The end of the XV and the beginning of the XVI century - the line between the Middle Ages and the New Age, called the Renaissance, became the period of the final formation of most European states. At the same stage, the process of unification of the Russian lands around the Moscow principality is completed. The names of its initiators and performers live in the people's memory. These were the great princes Ivan III, who ruled from 1462 to 1505 and his son Vasily III, who was in power from 1505 to 1533.
Features of centralization of the countries of Western Europe and Russia
It should be immediately noted that in Russia and in leading European countries the unification of previously fragmented lands took place in various historical realities. In the West, the creation of centralized states was stimulated by the growth of material production, which, in turn, increased due to the improvement of commodity-money relations and the exit of the economy from the narrow framework of subsistence farming.
In Russia, things were different. Two centuries of the Horde yoke slowed down the development of its economy and culture, and as a result, the unification of Russia took place against the background of feudal organization of the economy, which undoubtedly served as an obstacle to this process. In addition, the creation of a centralized state itself was possible only in the north-west and north-east of the country, since most of the southern lands that were formerly part of Kievan Rus were annexed to Hungary, Poland and Lithuania.
Fragmentation - the reason for the seizure of Russian lands
Undoubtedly, the main reason for the conquest of Udelnaya Rus by the Golden Horde was its fragmentation, an example being the Principality of Vladimir, divided after the death of its ruler, Prince Vsevolod, between the heirs, and after which it became easy prey for the conquerors. And similar phenomena in the history of Russia of that period can be traced everywhere. Many great principalities, after their separation into small estates, lost their former power and lost the ability to confront the enemy. Domestic history is full of such examples.
However, according to the researchers, the presence of a constant threat from the Golden Horde, and subsequently individual khanates into which it broke up, and the aggressive policy of its western neighbors significantly accelerated the completion of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow, making it vital. A great merit in its implementation belongs to Ivan III, who ascended the Grand Duke's throne in 1462.
Creator of a single state
Having subsequently become a truly key figure in Russian history, this ruler gained control of the highest power in those times when he was only twenty-two years old. Having established himself as a successful and far-sighted politician, he became the first in Russian history to be called the “Sovereign of All Russia”. It was during his reign that the double-headed eagle became our emblem, and the stone Kremlin, which still exists today, was erected in Moscow.
Ivan III, marrying the niece of the Byzantine emperor, introduced magnificent ceremonies into the court life, not inferior to those that were adopted at European courts. It was during his reign that the former word Rus began to be replaced by the current one - Russia. He carried out a fundamental administrative reform and became one of the authors of the famous Judicial Code - a code of civil and criminal laws.
Code of Laws of Ivan III
According to this document, which was very progressive for its time, the Boyar Duma was established under the Grand Duke. Its representatives received the authority to manage certain areas of public life, and also became governors in regiments and princely governors in cities.
There was also such an innovation as orders - centralized management bodies , which were in charge of specially appointed boyars or clerks of command. In rural areas, or in other words - volosts, the leadership was carried out by the so-called volostels - governing structures consisting of free people.
The lawsuit established tight control of the center over the leadership of local boyars and stipulated possible penalties in case of non-compliance with princely orders. A number of his articles dealt with the organization of troops. Instead of the former disparate squads of the individual princes, a single army was created. Local noblemen-landowners were obliged, if necessary, to be at the disposal of the Grand Duke and at their own expense to arm a certain number of foot and horse serfs brought with them. Their number depended on the size of the estate belonging to the owner.
Accession to Moscow of previously independent specific principalities
A wise, and sometimes very insidious politician, Ivan was able, avoiding open clashes, to carry out the annexation of the entire north-east of Russia to Moscow. The beginning of this was laid in 1468, when the specific Yaroslavl princes, recognizing the supreme power of Ivan, became his subordinate.
Four years later, Perm the Great became part of his principality. The Rostov principality by that time remained only half independent - its second part had already been bought (exactly like that!) By the father of Ivan III, Moscow Prince Vasily the Dark. In 1474, the deal was continued and as a result, the entire remaining territory went to Russia.
