Defense of Pskov: the course of hostilities and consequences

Livonian War (1558-1583) - the most important event for the northern lands of Russia, and for military history the most important is the defense of Pskov. The country waged war for international trade routes and access to the Baltic against the Livonian Order. First, Russia was lucky - a successful offensive on the eastern part of the Livonian lands ended in victory. But after the collapse of the Order in 1561, the neighbors entered the war, also wanting to take pieces of the disintegrated country. Russia had to fight with Lithuania, Poland and Sweden.

Heroic Pskov

In the first days of the Livonian War, Pskov took an active part in it: the army of Ivan the Terrible passed the winter of 1558, and at the same time the Pskovites led by Prince Shuisky joined this campaign. The defense of Pskov was still ahead, but already in 1559 the Germans ravaged the neighborhoods of Red and Sebezh, constantly receiving rebuff. Then the Lithuanians invaded almost to the city, ravaging and burning everything in their way, they too were repulsed fairly quickly, but in 1569 they returned and took the city of Izborsk.

Poles led by King Stephen Bathory in 1579 captured Polotsk, and a year later invaded Pskov and Novgorod lands. Russian troops at the moment were going through bad times, and Batory knew this well, and therefore, through his ambassadors, demanded to Poland Livonia and the native Russian lands together with Pskov, Novgorod and Smolensk. Naturally, Ivan the Terrible did not go to such a deal, and in the summer of 1580 the Polish army approached the Great Bows. The inhabitants of this glorious city could not resist a strong army, and therefore themselves burnt the villages and took refuge in the fortress. They refused to surrender. The forces were unequal, the city was taken, all were killed.

Hiking in Batoria on Pskov

In 1581 the royal army of Poland went to Pskov. If Batoriya managed to capture this city, perhaps Ivan the Terrible would have to agree to such an unfair peace and give all the northwestern Russian lands. But the defense of Pskov took place. About these heroic events, we know from numerous testimonies from both warring parties. The description of such an event as the defense of Pskov could not ignore the secretary of the King Stanislaw Piotrowski, who kept a diary, describing every day the siege. For thirty weeks the defenders of the city confronted the whole Polish army, which then savagely stormed this stronghold, then tried to dig holes under the walls, then began a betrayal. Everything was in vain. The defense of Pskov under Ivan 4 stood firm.

Even when Batory decided to occupy the Pechora fortress, the attempt failed. Defenders of the fortress stood to death. Then he made concessions, because the war stalled, and the army was tired. January 1582 was the time of signing an armistice for five years, in which Batory abandoned the original intentions and returned captured Russian cities. The defense of Pskov under Ivan 4 was able to save his native land from the invaders, moreover - the former Russian borders were preserved. At the beginning of the seventeenth century the second defense of Pskov took place. The enemy this time was different, but the savior and defender of the Russian land - all the same city that raised the heroes. The first siege to many townspeople taught. Now they were able not only to defend themselves, but also to attack. The long and difficult period of foreign intervention ended in the victory of the steadfast and brave Russian people. In 1611, the Swedes seized the cities of Staraya Russa, Ladoga, Novgorod, Gdov, Porkhov, and King Gustav Adolf of Sweden decided that the heroic defense of Pskov remained in the past. However, he miscalculated.

Swedes

The Swedes tried to take Pskov in early 1615, were repulsed, and in summer they collected a huge army under the command of General Horn and again surrounded the city. The king himself came to see how Pskov fell. But the defenders of the city would have been proud of the already deceased Ivan the Terrible. The defense of Pskov, whose opponent this time was much stronger than the Poles and Livonian knights, was still as strong, the actions were thought out, forays were usually effective. The Swedish troops captured the Snetogorsky monastery and settled there. Literally the same day, residents of Pskov made a sortie and inflicted considerable damage to it, even General Horn did not survive. The king was frightened of such a failure and decided that his army was not huge enough. He took his forces to the banks of the river of the Great and requested reinforcements.

A few months later, mercenary units arrived, and Gustav-Adolph returned to the Snetogorsky Monastery. The city was completely surrounded, all roads blocked - a complete blockade. The enemy was beaten from the north, from the Ilyinsky Gate to the Varlaamovskaya Tower. They built fortifications, put artillery and gradually destroyed the wall. Pskov resisted. Breaks in the walls were instantly repaired, and forays were made almost daily, as a rule, with great damage to the enemy.
Gustav-Adolph was tired of such resistance and continued peace talks with Russia. He wanted favorable conditions for peace, but then the Pskovites blew up all the gunpowder in his camp. We had to retreat from Pskov and return the Russian cities of Russia - Ladoga, Novgorod, Porkhov, Staraya Russa, Gdov and many other lands occupied by the interventionists. The first defense of Pskov - from the troops of Stefan Batory - was much harder, but many townspeople taught.

