Dynastic war 1425 1453 briefly. Feudal war in Rus' (1425-1453)

Dynastic War second quarter of the 15th century (1431-1453 ). BasilII (1425-1462)

After the death of Vasily I, the period begins feudal war, as historians call the feuds of the second quarter of the 15th century. sons

Dmitry Donskoy had their own inheritance in the Moscow principality. The preconditions for the strife between the descendants of Dmitry Donskoy were the imperfect order of inheritance, which did not provide a clear explanation between the family (from father to son) and clan (by seniority - from brother to brother) principles. By family tradition and according to the will of Dmitry Donskoy, after the death of Vasily I, his younger brother Yuri Zvenigorodsky should have inherited, but the will was written when Vasily did not yet have children. It is quite natural that Vasily I transfers the principality to his son Vasily II (1425-1462). Yuri Zvenigorodsky expressed disagreement and entered into the struggle for the grand-ducal throne with his nephew. After Yuri’s death, his sons, Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka, entered the fight. The feuds began with a challenge to the “ancient right” of inheritance - from brother to brother, and then acquired the character of opposition to centralization and the unification process. The main events of the feudal war are listed in the table.

The feudal war ended with the victory of the supporters of centralization . BasilII continued the policy of expanding and strengthening the Moscow Principality. During the years of his reign, the territory of the principality increased 30 times compared to the beginning of the 15th century. In 1343 Murom joined, in 1393 Nizhny Novgorod and a number of other lands.

Dynastic war of the second quarter of the 15th century. (1431-1453).

Union of Florence(1439). In international affairs BasilII adhered to a firm independent policy. He refused to recognize the Union of Florence (union) as Catholic and Orthodox Church, allegedly necessary to save Byzantium from Ottoman Empire. The Greek Metropolitan of Rus', Isidore, who fought for the union, was removed, and in his place BasilII proposed Bishop Ion from Ryazan. This fact confirms the beginning of the independence of the Russian Church from the Patriarch of Constantinople, and after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the choice of the head of the Orthodox Church was always determined in Moscow. Reign period VasilyII was one of the stages in the formation of prerequisites on the way to centralized state. The unification processes of Russian lands were actively supported by the Orthodox Church.

Collapse of the Golden Horde

1304-1368 – Second Empire– federation Mongolian states led by the Yuan Emperor.

1359-1380 – The Great Jame in the Golden Horde, more than 25 kings changed on the throne. Mamai – beklarbek and temnik (1361-1380).

1370-1405 – reign of the great emir of Transoxiana Timur (Tamerlane) – Tamerlane's empire.

1380-1387 – unification of the Golden Horde by Tokhtamysh, restoration of Tengrism.

1391-1395 – defeat of Tokhtamysh by Tamerlane.

1428-1598 - Uzbek kingdom - capitals Chingi-Tur (until 1446), Sygnak (1446-1468), Kazhi-Tarkhan (1468-1501), Samarkand (1501-1560), Bukhara (from 1560).

1433-1502 – Great Horde- capital Saray.

1438-1552 – Kazan kingdom – capital Kazan.

1440-1556 – Nogai Horde- capital Saraichik.

1441-1783 – Crimean kingdom – capital Bakhchisarai.

1459-1556 – Kingdom of Astrakhan – capital Astrakhan.

1465-1729 – Cossack kingdom – capitals Sozak (before 1469, 1511-1521), Sygnak (1469-1511, 1521-1599), Turkestan (1599-1729).

1468-1495 – Tyumen kingdom – capital Tyumen.

1495-1598 – Kingdom of Siberia – capital of Siberia.

Feudal War- an armed struggle between Vasily Vasilyevich the Dark and the alliance of his uncle, the Zvenigorod-Galich prince Georgy Dmitrievich Zvenigorodsky, and his sons, Vasily Kosy, Dmitry Shemyaka and Dmitry the Red, for the Moscow Grand Reign.

