Foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh as an example of strategic genius

The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh had in its time a great importance on the formation and formation of Russian statehood. In the article we will consider the main directions of Monomakh’s foreign policy and the role of the prince in the history of the state of Kievan Rus. It is already noteworthy that the path of Monomakh to the Grand Duke's throne was long. But we will talk about this later.

Long way to the throne

Vladimir Monomakh was the grandson of Prince Yaroslav, Vsevolod, and the Byzantine Princess, daughter of Konstantin Monomakh. It was from his maternal grandfather that he inherited his nickname.

Vladimir was both the prince of Chernigov, and Smolensk, and, finally, the prince of Kiev. He went down in history not only as a good ruler, but also as a talented military leader. But he ascended to the throne only during the uprising of the boyars after the death of Prince Svyatopolk. Being an intelligent and prudent person, Monomakh quickly established an exemplary order in the system of government. This is not surprising if we recall that he began to take part in the affairs of the state during the life of Svyatopolk. That is, by the time he ascended the throne, Monomakh was already an experienced manager. Subsequently, he showed himself as a talented commander and strategist.

Fight against the Polovtsy

The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh, briefly if you try to describe it, boiled down not to the conclusion of dynastic marriages, like that of Yaroslav the Wise, but to protecting the borders of the state. The Polovtsian raids exhausted Kievan Rus. In 1107, the Polovtsian army besieged the city of Luben. But in the Pereyaslavl fortress there were troops convened by Monomakh in case of activation of the Polovtsy. They hastened to the aid of the besieged and defeated the attackers, who were so discouraged by the rapid attack that they abandoned all the loot.

By order of Monomakh, the cavalry pursued the fleeing opponents so that no one else would attack Russia. The political significance of victory in this battle cannot be underestimated. Already in 1108, the hordes wandering near the borders of the Kiev state proposed to conclude a peace treaty, which was adopted by the prince.

Expulsion of the Polovtsy

One of the most significant battles with the Polovtsy occurred in 1111 on the Don. Khan Bonyak sought to get away from a direct clash with the Russians, who seemed simply invincible. It was decided to surround the princes' squads from the flanks and shoot from the bows, exhausting the enemy. However, Monomakh, having shown himself to be a talented strategist, himself launched an offensive. The Polovtsy did not expect this, because before the Russian princes were waiting for the attack, and only then they switched to a counterattack. Thus, the nomads were forced to play according to the rules of the Russians and enter into a direct battle, which they tried so hard to avoid.

In this battle, the united army of princes defeated the Polovtsy, thereby ensuring a relative peace for their state for a long time. But already in 1116, Monomakh and his squad again went on a campaign against the Polovtsy, namely, against the Khan Tugorhan, whose troops terrorized the southern borders of the principality. This Monomakh for a long time ensured the safety of its lands in the south. In 1120, 5 years before his death, Monomakh was able to expel the Pechenegs.

Strengthening ties with Byzantium

The Byzantine emperor was afraid of the invasion of Russian troops in his capital like fire. That is why he agreed to the marriage of his son John to the granddaughter of Monomakh - Dobroneg. Since then, relations between the two states have become predictable and peaceful. Of course, Monomakh did not become the "father-in-law of Europe" like Yaroslav the Wise, but, nevertheless, the Russian princesses also became rulers of the European powers during his reign. The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh pursued its main goal of strengthening the international authority of Kievan Rus. That is why Russian squads often took part in Byzantine internal affairs, in particular, it was they who crushed the uprising in Chersonesos.

The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh, the description of which we gave in the article, aimed at strengthening the authority of the state in the eyes of neighbors. Equally important was the strengthening of external borders and their protection from raids by nomadic tribes. We can say that it was the foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh that allowed Kievan Rus to become the largest European state of that time. Kievan Rus, moreover, was the main cultural, religious and state center of the Russian people. From this we can conclude that the great good for the people was the foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh. The table of the main clashes with nomads is presented below.

In fact, remembering these key dates is easy. We briefly gave an analysis of the activities of one of the most prominent personalities in history. The person who entered the chronicles as Vladimir Monomakh. The foreign policy (the table is presented in the article) of this prince was verified and thought out to the smallest detail. This was the key to the victory of the Russian troops.