Some difficulties arose with the accession of Tver, even before it was surrounded by a ring of Moscow lands. Until recently, her boyars tried to argue with Ivan, defending their independence, but the sight of his numerous squad, approaching the city walls, was such a convincing argument that they hastened to take the oath of allegiance.
The subsequent process included the annexation in 1489 of the Vyatka lands , which were an important fishing area. It was they who replenished the treasury with the most important currency valued on the international market - furs.
As a result of the policy of centralization of Russia, which Ivan III consistently pursued, in addition to the steady growth of its economy and military power, the prestige of the state also increased. This contributed to the fact that in the early years of the sixteenth century, a significant number of Russian princes, who came from the western regions of the country, but due to various reasons who came to serve the Lithuanian rulers, returned to their homeland.
The tragedy of Novgorod
However, not at all its stages the completion of the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow was going so smoothly. An example of this is the dramatic events that unfolded around Novgorod, which until then remained an independent boyar republic. In it, as a result of the management reform carried out in 1410, the power of the oligarchic boyars was strengthened, and by a decree of Vasily the Dark from 1456, the local prince was given the highest judicial power.
Fears (and not unfounded) to lose a significant part of privileges after Novgorod was subordinated to Moscow, prompted the boyars, led by Posad widow Marfa Boretskaya, to seek help from the Lithuanian prince Casimir, agreeing to vassal dependence if he was supported in the fight against Ivan III. In response to this, the Moscow prince took the most decisive measures as a result of which in 1471 a united army, composed of the squads of all the principalities subordinate to Moscow, moved to the rebellious city.
A significant argument that allowed Ivan III to assemble such an impressive army in a short time was the desire of Novgorodians to pass under the authority of the Catholic ruler, thereby giving rise to the accusation of their desire to exchange the Orthodox faith for "Latin". In contrast to the Moscow squads, the rebels gathered a very large, but untrained and poorly armed militia. During the decisive battle on the River Shelon, they were defeated and put to flight.
However, despite the complete defeat, the Novgorodians managed to negotiate with the prince, and by paying a fair indemnity, for some time to preserve the remnants of their former independence. Finally, Novgorod was annexed to Moscow in 1478. The symbolic gesture of the deprivation of the right to self-determination was the withdrawal from Novgorod of their veche bell, which from time immemorial convened them to solve important pressing issues.
After Novgorod was subordinated to the Moscow prince, the conquest of the Tver Principality was to take place, which until then had retained independence. Here, in a certain way, the same story was repeated as in Novgorod. The Tver prince, rightly believing that he could not resist the superior forces of Moscow, turned for help to the same Lithuanian ruler as the Novgorodians, and as a result suffered their fate.
During all forty-three years of his reign, Ivan III pursued a single goal - the unification of disparate Russian lands. For this, he went down in Russian history as the “Collector of Russian lands”. He subjugated many formerly independent great principalities.
The end of the Horde yoke
But, among other things, his rule was marked by such an important event as the end of the Horde yoke period, which marked the victory of the troops of the Moscow prince over the hordes of Ahmed Khan on the Ugra River in 1480. It was achieved not so much by military superiority as by skillful diplomacy, as a result of which Ivan III managed to make his ally the Crimean Khan, who was the worst enemy of his current opponent, and at the same time neutralize the actions of the ally of Ahmed Khan, the Lithuanian king. As a result, realizing the hopelessness of the battle, the Tatars abandoned their positions and retreated.
Father's successor
In 1505, the son of Ivan III, Vasily III, ascended the Moscow princely throne, from the first days of his reign he showed himself to be the continuation of his father’s work. As a true autocrat, he pursued a tough policy, the purpose of which was to destroy the old system of destinies and annex the still remaining independent princedoms of Russia to Moscow.
It is fair to say that the young prince was not inferior to his father either in the decisiveness of his actions, or in the ability to choose the most favorable moment for them. In this respect, the accession to the Moscow principality of Pskov, which until then was under the control of Lithuania, is very characteristic. For this, Vasily took advantage of its weakening caused by the invasion of the Crimean Tatars.