The main reasons for the war were the intensification of contradictions in the grand ducal elite in connection with the choice of which of the princes should be the Grand Duke of Moscow and how the relationship should be built between the Grand Duke of Moscow and the appanage princes.

Back in 1389, Dmitry Donskoy made a will, according to which, in the event of the death of his eldest son Vasily Dmitrievich, he was appointed heir to the throne younger son Georgy Zvenigorodsky. Vasily Dmitrievich died in 1425, passing the throne to his 10-year-old son Vasily the Dark, who until 1432 was under the tutelage of his mother, Sophia Vitovtovna of Lithuania.

Georgy Zvenigorodsky began to challenge his right to succession to the throne. Metropolitan Photius urged George not to claim the throne, and in 1428 he agreed, recognizing his nephew as his “elder brother.”

However, in 1431, Georgy Zvenigorodsky began to fight for power again, deciding to receive a label for the great reign in the Golden Horde, since Vasily the Dark ascended the throne only according to his father’s will, without a Golden Horde label. However, the label, by decision of the Golden Horde king, was retained by Vasily the Dark, and he should have allocated Dmitrov to Georgy of Zvenigorod, which, however, was not done.

In 1433, at the wedding of Vasily the Dark, Sofya Vitovtovna publicly tore off a precious belt from the son of George of Zvenigorod, Vasily Kosoy, which, according to her, was allegedly previously intended for Dmitry Donskoy and replaced. The offended Yuryevichs immediately went to their father in Galich; On the way, they plundered Yaroslavl, whose prince supported Vasily the Dark. In the same year, Georgy Zvenigorodsky defeated Vasily the Dark on the banks of the Klyazma, occupied Moscow and became the Grand Duke, giving Kostroma as an inheritance to his nephew.

But the Moscow boyars and service people they did not want to “be under the Galician princes.” Therefore, George returned the throne to Vasily, and the princes vowed to help each other. However, the subsequent persecution by Vasily former opponents led to the action against him in 1434, first by the Yuryevichs, who defeated the Muscovites in the battle on the Kus River, and, after the Muscovites defeated Galich, himself. Vasily was defeated near the Great Rostov, on the Ustye River, George again occupied Moscow, but soon after that he died, bequeathing the throne to his nephew.

Despite this, his son Vasily Kosoy declared himself Grand Duke, but younger brothers he was not supported, having concluded peace with Vasily the Dark, according to which Dmitry Shemyak received Uglich and Rzhev, and Dmitry Krasny received Galich and Bezhetsk. When the united princes approached Moscow, Vasily Kosoy fled Velikiy Novgorod. From there, through Zavolochye and Kostroma, he went on a campaign against Moscow. He was defeated in 1435 on the banks of the Korotorosl River near Yaroslavl, fled to Vologda, from where he came with new troops and went to Veliky Rostov, taking Nerekhta along the way. In 1436, near Veliky Rostov, Vasily Kosoy was captured, blinded by Vasily the Dark and died in 1448.

In 1440, Dmitry the Red died, and all his possessions, by order of Vasily the Dark, were annexed to the possessions of Dmitry Shemyaka.

In 1445, in the battle of Suzdal, the Kazan people defeated the Muscovites, and Vasily the Dark was captured by them. The great reign passed to Dmitry Shemyaka. But Vasily the Dark, having promised the Kazan Tsar a ransom, received an army from him and returned to Moscow, and Shemyaka was forced to leave the capital and retire to Uglich.

However, many boyars, priests and merchants, outraged by the “Horde commandership” of the Dark One, went over to the side of the latter, and in 1446, with their support, Dmitry Shemyaka became the Moscow Grand Duke. Then he captured Vasily the Dark in the Holy Trinity Lavra, blinded him and sent him to Uglich, and then to Vologda. But again those dissatisfied with Dmitry Shemyaka began to come to Vasily the Dark.