Causes of the Livonian War

The Livonian Order was founded at the end of the twelfth century and took possession of almost the entire territory of the modern Baltic states - Courland, Liflandia and Estlandia. However, by the sixteenth century, its power was almost exhausted. First, the internal strife caused by the increasingly strengthened Reformation movement undermined the power of the Order: the Order masters could not find a consensus in the relationship with the Archbishop of Riga, the cities did not recognize any of them, the hostility grew more and more acute. The weakening of Livonia enjoyed all its neighbors, even Russia. The fact is that before the Order appeared on these lands, the Russian princes controlled the Baltic territories completely, so now the Muscovite sovereign considered his rights to Livonia legitimate.

The commercial importance of seaside lands can not be overestimated, and the Livonian Order restricted relations between Russia and Western Europe, not allowing merchants and entrepreneurs to pass through their areas. Strengthening of Russia, as now, did not want any country. Also the European masters and goods from Europe did not miss the Livonian order to Russia. For this and the Russians to Livonians were treated accordingly. Observing the weakening of the intractable neighbors, the Moscow sovereign began to fear that a more hostile neighbor might well appear on the site of the Livonians. Ivan the Third built his Ivangorod in front of the city of Narva. And even more developed claim to the outlet to the Baltic Sea Ivan 4. The defense of Pskov, whose opponent decided to prove to the Russian tsar his injustice, showed how much these claims were timely.

The beginning of the Livonian War

The king was confident of easy success, but the Livonian War dragged on, unlike the previous one, with the Swedes, when the outcome turned out to be pretty quick and successful. This time, Ivan the Terrible recalled to the Livonians the old treaties that obliged them to pay tribute to the Russian state, which had not been introduced for a very long time. Livontsy negotiations, as long as they could, delayed, but the king quickly lost patience and, severing relations of good-neighborliness, in 1558 began a 25-year Livonian War, initially successful. Russian troops passed almost the whole of Livonia, not counting the strongest castles and strong cities. Livonia alone could not provide adequate resistance - Moscow was powerful enough even then.

The State of the Order disintegrated, surrendering in parts to the most powerful neighbors. Estland - Sweden, Livonia - Lithuania, the island of Ezel - the Dane of Magnus, Kurland, however, ceased to be a church possession, undergoing secularization. Master Ketler became a duke and recognized himself as a Polish vassal. It is only natural that the new owners demanded that Ivan the Terrible abandon the occupied territories. It is even clearer that the tsar did not intend to refuse anything. Then the new members appeared on the field of the Livonian War. Nevertheless, Moscow has so far won. The tsarist troops ravaged Lithuania as far as Vilnius. Lithuanians agreed to give for the sake of peace and Polotsk. But the Zemsky Sobor of Moscow did not agree with the world. The war continued for another ten years. Until until one of the most talented generals appeared on the Polish-Lithuanian throne.

Stefan Batory

Russia was also severely weakened by the war of many years. In addition, the country was ruined and oprichnina. In the south, the Crimean Tatars were vexed, demanding all the Volga region, the Astrakhan and Kazan khanates. In 1571 Khan Devlet-Girey unexpectedly arranged a multi-military invasion, which ended with the burning of all Moscow, except the Kremlin. In the following year, the success was no longer successful - Russian ranks under the rule of Mikhail Vorotynsky were defeated by the Tatars under Molodieu. It was at this time that Stefan Batory, also decisively, began to act - the state center of the country was very short of resources and people. It was impossible to gather large ranks for the Livonian fronts. The onslaught of the proper resistance was not met. In 1578 Russian troops were defeated at Verdun.

In the Livonian War, a turning point came. A year later Stefan Batory repulsed Polotsk, and then Great Luke with the Great. Ivan the Terrible tried to press on Batory diplomatically, sending embassies to the Austrian emperor and the Pope. But the Polish king was not interested in the proposals of the Russian tsar, and in 1581 he besieged Pskov. It was difficult, but sustained the defense of Pskov. Stefan Batory tried to bypass even during the election of the King by the Sejm, but neither Germany nor Moscow could put on the throne of either the prince or the prince. The Transylvanian voevoda, who had shown his full power, was chosen. And after the ceasefire, the war resumed. True, began her Russian sovereign, and the defense of Pskov during the Livonian War showed the West how persistent and inventive the Russians could be in the face of the invaders.

