Key to the history of Russia, the unification of lands around Moscow began in the first years of the XIV century, and ended at the turn of the XV-XVI centuries. During this period, former feudal orders were destroyed and a powerful centralized state arose.
Center of the Little Principality
For a long time, Moscow was an inconspicuous fortress on the Vladimir-Suzdal land in the north-east of Russia. This small town did not differ in wealth and political significance. His own prince appeared there in 1263. They became Daniil Alexandrovich - the offspring of the famous Alexander Nevsky. As the youngest son of the prince, he received the poorest and smallest lot.
Shortly before Russia survived the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Destroyed by the enemy army, the country paid tribute to the Golden Horde. Khan recognized the ruler of the city of Vladimir as the senior prince. All his relatives Rurikovich, who owned the inheritance, had to obey him. At the same time, the Vladimir throne was transmitted by the label of the Khan at his whim. Inheritance may not correspond to the typical principle of the medieval monarchy, when the son received the title of father.
As a positive beginning, the unification of lands around Moscow put an end to this confusion, however, while the Moscow princes were weak and did not have serious resources, they had to balance between other influential rulers. Daniel supported one or the other older brother (Dmitry or Andrey), who fought for the throne of Vladimir.
The first Moscow political successes occurred due to a successful combination of circumstances. In 1302, the childless nephew of Daniil Ivan Dmitrievich, who bore the title of Prince Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, died. So the small feudal lord received a neighboring city for nothing and was re-qualified as a middle feudal lord. This was the beginning of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow. However, Daniel did not have time to get used to his new status. The first Moscow prince died in 1304.
The fight for Vladimir
Paternal place was taken by Yuri Daniilovich, who ruled in 1303-1325. First of all, he annexed the Mozhaisk Principality, putting the owner of this tiny neighboring inheritance in prison. So Moscow took several important steps in order to start a dispute with the largest political force in North-Eastern Russia - Tver. In 1305, her prince Mikhail received a label from the khan on the throne of Vladimir.
It seemed that Moscow had no chance of defeating a richer and larger enemy. However, the dilemma was that in that period of Russian history, not everything was decided by force of arms. The unification of the lands around Moscow took place thanks to the cunning and ability of its rulers to please the Tatars.
The Horde gave Vladimir princes who had the opportunity to pay more. The financial situation of Tver was noticeably better than that of Moscow. However, the khans were guided by one more rule. It can be described as "divide and conquer." Strengthening one principality, the Tatars tried not to give him too much, and if the destiny became too influential, the mercy of the Baskaks could be replaced by anger.
Moscow vs Tver
Having lost to Mikhail in a diplomatic clinch in 1305, Yuri did not calm down. First, he started an internecine war, and then, when it didn’t lead to anything, he began to wait for an opportunity to hit the enemy’s reputation. This opportunity has been waiting for itself for several years. In 1313 Khan Tokhta died, and his place was taken by Uzbek. Michael was supposed to go to the Horde and receive confirmation of the Grand Duke's label. However, Yuri was ahead of him.
Having appeared with Uzbek earlier than his opponent, the Moscow prince did everything to gain the confidence and favor of the new khan. For this, Yuri married the sister of the Tatar ruler Konchak, who converted to Orthodoxy and received the name Agafya in baptism. Also, the main opponent of Mikhail managed to conclude an alliance with the Novgorod Republic. Its inhabitants feared the mighty Tver prince, whose possessions were on their borders.
Having married, Yuri went home. He was accompanied by the Tatar nobleman Kavgady. Mikhail, taking advantage of the fact that the Horde stood up in a separate camp, attacked his opponent. The Prince of Moscow was defeated again and began to ask for peace. Opponents agreed to go to the khan for trial. At that moment clouds began to gather over Michael. Having won, he captured Konchak. Spouse Yuri, who was in the camp of the Tver prince, and Uzbek sister died for unclear reasons.