In 1447, the Dark One solemnly entered Moscow, which had been occupied the day before by his troops. Shemyaka went to Galich, and then to Chukhloma.

In 1449, the Dark One concluded a peace treaty with Poland and Lithuania, confirming the Moscow-Lithuanian borders and a promise not to support the internal political opponents of the other side, as well as Lithuania’s renunciation of claims to Veliky Novgorod.

In 1450, Shemyaka, in alliance with the Novgorodians, wanted to take Galich, but was defeated. In the same year, Vasily the Dark appointed his son John the Great as his co-ruler. In 1452, Shemyaka was surrounded by the Dark near Veliky Ustyug, defeated and fled to Veliky Novgorod, where he died in 1453.

Vasily the Dark also died in 1462.

1472 marriage of Ivan the Great to the niece of the last Eastern Roman emperor Constantine XI Paleologus Sophia Paleologus.

1456 – I Moscow-Novgorod War – Yazhelbitsky Treaty between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and Veliky Novgorod, according to which the Novgorodians recognized the vassalage of Moscow.

1471 – II Moscow-Novgorod War - due to the connection of the Novgorodians with Lithuania, Battle of Sheloni.

In 1471, the pro-Lithuanian part of the Novgorod aristocracy, led by Martha Boretskaya, concluded a Lithuanian prince Casimir IV treaty: Veliky Novgorod recognized Casimir IV as its prince, accepted his governor, and the king promised help to Novgorod in the fight against the Grand Duke of Moscow. Ivan the Great organized a well-planned campaign against Novgorod. The main battle took place on the Shelon River. And although the Novgorodians had a huge superiority in forces (approximately 40,000 versus 5,000), they suffered a crushing defeat. The Pro-Lithuanian party in Veliky Novgorod was defeated: some were executed, others were sent to Moscow and Kaluga and imprisoned.

1477-1478 – III Moscow-Novgorod War - because of the connection between the Novgorodians and Lithuania.

In 1477, Veliky Novgorod was blocked from all sides. Negotiations lasted a whole month and ended with the capitulation of Veliky Novgorod.

1478 – annexation of Veliky Novgorod to the Grand Duchy of Moscow, abolition of the Novgorod veche, mutual resettlement of Moscow and Novgorod feudal lords.

1472 – annexation of the Perm land.

1474 – annexation of the Rostov Principality.

1476 The Grand Duchy of Moscow stopped paying tribute to the Great Horde.

1480 – standing on the Ugra. Defeat of the Great Horde.

The Grand Duke of Vladimir Vasily I Dmitrievich died on February 25, 1425. According to the prince’s will, his ten-year-old son Vasily became the heir under the regency of Princess Sophia Vitovtovna, her father, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt, as well as princes Andrei and Peter Dmitrievich. The rights of Vasily II (1425-1462) to the great reign were immediately challenged by his eldest uncle, the Galician prince Yuri Dmitrievich. Talented commander, who had extensive possessions (Galich, Zvenigorod, Ruza, Vyatka), he relied in his claims on the spiritual charter of Dmitry Donskoy, which provided for the transfer of power to the eldest in the family. Yuri Dmitrievich also had an advantage in the struggle for the great reign because Vasily II ascended the throne without the sanction of the Horde khans. The Moscow government began military operations against Yuri, but he avoided a decisive battle, preferring to enlist the support of the Horde. In an effort to avoid bloodshed, Metropolitan Photius, one of the main figures in the government of Basil II, achieved a truce. According to an agreement concluded in mid-1425, Prince Yuri promised not to “seek” a great reign, but final decision transfer the question to the Horde. A trip in the fall of 1431 to the Horde by Yuri Dmitrievich and Vasily Vasilyevich brought success to the latter.

