series of defeats in the field; first, in 1512, Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Konstanty Ostrogski
Konstanty Ostrogski
Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski was a Lithuanian duke of slavonic origin and a Grand Hetman of Lithuania since September 11, 1497, until his death. As a speaker of the Ruthenian language he is considered to be one of the precursors of the Belarusian language and a national hero in Belarus.He...
, ravaged Severia
Severia
Severia or Siveria is a historical region in present-day northern Ukraine and southwestern Russia, centered around the city of Novhorod-Siverskyi in Ukraine.-Severians:...
and defeated a 6,000-strong Russian force, and, in 1514, after taking Smolensk again, the Russians suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Orsha
Battle of Orsha
The Battle of Orsha was fought on 8 September 1514, between the allied forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland, under the command of Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski, and the army of Grand Duchy of Moscow under Konyushy Ivan Chelyadnin and Kniaz Mikhail Golitsin...
(on 8 September).
Despite their victory the Polish–Lithuanian army was unable to move quickly enough to recapture Smolensk, although in the previous year (1513) the Polish–Lithuanian army had driven the Russians from Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
and Polotsk. In March 1515, Russia formed an alliance with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword were a military order founded by Bishop Albert of Riga in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks"...
, but again failed to take Vitebsk, while Polish forces took Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki is a town on the meandering Lovat River in the southern part of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is the second largest town in Pskov Oblast; population: The town is served by the Velikiye Luki Airport....
and Toropets
Toropets
Toropets is a town and the administrative center of Toropetsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located where the Toropa River enters Lake Solomeno. Population: -History:...
in 1516. In 1517 the Lithuanian–Polish expedition to Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
ended in defeat at the siege of Opochka
Opochka
Opochka is a town and the administrative center of Opochetsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Velikaya River, south of Pskov, in the proximity of Alexander Pushkin's family home Mikhaylovskoye. Population:...
, but in 1518 Russian forces were beaten during the siege of Polotsk, when according to the legend the Lithuanian forces were inspired by the sight of their patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
, Saint Casimir
Saint Casimir
Saint Casimir Jagiellon was a royal prince of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who became a patron saint of Lithuania, Poland, and the young.-Biography:...
.
In 1512 and 1517, the Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group that originally resided in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
, the allies of Lithuania, devastated the Russian territories. In 1521, the Crimean khan Magmet-Ghirai carried out the ruinous attack on the Moscow principality. The Lithuanian troops led by Dashkovich participated in it and tried to take Ryazan
Ryazan
Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
.
In 1519, the Russian army ravaged the lands around Kreva
Kreva
Kreva is a township in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus.-History:The Kreva Castle, constructed of brick, was built by the Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania at the borderland of Lithuanian ethnic lands. After his death in 1341, Kreva became the patrimony of his son and successor, Algirdas...
, the Crimean Tartars attacked Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
, but no side could gain advantage. The war lasted until 1520; in 1522 a peace was signed, under the terms of which the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was forced to cede to Russia about a quarter of its Ruthenia
Ruthenia
Ruthenia is the Latin word used onwards from the 13th century, describing lands of the Ancient Rus in European manuscripts. Its geographic and culturo-ethnic name at that time was applied to the parts of Eastern Europe. Essentially, the word is a false Latin rendering of the ancient place name Rus...
n possessions, including Smolensk. The Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
was established as the new border between the countries.
Fifth war (1534–1537)
Shuisky
The Princes Shuisky were a Rurikid family of boyars descending from Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Vladimir-Suzdal and Prince Andrey Yaroslavich, brother to Alexander Nevsky. Their name is derived from the town of Shuya, of which they gained ownership in 1403. The family briefly reached the...
invaded Lithuania, advancing as far as Vilnius and Navahrudak and building the fortress of Ivangorod
Ivangorod
Ivangorod is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the right bank of the Narva River by the Russian-Estonian border, west of St. Petersburg. Population: The town is known for the Ivangorod fortress....
on the Sebezh River.
The following year the Lithuanians were aided by the Crimean Tatars, who ravaged the region of Ryazan
Ryazan
Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
, and the Poles, commanded by the Great Crown Hetman Jan Tarnowski
Jan Tarnowski
Jan Amor Tarnowski was a Polish szlachcic . He was Grand Crown Hetman from 1527 and was the founder of the city of Tarnopol, where he built the Ternopil Castle and the Ternopil Lake....
, whose 7,000 strong force defeated the Muscovites at Starodub
Starodub
Starodub is a town and the administrative center of Starodubsky District of Bryansk Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Babinets River , southwest of Bryansk. Population: 16,000 .-History:...
and overran Severia with Homel. In response, the Muscovites routed the 40,000-strong Lithuanian army at Sebezh
Sebezh
Sebezh is a town and the administrative center of Sebezhsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in a picturesque setting between lakes Sebezhskoye and Orono south of Pskov. Population:...
