Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016
Ivan the great was the grandfather of ivan the terrible who was born Ivan Chetvyorty Vasilyevich on August 25, 1530. He was born in the grand Duchy of Muscovy, Russia to members of the Rurik dynasty. His father, Basil the third, died when he was just 3 years old. His mother, Elena Glinskaya, ruled until her death in 1538 when ivan was 8. Different boyar families disputed the legitimacy of her rule during this time and the area fell into chaos. The court meddling with his life and his life constantly being in danger shaped him into the ruthless and paranoid man he became. History shows ivan as a sensitive and smart young boy who was mistreated and looked down upon by members of the noble …show more content…
To maintain his iron will within the Oprichnina, Ivan formed a new religious and military order known as the Oprichniks. These monks effectively became the secret police of Ivan, rounding up anyone he suspected of disloyalty and sowing fear amongst the population. The 1560's were especially bleak for Northern Europe with major drought, famine, war and eventually epidemics killing tens of thousands. Midst this calamity, Ivan began to mentally unravel. He ordered great purges by his Oprichnik monks. In Novgorod alone in 1570, he ordered a massacred of up to half of the residents who had managed to survive the famine and wars. Up to 10,000 were murdered. Constant wars continued through the 1570's with Ivan losing more of his territory. In 1581, Ivan beat his pregnant daughter in law, causing her to miscarriage. When his son protested, Ivan killed …show more content…
Ivan launched a victorious war of seaward expansion only to find himself fighting the Swedes, Lithuanians, Poles, and the Livonian Teutonic Knights. For twenty-two years the war dragged on, damaging the Russian economy and military but winning it no territory. Ivan's best friend and closest advisor, Prince Andrei Kurbsky, defected to the Poles, deeply hurting Ivan. At the same time his wife Anastacia died, perhaps murdered by the boyars from mercury poisoning. Ivan also became very sick and physically disabled. Because he gradually grew unbalanced and violent, the Oprichniks soon got out of hand and became murderous thugs. They murdered nobles and peasants, and took men to fight the war in Livonia. Depopulation and famine ensued. What had been by far the richest area of Russia became the poorest. In a dispute with Novgorod republic, Ivan ordered the Oprichniks to murder the inhabitants of this city. Between thirty and forty thousand were killed. Yet the official death toll named 1,500 of Novgorod big people (nobility) and only mentioned about the same number of smaller people. In 1581, Ivan Grozny in a fit of rage accidentally killed his capable son, Ivan (the actual cause of the death of Ivan Ivanovich is disputed
Ivan the great was the grandfather of ivan the terrible who was born Ivan Chetvyorty Vasilyevich on August 25, 1530. He was born in the grand Duchy of Muscovy, Russia to members of the Rurik dynasty. His father, Basil the third, died when he was just 3 years old. His mother, Elena Glinskaya, ruled until her death in 1538 when ivan was 8. Different boyar families disputed the legitimacy of her rule during this time and the area fell into chaos. The court meddling with his life and his life constantly being in danger shaped him into the ruthless and paranoid man he became. History shows ivan as a sensitive and smart young boy who was mistreated and looked down upon by members of the noble …show more content…
To maintain his iron will within the Oprichnina, Ivan formed a new religious and military order known as the Oprichniks. These monks effectively became the secret police of Ivan, rounding up anyone he suspected of disloyalty and sowing fear amongst the population. The 1560's were especially bleak for Northern Europe with major drought, famine, war and eventually epidemics killing tens of thousands. Midst this calamity, Ivan began to mentally unravel. He ordered great purges by his Oprichnik monks. In Novgorod alone in 1570, he ordered a massacred of up to half of the residents who had managed to survive the famine and wars. Up to 10,000 were murdered. Constant wars continued through the 1570's with Ivan losing more of his territory. In 1581, Ivan beat his pregnant daughter in law, causing her to miscarriage. When his son protested, Ivan killed …show more content…
Ivan launched a victorious war of seaward expansion only to find himself fighting the Swedes, Lithuanians, Poles, and the Livonian Teutonic Knights. For twenty-two years the war dragged on, damaging the Russian economy and military but winning it no territory. Ivan's best friend and closest advisor, Prince Andrei Kurbsky, defected to the Poles, deeply hurting Ivan. At the same time his wife Anastacia died, perhaps murdered by the boyars from mercury poisoning. Ivan also became very sick and physically disabled. Because he gradually grew unbalanced and violent, the Oprichniks soon got out of hand and became murderous thugs. They murdered nobles and peasants, and took men to fight the war in Livonia. Depopulation and famine ensued. What had been by far the richest area of Russia became the poorest. In a dispute with Novgorod republic, Ivan ordered the Oprichniks to murder the inhabitants of this city. Between thirty and forty thousand were killed. Yet the official death toll named 1,500 of Novgorod big people (nobility) and only mentioned about the same number of smaller people. In 1581, Ivan Grozny in a fit of rage accidentally killed his capable son, Ivan (the actual cause of the death of Ivan Ivanovich is disputed