Prince Yuri did not accept defeat and, returning from the Horde, began to prepare for military action. The confrontation turned into a war that began in the spring of 1433. Yuri Dmitrievich and his two eldest sons, Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka, set out on a campaign against Moscow. On April 25, a battle took place with Vasily II on the river. Klyazma. The Grand Duke was defeated and fled to Tver and then to Kostroma. Yuri Dmitrievich entered Moscow. Following tradition, the winner granted Vasily II the Moscow appanage of Kolomna. The boyars and Moscow service people began to go to Kolomna to their prince. As a result, Yuri Dmitrievich was forced to return the throne to his nephew, concluding an agreement with him to recognize Vasily II as his “eldest brother.” However, the war was continued by the sons of Prince Yuri, who in September 1433 defeated Moscow troops near Galich. Vasily II set out on a campaign against the Galician princes. Decisive battle between them happened in March 1434 and ended with the complete defeat of the troops of Vasily II. Yuri entered Moscow for the second time.

The steps then taken by Yuri Dmitrievich testify to his desire to establish autocracy in Rus'. He tried to rebuild the system of relationships between the Grand Duke, his relatives and allies. Yuri even carried out a coin reform. Coins began to be issued - kopecks with the image of St. George the Victorious slaying a serpent with a spear (the serpent symbolized the Horde). Having created a coalition of princes against Vasily II, he sent his sons Dmitry Shemyaka and Dmitry the Red on a campaign against Nizhny Novgorod, where he was hiding. But in June 1434, Prince Yuri unexpectedly died, which led to an aggravation of the situation. Yuri's eldest son, Vasily Kosoy, declared himself the heir to the grand ducal power. However, the brothers did not support him and took the side of Vasily II, as a result of which Vasily Kosoy left Moscow. In May 1436, the troops of Vasily II defeated the Galician prince. Vasily Kosoy was captured and blinded, and an agreement was concluded between Dmitry Shemyaka and Vasily II, according to which the Galician prince recognized himself as a “young brother.” It was obvious that this was a temporary compromise and the struggle would flare up again. Relations became even more strained when in 1440, after the death of Shemyaka’s younger brother Dmitry the Red, Vasily II took most his inheritance and reduced the judicial privileges of Dmitry Shemyaka.

Significant changes that influenced the course of the struggle for autocracy in Rus' also occurred in the Horde. Khan Ulu-Muhammad, having been defeated by one of the sons of Tokhtamysh, in 1436-1437. settled in the Middle Volga region. He used the internecine "jam" in Rus' to capture Nizhny Novgorod and raids deep into Russian lands. In the summer of 1445, in the battle of Suzdal, the sons of Ulu-Muhammad defeated Russian army and captured Vasily II. Power in Moscow passed to Shemyaka. Soon Vasily II was released by the Horde for a large ransom. Upon learning of his return, Shemyaka fled to Uglich. Military defeat, the hardships of the ransom and the violence of the Tatars who arrived to receive it led to the emergence of widespread opposition. Many Moscow boyars, merchants and clergy went over to Shemyaka’s side. A conspiracy arose against Vasily II. In February 1446, Shemyaka captured Vasily, who had come on a pilgrimage to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and blinded him. This gave rise to Vasily’s nickname - Dark.

Dmitry Shemyaka's position as Grand Duke was difficult. His reprisal against Vasily II caused indignation. To raise his authority, Shemyaka tried to enlist the support of the church, as well as enter into an alliance with Veliky Novgorod. The fragility of the position of the new Grand Duke forced him to enter into negotiations with Vasily the Dark. In September 1446, Vasily II was released to the inheritance of Vologda, granted to him by Dmitry, which became a gathering place for supporters of his return. Prince Boris Alexandrovich of Tver provided effective assistance to Vasily II. At the beginning of 1447, near Uglich, Dmitry Shemyaka was defeated by the troops of Vasily I, and on February 17 he returned to Moscow in triumph. The Galician prince still tried to continue the fight, but its outcome was already a foregone conclusion. Shemyaka was defeated in the battle of Galich (1450), and then of Ustyug (1451). In 1453 he died in Novgorod at quite mysterious circumstances. After his death it ended internecine war.

