The Livonian war of 1558-1583 became one of the most important campaigns of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Yes, and the entire XVI century, perhaps.
Livonian war: brief background
After the great Moscow tsar managed to conquer Kazan and
Astrakhan Khanate, Ivan IV turned hisattention to the Baltic lands and access to the Baltic Sea. Taking these territories for the Moscow kingdom would mean promising opportunities to trade in the Baltic. At the same time, it was extremely unprofitable for the German merchants and the Livonian Order, who had already settled there, to admit new competitors to the region. The resolution of these contradictions and was to be the Livonian war. Briefly, we should also mention the formal reason for it. They were served by the non-payment of the tribute to the Livonian Order, which the Derpt bishopric was obliged to pay in favor of Moscow under the 1554 treaty. Formally, such a tribute existed since the beginning of the XVI century. However, in practice, nobody remembered it for a long time. It was only with the aggravation of relations between the parties that Ivan the Terrible used this fact as a justification for the Russian invasion of the Baltic.
Livonian war: briefly about the ups and downs of the conflict
Russian troops began the invasion of Livonia in 1558. The first stage of the clash, which lasted until 1561, ended
crushing defeat of the Livonian Order.The army of the Moscow Tsar with pogroms marched through eastern and central Livonia. Dorpat and Riga were taken. In 1559, the parties concluded a truce for half a year, which was to develop into a peace treaty on the terms of the vassal dependence of the Livonian Order on Russia. But to the aid of the German knights rushed the kings of Poland and Sweden. King Sigismund II managed to take the order under his own protectorate by diplomatic maneuver. And in November 1561, under the terms of the Vilna Treaty, the Livonian Order ceased to exist. Its territories are divided between Lithuania and Poland. Now Ivan the Terrible had to confront three powerful contenders at once: the Principality of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland and Sweden. With the latter, however, the Moscow Tsar managed to quickly make peace for some time. In 1562-63, the second large-scale campaign to the Baltic began. The events of the Livonian war at this stage continued to develop safely. However, in the mid-1560s, the relations between Ivan the Terrible and the boyars of the Chosen were delighted to the limit. The situation worsens even more due to the flight of one of the closest princely comrades-in-arms, Andrei Kurbsky, to Lithuania and his transfer to the enemy's side (the reason for the boyar was the increasing despotism in the Moscow principality and the infringement of the ancient freedoms of the boyars). After this event, Ivan the Terrible finally becomes hardened, seeing solid traitors around him. Parallel to this, there are also defeats at the front, which were explained by the prince by internal enemies. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland are united in a single state, which
strengthens their power.In the late 1560s - early 70s, Russian troops suffer a series of defeats and even lose several fortresses. Since 1579, the war for the Moscow principality has already become largely defensive in nature. However, in 1579 the enemy captured Polotsk, in 1580 the Great Onion, and in 1582 the long siege of Pskov continued. It becomes obvious the need for signing peace and respite for the state after decades of military campaigns.
Livonian War: briefly on the consequences
The war ended with the signing of extremely disadvantageousfor Moscow Plus and Yam-Zapolsky truces. Access to the Baltic Sea was never received. Instead, the prince received a depleted and devastated country, which found itself in an extremely difficult situation. The consequences of the Livonian War accelerated the internal crisis that led to the Great Troubles at the beginning of the 16th century.