He was not deprived of the cunning inherent in his father. So, for example, in 1509, Vasily 3 ordered representatives of the Pskov posad to come to Novgorod to meet with him, as well as everyone who was dissatisfied with his desire to bring Pskov under Moscow jurisdiction. He accused all arrivals on his orders of mistrust of him and most of them executed.
The reign of Vasily 3 put an end to the former independence of the city. After the execution of the village representatives in Pskov, the last veche in his history took place, at which a decision was made to unconditionally fulfill all the requirements of the prince. The Pskov Veche Bell, like its Novgorod counterpart, was removed and taken out of the city forever.
In order to protect himself from possible opposition in the future by joining the city to his possessions, the young prince evicted from him the three hundred richest families and in their place settled an equal number of obviously loyal residents from other areas. However, this idea does not belong to him, but to his father Ivan III, who did the same thing at the time with the rich inhabitants of the conquered Novgorod. Having abolished the former veche system in Pskov, Vasily 3 entrusted the management of his governors.
Further land consolidation process
Four years later, continuing his unification of Russia, Vasily III annexed Smolensk to his principality, which he had won from the Lithuanians in 1514. The memory of this event was immortalized by the creation of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow. The Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, recognized as miraculous, and revered as the primordial defender of the borders of Russia, was solemnly transferred to it.
The final completion of the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow was achieved after the Principality of Ryazan joined the state in 1521. It had previously been in a certain dependence on the Moscow princes, but at the same time retained some independence. However, it was the turn of Ryazan residents to become subjects of Moscow.
The main government bodies
This completed the gathering of Russian lands into a single state, which became the largest in Europe, and has since been called Russia. But this process affected only the territories located in the north-east and north-west of Russia. Bringing under the Moscow scepter of the principalities located in the southwestern lands and continuing to remain under the jurisdiction of Hungary, Poland and Lithuania was a matter of the future.
The completion of the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow required the creation of an apparatus capable of providing centralized management of the newly created state. They became the boyar’s thought. It had previously included representatives of the two upper estates of the boyars and okolnichniki, but from the middle of the 15th century its composition was replenished by the princes of the lands annexed to Moscow loyal to the supreme ruler. The Boyar Duma was deprived of legislative power and had the character of only an advisory body.
In the reign of Vasily 3, two state departments were established, which laid the foundation for the subsequently formed order system. These were the so-called Palace and the Treasury. The first carried out the management of the lands belonging to the Grand Duke, and the second was in charge of finances, archives and the state press.
According to most researchers, the completion of the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow was largely achieved due to the role that the Russian Orthodox Church played in this process. The strengthening of its importance in solving pressing state issues was facilitated by the erection in 1448 of the Ryazan Metropolitan Ion to the metropolitan throne. Since that time, the church in Russia received the status of autocephalous, that is, independent and independent of other local churches, and could actively influence the state’s domestic and foreign policy.
New Level Diplomacy
The Moscow principality of the 16th century, formed as a result of the unification of previously scattered lands, acquired a completely different status in matters of international politics. If before it consisted only of relations with the Horde khans and a limited circle of princes, then after the country began to be an association of Great Russian nationality, and its ruler was called the sovereign, it took its rightful place in Europe.
Russian diplomacy has reached a completely different level. After the unification of the lands of North-Eastern Russia was completed, foreign embassies began to arrive in Moscow in former times, who did not risk venturing deeper into the Russian expanses beyond Novgorod. Of course, this introduced a certain difficulty, since earlier it was necessary to deal only with the specific princes who professed the same faith and spoke the same language. Now, during the negotiations, it was necessary to take into account the peculiarities of other religions and use the services of translators, and subsequently learn languages themselves.
The merits of the two Moscow princes Ivan III, as well as his son and successor of Vasily III are undeniable. Thanks to their labors, letters sent abroad have since been signed with the title “Prince of Moscow and All Russia”. This meant that all of Russia closed in a monolith, able to continue to withstand any tests.