The struggle for the great reign showed the inevitability of the unification of the Russian lands into one state. Its main reason was the achievement of power: which of the princes would rule in Moscow, the already recognized capital northeastern Rus'. At the same time, the contenders for the grand-ducal throne of Moscow had two opposing trends in the further development of the country. The Galician princes relied on trade and craft settlements and the free peasantry of the North. Vasily II supported by military service landowners of the central regions. The victory of the center over the north foreshadowed the establishment of serfdom.

Strengthening the power of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II largely depended on the success of the fight against political separatism. In the summer of 1445, he organized a punitive campaign against the Mozhaisk prince Ivan Andreevich as punishment “for his failure to correct himself.” Basil II was afraid of Ivan Andreevich’s contacts with Lithuania. Moscow troops occupied Mozhaisk, the appanage was liquidated, and its territory was divided between the Grand Duke and the Serpukhov Prince Vasily Yaroslavich. In the spring of 1456, after the death of the Ryazan prince, who left his young son in the care of Vasily the Dark, Moscow governors were sent to Ryazan. In the summer of the same year, Prince Vasily Yaroslavich of Serpukhov was unexpectedly captured and sent to prison. His inheritance, like Mozhaisk, became the “fatherland” of the Grand Duke.

The largest public education along with the Moscow principality remained "Mr.

Veliky Novgorod": during the period of the "jam" he managed to maintain his privileges, maneuvering between warring parties. After the death of Dmitry Shemyaka, Novgorod provided patronage to his family. In their confrontation with Moscow, part of the Novgorod boyars and clergy relied on the support of Lithuania. In 1456 Vasily the Dark went on a campaign against Novgorod. Having defeated the Novgorod militia near Russa, Vasily II forced the Novgorodians to sign peace. In addition to the huge indemnity, the agreement concluded in Yazhelbitsy included conditions that limited the Novgorod “antiquity”. Novgorod was deprived of the right to foreign relations and was obliged to no longer provide support to the opponents of the Grand Duke; the legislative power of the veche was abolished.

In 1460, Vasily II made a “peaceful” campaign against Novgorod, during which he agreed on the payment by the inhabitants of the Novgorod land of the “black forest” - tribute to the Grand Duke. All this foreshadowed the end of Novgorod freedom. In the same 1460, Pskov turned to Grand Duke Vasily II with a request to protect him from Livonian Order. The son of Vasily the Dark, Yuri, was appointed to the reign of Pskov and concluded a truce with the Order. By the end of the reign of Vasily II, the territory under his rule disproportionately exceeded the possessions of the rest of the Russian princes, who by that moment had lost their sovereignty and were forced to obey Moscow.

During the great reign of Ivan III Vasilievich(1462-1505), who became co-ruler of the Moscow state during his father’s lifetime, continued “gathering lands under the hand of Moscow.” Distinguished by intelligence and great strength will, this great Moscow prince annexed Yaroslavl (1463), Rostov (1474), Tver (1485), Vyatka (1489), and abolished the independence of “Mr. Veliky Novgorod”. First, the siege and capture of the city were undertaken (1478), and then the lands of the Novgorod boyars were gradually confiscated and their owners were resettled in central areas. Since 1476, Ivan III stopped paying tribute to the Horde, and in 1480 the confrontation between the Russians and Horde troops at one of the tributaries of the Oka (“standing on the Ugra”), marking the symbolic liberation of Rus' from vassal Horde dependence. Ivan III actually became the creator of the Moscow state. It was he who laid the foundations of the Russian autocracy , not only significantly expanding the territory of the country (in addition to the Russians, it also included other nationalities: Mari, Mordovians, Komi, Pechora, Karelians, etc.), but also strengthening it political system And state machine, significantly increasing the international prestige of Moscow. The final fall Constantinople under the blows of the Ottoman Turks in 1453 and the marriage of Ivan III to his niece last emperor"Romeev" Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologus in 1472 allowed the Grand Duke of Moscow to proclaim himself successor Byzantine emperors, and Moscow is the capital of the entire Orthodox world. This was reflected in the concept of “Moscow - the Third Rome”, formulated in early XVI V. Moscow State under Ivan III inherits from Byzantium National emblem - double headed eagle, And you Grand Duke in 1485 he took the title of Great Sovereign of All Rus'. Under him, our state began to be called Russia.