The tragedy has become a turning point in the conflict. Yuri calmly took advantage of what happened. He returned to Uzbek, exposing Mikhail in his eyes as the executioner Konchaki. Kavgady, or bribed, or simply not in love with Mikhail, also slandered him. Soon, the Tver prince arrived at the Khan's court. He was stripped of his label and brutally executed. The title of ruler of Vladimir passed to Yuri. The beginning of the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow was completed, now the Moscow rulers needed to keep the power they received in their hands.
Success Kalita
In 1325, Yuri Daniilovich again arrived in the Horde, where he was hacked into death by the son of Mikhail of Tver, Dmitry Black Eyes, who avenged the death of his father. Power in Moscow was inherited by the younger brother of the deceased, Ivan Kalita. He was known for his ability to earn and keep money. Unlike its predecessor, the new ruler acted more cautiously and defeated enemies more by cunning than cunning.
After the death of Yuri, Uzbek, using a proven strategy, carried out a castling. He gave the main Russian principality to the new rulers of Tver, Alexander Mikhailovich. It seemed that Ivan Daniilovich was left with nothing, but this impression of his contemporaries turned out to be deceptive. The fight with Tver did not end, it was only its beginning. The unification of lands around Moscow continued after another sharp turn of history.
In 1327, a spontaneous anti-Tatar rebellion broke out in Tver. Residents of the city, tired of the excessive exactions of strangers, killed tribute collectors. Alexander did not organize this speech, but joined him and eventually led the protest of his subjects. The enraged Uzbek ordered Kalita to punish the disobedient. Tver land was ravaged. Ivan Daniilovich returned to himself Vladimir, and since then the princes of Moscow, not counting the very brief interruptions, have not lost sight of the formal capital of North-Eastern Russia.
Ivan Kalita, who ruled until 1340, also annexed to his power (or rather, bought) such important neighboring cities as Uglich, Galich and Belozero. Where did he get the money for all these acquisitions? The Horde made the Prince of Moscow the official collector of tribute from all over Russia. Kalita began to control extensive financial flows. Wisely and prudently managing the treasury, he was able to build a system under which a significant part of the money collected settled in Moscow. His principality began to systematically grow rich amid all the lagging behind in the financial well-being of neighboring regions. This is the most important causal relationship, according to which there was a gradual unification of the lands around Moscow. The sword gave way to a waist wallet. In 1325, another important event that entailed the unification of lands around Moscow was the move to this city of metropolitans, who formerly considered Vladimir their residence.
New challenges
After Ivan Kalita, one after another, his two sons ruled: Simeon (1341 - 1353) and Ivan (1353 - 1359). For this almost twenty-year period, a part of the Novosilsky principality (Zabereg) and some Ryazan places (Vereya, Puddle, Borovsk) were annexed to the grand duchy. Simeon went to the Horde five times, tried to bow and please the Tatars, but at the same time he imperiously acted at home. For this, contemporaries (and historians followed him) called him Proud. Under Simeon Ivanovich, the remaining minor princes of North-Eastern Russia became his "henchmen." The main enemy, Tver, behaved cautiously and no longer disputed the Moscow supremacy.
Thanks to the good relations of Simeon with the Horde, the nomads did not disturb Russia with raids. However, then, without exception, all the principalities had to survive another misfortune. It became the deadly Black Death epidemic, which at the same time was rampant in the Old World. The ulcer came to Russia through Novgorod, where traditionally there were many Western merchants. The terrible disease turned the usual life upside down, stopped all positive social and political processes, including the unification of lands around Moscow. A brief acquaintance with the scale of the disaster is enough to understand that it turned out to be worse than any Tatar-Mongol invasion. The cities died out half, many villages were empty to the last house. Simeon died with the plague along with his sons. That is why the throne was inherited by his younger brother.
Ivan, whose rule was completely colorless, was remembered in Russian history only for his beauty, for which he was nicknamed Red. The only important event of that period can be considered the grant by the khan to the Moscow ruler of the right to judge other specific princes. Of course, the new order only accelerated the unification of lands around Moscow. The short reign of Ivan ended with his sudden death at the age of 31.
