WEBVTT 1 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:27.559 Hello, and welcome to Western Sieve Episode three hundred and 2 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:32.640 twenty four, Ivan the Terrible Part one. Now, before we 3 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:37.960 even begin, I want to make one thing clear, Ivan 4 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:42.560 the Terrible, Well, this guy absolutely lives up to his name, 5 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:46.679 so much so that I'm not going to spend the 6 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:55.320 next several weeks recounting every atrocity committed, every village mercilessly destroyed, 7 00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.000 every family murdered. There are just too many of those, 8 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:04.400 and frankly, it doesn't add much to the narrative. The 9 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.120 other thing I will say is that while I am 10 00:01:07.159 --> 00:01:09.920 not going to get into the gory details of much 11 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:15.079 of this, these episodes are still probably not the best 12 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:20.200 for kids, especially younger kids. The last caveat I'm going 13 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:25.920 to make is I do not speak Russian. I am 14 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:28.879 not well versed in many of these names. I'm going 15 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:31.079 to do my best, and what I am going to 16 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:34.680 try to do is limit the number of names to 17 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:38.400 only those absolutely necessary to understand the flow of the story. Because, 18 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:42.120 like we have recognized in many, many different cultures across 19 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:45.599 the Western world, the House of the russ tends to 20 00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:49.920 reuse the same names over and over and over again. 21 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:55.040 With all that being said, let's get into Ivan's father, Valissi, 22 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:59.560 who died at the very tail end of our last episode. Now, 23 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:03.959 when he passed, Ivan was all powerful even at three 24 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.799 years old. A few days after his father's burial, he 25 00:02:07.959 --> 00:02:10.960 was invested with the powers of a sovereign of Russia 26 00:02:11.479 --> 00:02:16.280 by the boyars and the church officials. As a quick aside, 27 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:20.680 the leader of the Orthodox Church of Moscow in the 28 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:26.159 sources is referred to as the Metropolitan. I'll remind you 29 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:30.919 as we go, but just remember that term metropolitan. It 30 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:34.879 means something like bishop. I'm being a little loose with 31 00:02:34.919 --> 00:02:37.840 my facts here, but that's kind of the closest equivalent 32 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:42.599 that I can give you. The total population of Russia, 33 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:44.639 and I'm putting that in air quotes right now in 34 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:48.120 the early sixteenth century was about eight million people. It 35 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:51.560 stretched from the Arctic to the southern steppe, where you 36 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:54.960 start to run into the various khanates that succeeded the 37 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:58.759 Golden Horde. To the east, it was bordered by the 38 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:04.319 Khanate of Hazan and to the west by Livonia, Lithuania, 39 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:10.919 and Poland. Much of what is today Ukraine, including Kiev, 40 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:13.719 was actually at the time in the possession of the 41 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:19.479 Kingdom of Lithuania. By and large, young Ivan lived out 42 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:23.960 his youthful life at court within the confines of the Kremlin, 43 00:03:24.120 --> 00:03:29.080 which by the way, functioned as both palace, fortress and 44 00:03:29.240 --> 00:03:34.919 government center. Life wasn't necessarily carefree. There was a lot 45 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:39.080 of protocol to follow, especially around the more powerful Boyar families, 46 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:44.879 of which they're about fifteen. They were the hereditary lords 47 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:47.879 of Moscow after Ivan, who was the Grand Prince at 48 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:51.479 this point. There are only two titles in those days, 49 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:56.120 Veli khi Khinas, which meant grand Prince, and Kinnas, which 50 00:03:56.159 --> 00:04:00.479 meant prince or princess. Every boy are in titled to 51 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:04.479 it used the second title. So there are a lot 52 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:10.000 of princes and princesses in this story arc. I'm going 53 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:13.400 to tell you that they are not by and large 54 00:04:13.479 --> 00:04:19.040 related to Ivan or to the royal house, just a title. Now. 55 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:23.279 The Kremlin was designed to defend the Grand Prince more 56 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:27.480 than anything else. The hallways were narrow, the ceilings were low, 57 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:32.240 and every door was guarded. Every ruler of Moscow knew 58 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:35.800 the biggest risk to his life came from those closest 59 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:43.600 to them. Ivan was absolutely no exception here. Ivan spent 