In an effort to elevate the grand-ducal power over the boyar-princely nobility, Ivan III consistently formed a multi-level system of service classes. The boyars, swearing allegiance to the Grand Duke, assured their allegiance with special “letters of oath.” The Moscow sovereign could impose opals, remove from civil service, confiscate the estates. The “departure” of princes and boyars from Moscow was considered high treason, and they lost the right to own their estates.

Under Ivan III, the local system was introduced - granting service people (nobles) ownership on the basis of non-inheritable personal property free lands (estates) for military or civil service. Thus, in the Moscow state, in addition to appanage land ownership, three more of its forms developed: state, which included the palace appanage of the grand duke, church-monastery and local. Functions gradually became more complex government controlled. Positions appeared state clerk - manager State yard, And clerks, were in charge of office work. From the end of the 15th century. issued Boyar Duma - the highest state advisory body to the “great sovereign”. In addition to the Moscow boyars, the Duma also included former appanage princes. In order to centralize and unify judicial and administrative activities, a new set of laws was introduced in 1497 - the Code of Laws, which established uniform norms for general order conduct of investigation and trial. The Code of Law of Ivan III primarily protected the life and property of the feudal landowner; established (Article 57) the right of peasants to leave their feudal lord for other lands only within a strictly defined period - a week before the autumn Yuri Day (November 26) and within a week after it with mandatory payment "elderly" (ransom). With the introduction of the Code of Law, the process begins attaching peasants to the land. Legislative restrictions on servitude in cities increased the number of taxpayers (“taxpayers”) among their population.

United by Moscow “under the hand of the great sovereign,” the Russian lands experienced a rise not only in the sphere government system. It is no coincidence that Russian culture of this period is assessed as modern literature as a genuine "Russian Renaissance".

Civil war in Muscovite Rus' (1425-1453)- the war for the great reign between the descendants of Dmitry Prince of Don Moscow Vasily II (Dark) Vasilyevich and his uncle, Prince of Zvenigorod and Galich Yuri Dmitrievich and his sons Vasily (Kosy) and Dmitry Shemyaka in 1425-1453. The Grand Duke's throne changed hands several times.

The main reasons for the war were: increased contradictions among the feudal lords in connection with the choice of ways and forms of centralization of the state in the context of Tatar raids and Lithuanian expansion; political and economic consolidation of the principalities. The result was the liquidation of most of the small fiefs within the Moscow Principality and the strengthening of the power of the Grand Duke. The last internecine war in Rus' and one of the last in Europe.

Vasily II against Yuri Dmitrievich (1425-1434)

