Foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible

Ivan 4 took the title of king at the age of seventeen (in 1547, in January). This event was of great political significance. Since that moment, the authority of the Moscow sovereign has become so strong that the authority of the ruler excluded any attempts of aristocratic descendants to approach the top of the state. This title placed the head of the state on a par with the emperors of Byzantium and the khans of the Horde.

By the end of the 1540s, the encirclement of Tsar Ivan 4 was formed from close people. This circle became known as the "Elected Rada". Domestic and foreign policy of Ivan 4, the activities of the government were aimed mainly at strengthening centralized power, expanding, as well as protecting the borders of the country.

The main task in the southern direction was to prevent the invasion of the Crimean Tatars. For this purpose, the Tula Zasechnaya Line (the defensive line) was erected. In 1559, a campaign was undertaken to the Crimea, which ended in failure for Russia. However, in 1572, in the summer, the Tatars were stopped. Prince Vorotynsky was able to destroy the army of Crimeans.

The foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible in the eastern direction is marked by fairly large successes. As a result of the campaigns towards the beginning of the 1550s, two big Tatar powers joined the Russia, formed after the dissolution of the Horde: the Kazan Khanate was conquered in 1552, and the Astrakhan Khanate in 1556. As a result, the borders of the Moscow State expanded to the limits of Asia. In the early 1580s, Russia also crossed these lines: the Cossack army with Ermak led an expedition to Siberia. As a result of this campaign, the Siberian Khan Kuchum was defeated , and his lands were annexed to Russia. From that moment, the development of the Siberian lands began.

The foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible after the acquisition of the territories of the Volga region has changed direction. Now Western countries were of interest to the state. The task of the beginning of the Livonian War was to gain access to the Baltic Sea. At the beginning of the war, luck was on Russia's side. The Livonian Order in 1561 finally disintegrated. It should be noted that the conquests of the Russian troops were contrary to the interests of Sweden, Denmark and Poland. To these countries crossed the territory of the disintegrated Order. As a result, Russia was forced to fight not with one but with three powerful powers. Thus, in 1563-64 the troops of Ivan 4 suffered a number of setbacks.

Meanwhile, fearing the strengthening of the Moscow state, Lithuania and Poland are uniting in Rzeczpospolita.

Russia was defeated in the Livonian War. In 1582, a truce was signed. In accordance with it, the former border between Poland and Russia remained. The following year, peace was concluded with Sweden. Thus, the foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible in the western direction did not lead to the desired expansion of the borders. Moreover, Russia was forced to cede some territories (Koporye, Yam, Ivangorod).

It should be noted that the foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible was not limited to military operations alone. Russia from the middle of the 16th century begins to strengthen its authority in the world, establish relations with Denmark, Italian cities, the German Empire. Ambassadors of India and Iran came to Russia.

Ivan 4 attaches great importance to the development of relations with England. Since 1555, the "Moscow company" began to operate in this country, which had the right to conduct trade in Russia without paying fees. Trade was carried out through Arkhangelsk, built as a sea port for holding fairs with Englishmen, who opened the whole Russian north for trade operations.

Thus, the results of the foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible were expressed not only in the expansion of the territory of the state, but also in the establishment of friendly relations with various major countries of the world.