60 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.480 most of his formative years with his mother Elena in 61 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:53.399 the Tarim Palace. Her uncle Mikhail Glinski, was the most 62 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:58.199 powerful man on the Regency Council and effectively ran Russia 63 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:04.879 after Vassili's death. Glinski was utterly ruthless when he heard 64 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:09.560 of a plot to place the hapless Yuri, Ivan's younger 65 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:12.519 brother and who, as you may recall from the last episode, 66 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:16.800 was bored with we would today say mental birth defects 67 00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:19.639 when they plan to place him on the throne in 68 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:24.680 exchange for Ivan. Glenskey didn't take any chances. He clapped 69 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.720 Yuri the young boy in chains, and he threw him 70 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:31.839 in a jail cell. He died there two years later. 71 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:37.720 There had likely never been any plot to put Yuri 72 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:42.519 on the throne, but even the hint was too much 73 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:48.680 for Glinski. Russia was and still is a very rough 74 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:55.000 place to play politics. Glinsky himself did not last long 75 00:05:55.959 --> 00:06:00.199 after Princess Elena decided she wanted a new romantic partner, 76 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:06.800 whom Golinsky opposed. Elena now wasted no time. She had 77 00:06:06.839 --> 00:06:11.199 Glensky summoned before the Privy Council and accused of wanting 78 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:15.959 to rule Russia as a despot, He, like Yuri, was 79 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:20.920 clapped at irons and tossed into a cell. He, like Yuri, 80 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:26.639 was dead by fifteen thirty six. In fact, he outlived 81 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:32.160 the prince that he imprisoned by only a few weeks. 82 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:39.439 This now left Elena's consort, Prince Olensky in charge. Now. 83 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:44.360 All the while, of course, Ivan continued to grow nervous, passionate, 84 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:47.839 and somewhat easily excitable, and of course incapable of concealing 85 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:52.000 his emotions. Child Ivan showed many of the characteristics he's 86 00:06:52.040 --> 00:06:56.639 going to reveal later. He was fascinated by church rituals, pilgrimages, 87 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:01.120 sacred relics, and the idea of kingship. At an early age, 88 00:07:01.319 --> 00:07:05.120 he memorized long passages of the scriptures by heart. From 89 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:08.439 his tutors. He acquired an absorbing interest in the sacred 90 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:14.279 and ancient history. His heroes were men like David, Solomon, Augustus, Constantine, 91 00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:19.160 and Theodosius. The kings and emperors of Jerusalem, Rome and 92 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:22.480 Byzantine interest him just as much, if not more than 93 00:07:22.519 --> 00:07:26.519 the list of grand princes of Moscow. His ancestors. The 94 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:30.399 emperors of Byzantine to him were also his ancestors. And 95 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:33.279 he could thus convinced himself that he was descended from 96 00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:37.079 a long line of royal personages reaching all the way 97 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:41.199 back to King David himself. He was fascinated by the 98 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:45.199 Russian chronicles, the sermons and the holmonies of the church fathers, 99 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:50.959 Roman and Byzantine history. He walked with kings and saints, 100 00:07:51.560 --> 00:07:55.040 and quite frankly, knew very little about the lives of 101 00:07:55.160 --> 00:08:02.439 ordinary people. Then, rather abruptly, the regency came to an end. 102 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:06.680 On April third, fifteen thirty eight, when Ivan was eight 103 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:11.680 years old, Princess Elena suddenly died, likely of a heart attack. 104 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:16.160 Her death shocked Ivan, but it seems to have been 105 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:20.720 totally random. There are no suggestions of foul play in 106 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:24.879 any of our sources, which is somewhat telling. As soon 107 00:08:24.920 --> 00:08:27.959 as she died, one of the boyars on the Privy Council, 108 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:34.120 Vassili Shuski, seized power. He had Elena's old consort chucked 109 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:40.039 into prison. Shushki treated Ivan very differently. He made it 110 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:42.759 clear that the boy lived only so long as he 111 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:47.720 did what he was told, kept his mouth shut. Needless 112 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:54.360 to say, Ivan despised him. Vasili Shuski wasn't inexperienced in government. 113 00:08:54.919 --> 00:08:57.840 He was in his sixties. He was a soldier and administrator. 114 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:00.240 He was a man of few words. In fact, they 115 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.720 called him the silent one, silence being one of his 116 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:09.360 most formidable weapons. He was totally without scruples, morality, and 117 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:14.200 totally merciless. He had at one point the governor of 118 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:18.440 Smolensk arrested and then hanged from the city walls when 119 00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:21.360 he thought he was colluding with the Grand Prince of Lithuania. 