Two supports of Moscow
The successor of Ivan the Red was his young son Dmitry, who in the future defeated the Tatar-Mongol army in the Kulikovo field and immortalized his name. However, the first years of his nominal reign, the prince was in a very childhood. Other Rurikovich tried to take advantage of this, who were delighted with the opportunity to either gain independence or get a shortcut to Vladimir. Dmitry Konstantinovich Suzdalsky succeeded in the last enterprise. After the death of Ivan the Red, he went to the khan's capital Sarai, where he really received a label for reigning in Vladimir.
Moscow briefly lost the formal capital of Russia. However, situational circumstances could not reverse the trend. The prerequisites for the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow were different: social, economic and political. When the principality grew and became a serious power, its rulers received two most important pillars that did not allow the state to fall to pieces. These pillars were aristocrats and the church.
Having become rich and safe under Kalita, Moscow attracted more and more boyars to its service. The process of their exodus to the Grand Duchy was gradual, but continuous. As a result, when the young Dmitry was on the throne, a boyar council was formed around him, which made effective and useful decisions that made it possible to maintain the acquired stability with such difficulty.
The aristocracy was helped by the Orthodox Church. The reasons for the unification of the lands around Moscow were the support of this city by the metropolitans. In 1354-1378 it was Alexy (in the world Eleutherius Byakont). During the infancy of Dmitry Donskoy, the Metropolitan was also the de facto head of the executive branch in the Principality of Moscow. This energetic man initiated the construction of the Kremlin. Alex also resolved conflicts with the Horde.
Acts of Dmitry Donskoy
All stages of the unification of lands around Moscow possessed certain features. At first, the princes had to act not so much with political as with intriguing methods. That was Yuri, that was partly Ivan Kalita. But it was they who managed to lay the foundations for the well-being of Moscow. When the actual rule of the young Dmitry Donskoy began in 1367, thanks to his predecessors, he had all the resources to build a single Russian state with a sword and diplomacy.
How did the Moscow principality grow at that time? In 1360 Dmitrov was annexed, in 1363 - Starodub on Klyazma and (already finally) Vladimir, in 1368 - Rzhev. However, the key event of Russian history at that time was the non-alignment of destinies with Moscow, and the beginning of an open struggle against the Mongol-Tatar yoke. The centralization of power and its strengthening could not but lead to such a turn of events.
The prerequisites for the unification of the lands around Moscow were at least the natural desire of the nation to live within one state. These aspirations (primarily ordinary people) were faced with feudal orders. However, it was in the late Middle Ages that the end was coming. Similar processes of decomposition of the feudal system took place with some anticipation in Western Europe, where their national states were built from many duchies and counties.
Now that the process of unification of the Russian lands around Moscow has become irreversible, a new problem has arisen: what to do with the Horde yoke? Tribute hindered economic development and belittled national dignity. Of course, Dmitry Ivanovich, like many of his predecessors, dreamed of the full independence of his homeland. Having gained full power, he set about implementing this plan.
After the Battle of Kulikovo
The long process of unification of lands around Moscow could not be completed without the liberation of Russia from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Donskoy understood this and decided that it was time to act. Conflict erupted in the mid 1370s. The Moscow prince refused to pay tribute to the Basques. Golden Horde armed. At the head of the Basurmanian army stood the Mamai Temnik. Collected shelves and Dmitry Donskoy. He was assisted by many specific princes. The war with the Tatars was an all-Russian affair. Only the Ryazan prince turned out to be a black sheep, however, the Donskoy’s army managed without his help.
On September 21, 1380, a battle took place on the Kulikovo Field, which became one of the main military events in all of Russian history. Tatars were defeated. Two years later, the horde returned and even burned Moscow. Nevertheless, an open struggle for independence has begun. It lasted exactly 100 years.
Donskoy died in 1389. At the last stage of his reign, he annexed to the great principality the Meshchersky Territory, Medyn and Ustyuzhna. The son of Dmitry Vasily I, who ruled in 1389 - 1425. finished the absorption of the Principality of Nizhny Novgorod. Under him, the unification of the Moscow lands around Moscow was marked by the accession of Murom and Tarusa through the purchase of the Khan's label. The prince by military force deprived the Novgorod Republic of Vologda. As an inheritance from Rostov, Moscow in 1397 went to Ustyug. Expansion to the north continued with the annexation of Torzhok and the Bezhetsky Top.