, built the fortress of Velizh
Velizh
Velizh is a town and the administrative center of Velizhsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, situated on the bank of the Western Dvina, from Smolensk. Population:...
and devastated the suburbs of Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
. The resulting 5-year ceasefire (1537) granted Homel to Lithuania, while Muscovy kept Sebezh and Velizh. The truce was corroborated five years later, but negotiations for a more permanent treaty failed.
Livonian War
Northern Seven Years' War
The Northern Seven Years' War was the war between Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Lübeck and the Polish–Lithuanian union, fought between 1563 and 1570...
or the larger Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
, as it involved most of the powers around the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. During the reign of Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
in Poland and Lithuania, Tsar Ivan IV invaded Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
; first in 1568 when the Livonian Knights sought alliance with Poland and Lithuania: the Poles and Lithuanians were able to defend only southern Livonia.
At first Lithuania and Poland were allied with Denmark
Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway is the historiographical name for a former political entity consisting of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, including the originally Norwegian dependencies of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands...
and fought against Muscovy allied with Sweden
Early Vasa era
The Early Vasa era is a period that in Swedish history lasted between 1523–1611. It began with the reconquest of Stockholm by Gustav Vasa and his men from the Danes in 1523, and Sweden's consequent abandonment of the Kalmar Union, and continued with the reign of Gustav's sons Eric XIV, John...
; after several years the coalitions changed and Poland–Lithuania allied themselves with Sweden against Muscovy and Denmark. Eventually the 1570 ceasefire divided Livonia between the participants, with Lithuania controlling Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and Muscovites expanding access to the Baltic Sea by taking hold of Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
.
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
), i.e. the Golden Freedoms. Eventually, in 1569 after Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
transferred significant territories of Grand Duchy to Poland, and after months of hard negotiations Lithuanians partially accepted Polish demands and entered in alliance with the Union of Lublin
Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, since Sigismund II Augustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages. In addition, the autonomy of Royal Prussia was...
, forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the next phase of the conflict, in 1577 Ivan IV took advantage of the Commonwealth internal strife (called the war against Danzig in Polish historiography), and during the reign of Stefan Batory
Stefan Batory
Stephen Báthory was a Hungarian noble Prince of Transylvania , then King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania . He was a member of the Somlyó branch of the noble Hungarian Báthory family...
in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth invaded Livonia, quickly taking almost the entire territory, with the exception of Riga and Reval (now Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
). That war would last from 1577 to 1582.
Stefan Batory replied with a series of three offensives against Muscovy, trying to cut off Livonia from the main Muscovite territories. During his first offensive in 1579 with 22,000 men he retook Polatsk
Polatsk
Polotsk , is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river. It is the center of Polotsk district in Vitsebsk Voblast. Its population is more than 80,000 people...
, Polish–Lithuanian troops also devastated Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
region and Severia
Severia
Severia or Siveria is a historical region in present-day northern Ukraine and southwestern Russia, centered around the city of Novhorod-Siverskyi in Ukraine.-Severians:...
up to Starodoub. During the second, in 1580, with 29,000-strong army Stefan Batory took Velizh, Usvyat, Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki is a town on the meandering Lovat River in the southern part of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is the second largest town in Pskov Oblast; population: The town is served by the Velikiye Luki Airport....
. In 1581 the Lithuanians burnt down Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Veliky Novgorod. It is a wharf on the Polist River in the Lake Ilmen basin. It serves as the administrative center of Starorussky District, although administratively it is not a part of it...
, with a 100,000-strong army Stefan Batory started the Siege of Pskov
Siege of Pskov
The Siege of Pskov, known as the Pskov Defense in Russia took place between August of 1581 and February of 1582, when the army of the Polish king and Grand Duke of Lithuania Stefan Batory laid an unsuccessful siege and successful blockade of the city of Pskov during the final stage of the Livonian...
but failed to take the fortress. The prolonged and inconclusive siege led to negotiations, which with the aid of papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
Antonio Possevino
Antonio Possevino
Antonio Possevino was a Jesuit protagonist of Counter Reformation as a papal diplomat and a Jesuit controversialist, encyclopedist and bibliographer...
ended in the peace of Jam Zapolski
Peace of Jam Zapolski
The Truce or Treaty of Jam Zapolski, Yam Zapol'sky, Yam Zapol'skii or Zapole, signed on 15 January 1582 between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia, was one of the treaties that ended the Livonian War...
in which the Tsar renounced his claims to Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
and Polotsk but conceded no core Muscovite territories. The peace lasted for a quarter of a century, until the Commonwealth forces invaded Muscovy in 1605.