The situation at the beginning of the war

At the same time there were wars with Sweden, where the Russians could not manage to take over the city of Revel and access to the Baltic. Livonia was submissive, although the triumph of the Russian sovereign did not last very long. He vainly treated Stefan Batory in vain; he did not call his brother at the talks, but his neighbor - because of the origin of the not royal one. Livonia, Ivan the Terrible always considered his own fiefdom. And this common people elected by the will of the people had a German and Hungarian infantry, seasoned in battles, tested by campaigns, which he spared no means for, he had many guns - big and good.

And, of course, there was a calculation for the victory over the poorly armed unsettled ranks of the Russian troops. Chief Stefan Batory was adept. But Ivan the Terrible is not sewn too. The defense of Pskov showed how much. Polotsk also defended more than three weeks, but did not survive, although all the inhabitants from small to large took part in the defense - they extinguished fires and helped the soldiers. The massacre in Polotsk after its capture by Stefan Bathory was monstrous, as later, when the Polish king took a city outside the city - Usvyat, Velizh, Velikie Luki.

Requirements of Batoria

Ivan the Terrible was forced to negotiate, where he offered Poland Livonia - except for four cities. However, Stefan Batory claimed not only the whole of Livonia, but also Sebezh. And besides, a lot of money - four hundred thousand gold, to cover their military costs.

In letters he dared insult the Russian tsar, calling him a Moscow pharaoh and a wolf. Attempts to make peace with this have not become more successful. In 1581 the Polish troops took the Island and besieged Pskov. But here all the successes and all the arrogance of the gentry and ended, because the defense of Pskov began. The Livonian War has reached a new level.

Fortress of Pskov

The city at that time had a strong enough fortress: the recently renewed walls were strong, they were supplied with numerous cannons, a powerful army was formed with experienced commanders. The defense of Pskov was headed by Ivan Shuisky - the prince famous for his valor. These memorable events are described in the detailed legend - "The Tale of the Pskov Siege". Defenders of the city built internal fortifications and strengthened the outer wall, while the Poles dug trenches and put their guns around the perimeter.

The dawn of September 7 began with hurricane firing of twenty guns. Batory needed a break in the wall for an attack. Indeed, the wall was quickly knocked down in many places, and the way to the city was discovered. The voevoda, who sat at dinner, had already seen how they had dinner in Pskov. But the defense of Pskov Batory stopped. All residents of the city fled to the battle of the siege bell, not only the soldiers. All who could hold arms rushed to the breaches, to the most dangerous places. From the walls the advancing Poles were showered with heavy fire, but the confidence in victory drove them forward literally through the corpses. They nevertheless broke into the city.

Russian miracle

Two Pskov towers were crowned with Polish royal banners, and the Russians were exhausted by the pressure of enemy hordes. Prince Shuisky, bathed by his own and other people's blood, left the deceased horse and with his example held back the retreating Russian ranks. At this difficult moment, the Pskov clergy appeared in the thick of battle with the image of the Mother of God and the relics of the saint, in the land of the Russian beamed Vsevolod-Gabriel. The soldiers appreciably cheered up and with new strength rushed into the battle. The Svinuzskaya tower, filled with enemies, suddenly took off in the air - the Russian commanders blew it up. In the moat, many layers lay the corpses of the enemies who were in the tower. The troops of the enemy were astonished, filled with horror and dumbfounded. Of course, the Russians did not lose their heads and hit each other. The Polish troops were crushed and crushed literally on the run.

Pskov residents took part in the battle on an equal footing - they cleaned the wounded, brought water, moved the cannons thrown by the enemy on their walls, and collected the prisoners. The heroic defense of Pskov triumphantly turned the first page of his chronicle. Further, Bator was trying to overcome Pskov in every possible way: by digging, round-the-clock shooting with hot-water cores, set fire to the city, with obstructive letters to Russian voevodas with promises of benefits in case of surrender and inevitable terrible death with the same persistence. By the way, letters had to be sent using arrows, because the negotiations did not go to Pskov. They sent the answer in the same way. There the Russian language was written: we will not give up Pskov, we will not change, we will fight. And against the undermining of the Pskovites, their mines were invented. Those who dared to break down the walls, covered with shields, got the resin boiling.

Peace

Ivan the Terrible world still concluded, and there were many reasons for this. Batory hoped for an easy victory, but Pskov still did not take. Four and a half thousand soldiers-Pskovians against fifty thousand selective Polish troops withstood the siege and won, literally exhausting the enemy's regiments for thirty weeks. Defensive work on sealing holes in the walls, digging out ditches were permanent and carried out by residents.

Posadas near the city were pre-burned by the Pskovites, and the entire population of the settlements landed in the city. The enemy army was left without communications, because the city's residents made frequent sorties, the peasants plundered Polish convoys, attacked scouts, foragers, and selected food was delivered to Pskov. Batory did not immediately realize that he had lost. But in 1581 he went after all to negotiate with the Russian Tsar and concluded a truce.