On the verge of decay
Under Basil II (1425 - 1462), the Principality of Moscow survived the largest internecine war in its history. His own uncle, Yuri Dmitrievich, encroached on the rights of the rightful heir, who believed that power should not be transferred from father to son, but according to the long-standing principle of "by the rule of seniority." The internecine war greatly slowed down the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow. The short reign of Yuri ended in his death. Then the sons of the deceased joined in the fight: Dmitry Shemyaka and Vasily Kosoy.
The war was particularly brutal. Vasily II was blinded, and later he himself ordered to poison Shemyak. Due to the bloodshed, the result that the previous stages of the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow led to could fall into oblivion. However, in 1453, Vasily II the Dark finally defeated all his opponents. Even his own blindness did not interfere with his rule. In recent years, Vychegodskaya Perm, Romanov and some Vologda places were annexed to the Moscow Principality in his last years.
The accession of Novgorod and Tver
Most of all for the unification of the country from the Moscow princes did the son of Basil II Ivan III (1462-1505). Many historians consider him the first all-Russian ruler. When Ivan Vasilievich came to power, his largest neighbor was the Novgorod Republic. Its inhabitants for a long time supported the Moscow princes. However, in the second half of the XV century, the aristocratic circles of Novgorod reoriented to Lithuania, which was considered the main counterbalance to the Grand Duke. And such an opinion was not groundless.
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania owned the territory of modern Belarus and Ukraine. This state belonged to Kiev, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Smolensk and other important Russian cities. When Ivan III felt the danger in the union of Novgorod and Lithuania, he declared war on the republic. In 1478, the conflict was settled. Novgorod land entirely joined the Moscow state.
Then followed the turn of the Principality of Tver. The times when it could compete with Moscow on equal terms are long gone. The last Tver prince Mikhail Borisovich, as well as the Novgorodians, tried to conclude an alliance with Lithuania, after which Ivan III deprived him of power and annexed Tver to his state. This happened in 1485.
The reasons for the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow were also in the fact that at the final stage of this process, Russia finally got rid of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. In 1480, Khan Akhmat was the last to try to force the Moscow prince to submit and pay tribute to him. A full-fledged war did not work. Moscow and Tatar troops stood on different banks of the Ugra River, but did not clash in battle. Akhmat left, and soon the Golden Horde broke up into several uluses.
In addition to Novgorod and Tver, Ivan III annexed Yaroslavl, Vazhskaya, Vyatka and Perm lands, Vyazma and Ugra to the Grand Duchy. After the Russo-Lithuanian war, 1500 - 1503 Bryansk, Toropets, Pochep, Starodub, Chernihiv, Novgorod-Seversky and Putivl went to Moscow.
The formation of Russia
The successor of Ivan III on the throne was his son Vasily III (1505-1533). Under him, the unification of lands around Moscow was completed. Basil continued the work of his father, the first thing finally made part of his power Pskov. This republic since the end of the XIV century was in a vassal position from Moscow. In 1510, Vasily deprived her of autonomy.
Then came the turn of the last specific Russian principality. Ryazan has long been an independent southern neighbor of Moscow. In 1402, an alliance was concluded between the principalities, which in the middle of the 15th century gave way to vassalism. In 1521, Ryazan became the property of the Grand Duke. Like Ivan III, Vasily III did not forget about Lithuania, which belonged to many original Russian cities. As a result of two wars with this state, the prince annexed Smolensk, Velizh, Roslavl and Kursk to his state.
By the end of the first third of the 16th century, Moscow “gathered” all the Russian lands, and thus a single national state was formed. This fact allowed the son of Vasily III Ivan the Terrible to take the title of king according to the Byzantine model. In 1547, he became not just a great Moscow prince, but a Russian sovereign.