In 1389, Yuri Dmitrievich, according to the will of his father Dmitry Donskoy, was appointed heir in the event of the death of his young brother Vasily Dmitrievich, which subsequently, after the death of his already adult brother in 1425, gave him grounds to claim the grand-ducal throne, bypassing his son, Vasily Vasilyevich. In 1428, Yuri recognized his nephew as his “elder brother,” but in 1431 he tried to get a label to reign from the Horde Khan, but the label went to Vasily. However, Vasily did not give Dmitrov to Yuri, who ordered the khan to give it to him. In 1433, at the wedding of Vasily II, his mother Sofya Vitovtovna publicly tore off a precious belt from her son Yuri Vasily, which, according to her, was allegedly previously intended for Dmitry Donskoy and replaced. The offended Yuryevichs immediately went to their father in Galich; On the way, they plundered Yaroslavl, whose prince supported Vasily Vasilyevich. The insult became the reason for a new speech by Yuri, who, with troops of Galicians, defeated Vasily on the banks of the Klyazma and occupied Moscow, giving Kolomna to his nephew. However, after that, Moscow boyars and service people began to flee to Kolomna; They were joined by both of Yuri's sons, Vasily and Dmitry, who had quarreled with their father. Yuri chose to reconcile with his nephew, returning the grand-ducal throne to him. However, Vasily’s subsequent persecution of former opponents led to the action in 1434 against Vasily, first by Yuri’s sons (in the battle on the banks of the Kus River, the Yuryevichs gained the upper hand), and then (after the defeat of Galich by the Muscovites) himself. Vasily was defeated near Rostov near the village of Nikolskoye on the Ustye River, Yuri again occupied Moscow, but soon after that he died (it was believed that he was poisoned), bequeathing the throne to his nephew.

Vasily II against Vasily Yuryevich (1434-1436)

Despite this, his son Vasily Yuryevich declared himself Grand Duke, but his younger brothers did not support him, concluding peace with Vasily II, according to which Dmitry Shemyaka received Uglich and Rzhev, and Dmitry Krasny - Galich and Bezhetsk. As the united princes approached Moscow, Vasily Yuryevich, taking his father’s treasury, fled to Novgorod. After staying in Novgorod for a month and a half, he went to Zavolochye, then to Kostroma and went on a campaign against Moscow. Defeated on January 6, 1435 on the banks of the Kotorosl River between the villages of Kozmodemyansky and Velikiy near Yaroslavl, he fled to Vologda, from where he came with new troops and went to Rostov, taking Nerekhta along the way.

Vasily Vasilyevich concentrated his forces in Rostov, and his ally, the Yaroslavl prince Alexander Fedorovich stood near Yaroslavl, not allowing part of Vasily Yuryevich’s troops, who went to take it, to the city - as a result he was captured along with the princess, a large ransom was given for them, but They were not released immediately. Vasily Yuryevich thought to take Vasily Vasilyevich by surprise, but he set out from Rostov and took a position in the village of Skoryatino, then defeated the enemy troops (May 1436), and Vasily Yuryevich himself was captured and blinded, for which he was nicknamed Kosy (died in 1448 ). Vasily II freed Dmitry Shemyaka, who was held in Kolomna, and returned to him all his possessions, which, after the death of Dmitry the Red in 1440, were annexed by Galich and Bezhetsk.

Vasily II against Dmitry Yuryevich (1436-1453)

After in 1445, in the battle of Suzdal, the sons of the Kazan Khan Ulu-Muhammad defeated Moscow army and captured Vasily II, power in Moscow, according to the traditional order of inheritance, passed to Dmitry Shemyaka. But Vasily, having promised the khan a ransom, received an army from him and returned to Moscow, and Shemyaka was forced to leave the capital and retire to Uglich. But many boyars, merchants and representatives of the clergy, outraged by the “Horde commandership” of Vasily the Dark, went over to Dmitry’s side, and in 1446, with their support, Dmitry Shemyaka became the Moscow prince. Then, with the help of Ivan Andreevich Mozhaisky, he captured Vasily Vasilyevich in the Trinity Monastery and - in revenge for the blinding of his brother and accusing Vasily II of favoring the Tatars - blinded him, for which Vasily II was nicknamed the Dark One, and sent him to Uglich, and then to Vologda. But again those dissatisfied with Dmitry Shemyaka began to come to Vasily the Dark; princes Boris Alexandrovich (Tver), Vasily Yaroslavich (Borovsky), Alexander Fedorovich (Yaroslavsky), Ivan Ivanovich (Starodubsko-Ryapolovsky) and others provided assistance. On December 25, 1446, in the absence of Dmitry Shemyaka, Moscow was occupied by the troops of Vasily II. On February 17, 1447, Vasily the Dark solemnly entered Moscow. Dmitry, who was at Volokolamsk at that time, was forced to begin a retreat from Moscow - he went to Galich, and then to Chukhloma. Later, Dmitry Shemyaka unsuccessfully continued to fight Vasily the Dark, suffering defeats near Galich and then near Ustyug.

In 1449, Vasily II concluded with Polish king and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Casimir IV, a peace treaty confirming the Moscow-Lithuanian borders and a promise not to support the internal political opponents of the other side, Casimir also renounced claims to Novgorod. In 1452, Dmitry was surrounded by the army of Vasily the Dark, lost his possessions, fled to Novgorod, where he died (according to chronicles, poisoned by the people of Vasily II) in 1453. In 1456, Vasily II was able to impose the unequal Yazhelbitsky Peace Treaty on Novgorod.

Many historical events events occurring in Russia in past centuries have had a significant impact on its further development. One of them was the feudal war, which broke out in and lasted from 1433 to 1953. Its main reason was the violation of the throne that existed at that time from brother to brother, and later the newer one - from father to son.

This historical period was characterized by the formation of several possessions at once on the territory of the Moscow principality. They belonged to the sons of Dm. Donskoy. The largest specific formations were under the rule of Yuri Dmitrievich. These were the Zvenigorod and Galician lands. Strife for the throne at this time reached large proportions, which is why they received the name “feudal war.”

It started controversial issue inheritance, which should have passed to Yuri after the death of his elder brother Vasily I, but this did not happen. The throne passed according to the will to the ten-year-old son of Vasily I. Being the eldest in the family, Yuri sought to obtain the grand-ducal throne due to him according to the laws in force at that time. It was because of this that the feudal war began, in which the interests of his uncle and his nephew Vasily II converged. Soon after the start of the struggle, Yuri Dmitrievich dies, and the war he started is continued by his sons: and

The war takes on the character of a struggle, with supporters and opponents appearing. The feudal war of those years was brutal and completely uncompromising. In its course, any means were used. These were conspiracies, deceptions and even fanaticism. Vasily II was blinded by his enemies, and subsequently he received the nickname Vasily the Dark. This war ended in his victory, since it was he who became the Grand Duke of Moscow and began to rule the country in difficult times of civil strife and fratricidal wars.

In Rus' it was a long struggle, and the result of a continuous twenty-year struggle was severe devastation and a significant weakening of the defense capability of the entire Russian land. The consequence of this, of course, was even more devastating raids by the Horde khans. This was the time of the establishment of sole princely rule and the establishment of a clear succession to the throne. It was established that it was to pass exclusively from father to son.

The accompanying reasons why the feudal war broke out in Rus' at that time was the strengthening of contradictions that arose among the feudal lords and associated with the ways and forms of centralization of the state. This war took place at a difficult time for the country: against the backdrop of Tatar raids and expansion Principality of Lithuania, economic and political consolidation of both great (Moscow, Ryazan, Tver) and smaller (Mozhaisk, Galician, Zvenigorod) principalities.

During that period, the struggle of townspeople and peasants against boyar, princely and noble exploitation intensified. The feudal war of the 15th century brought many changes. By its end, most of the small fiefs that were part of the Moscow Principality were liquidated, and therefore the power of the Grand Duke was strengthened.

Considering the course of this event in more detail, one can trace its most significant moments. The most decisive clashes took place in 1433-34. Despite the fact that Yuri achieved success, his side was not supported by the majority of feudal lords, which is why he was unable to secure the Moscow grand-ducal throne.

At the main stage, the feudal war of the 15th century went beyond the principality and spread to the central and northern regions. The third stage of hostilities for Vasily II ended in defeat, as a result of which he was captured and brutally blinded, and then exiled to Uglich. This period was marked by urban uprisings and the flight of peasants from feudal lords. At this time, Shemyaka was in power, but in 1446 he was expelled from Moscow, and the reign passed back into the hands of Vasily II.