120 00:09:22.679 --> 00:09:25.080 One of his first tasks when he came to power 121 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:27.799 was to open the prisons and release all those sentenced 122 00:09:27.799 --> 00:09:31.960 by Olena for treachery. Two months after her death, he 123 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:36.159 married Anastasia, Ivan's first cousin, the daughter of his aunt. 124 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:39.759 The princess had not the least wish to be married 125 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:41.559 to this man, but he was the regent with the 126 00:09:41.559 --> 00:09:44.480 power of life and death of everyone, so she submitted. 127 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:51.000 By marrying into Ivan's family, Veliskishuski was legitimizing his slow 128 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:54.759 usurpation of power. The princess, by the way, was doubly 129 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:57.879 royal because she was also the granddaughter of the Grand 130 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:02.080 Prince Ivan the third and a former Khan of Kazan. 131 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:07.240 Immediately after the marriage, Vasily Shuski moved with his new 132 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:12.799 very young bride into the Kremlin Palace. Only three people 133 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:17.679 remained close to Ivan. Ivan Belski was the most important 134 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:21.519 Boyar to stay loyal to the young prince. In fact, 135 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:27.360 Belski worked actively to bring down Shouski from within. First, 136 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:31.159 he packed the Boyar council with his own supporters. His 137 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:34.320 next step was to reduce Shushki's power to the extent 138 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:37.519 that he was once again one of many regency members, 139 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:42.120 not the leader. Then his final step was to execute 140 00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:46.759 a coup. It did not work. We have no idea 141 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:50.720 as naside whether the young Ivan the fourth knew anything 142 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:55.639 at all about this. Belski's revolt failed, mostly because he 143 00:10:55.759 --> 00:11:00.000 organized it so poorly. Belski tried to move against sue 144 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:04.320 Huski when he was absent from Moscow. After the attempted 145 00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:08.200 coup fell apart, all of the conspirators were arrested and 146 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:14.600 Belski found himself under house arrest. Then Belski got extremely lucky. 147 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:20.960 Shuski abruptly died, apparently of natural causes. He was succeeded 148 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:24.919 on the council by his brother, who annoyingly had the 149 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:28.960 exact same name. This new Shouski, however, had a lot 150 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:34.600 less ability. In fifteen forty, Belski escaped his home confinement 151 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:38.720 and made his way to Ivan. Together with the Metropolitan, 152 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:43.360 the lead Orthodox bishop of Moscow. The three stage a coup, 153 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.200 and this time they were able to remove the new 154 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:51.240 Shouski from power. Belski proved to be a moderate. He 155 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:54.879 became the new regent, which pleased Ivan and decided he 156 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:57.799 wouldn't punish Shuski, given that his fall from power was 157 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:04.080 punishment enough. Ivan was now ten years old. What he 158 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:09.679 had learned so far was that power was everything maintaining 159 00:12:09.720 --> 00:12:16.159 It was about stealth, surprise, and murder. These were lessons 160 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:23.320 he learned well. Ever, since the year twelve twenty three, 161 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:26.600 the Russians had been forced to deal with the Mongols 162 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:33.559 the Golden Horde or some sech successor state. Only Novgorod 163 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:37.320 had been untouched by the Mongol invasions, with the rest 164 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:40.960 of Russia being reduced to some form of a client state. 165 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:46.039 By the time of Ivan the Fourth, the only real 166 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:52.759 remaining Mongol presence was to the southeast. These were the Tartars, 167 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:57.840 sort of an ethnic mix between Mongol invaders and Turkic peoples. 168 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:04.200 The Tartars still rated, sometimes extensively, into southern Russia and 169 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:10.440 remained a major obstacle to further Russian expansion. Belski's rise 170 00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:15.639 to power somewhat ironically made the situation more acute for Ivan. 171 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:21.799 Belski's younger brother Simeon had initially fled to Lithuania for 172 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:26.200 reasons that are far from clear in the record, but 173 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:29.799 now he found himself in the kart of the Tartar 174 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:35.279 Khan and in fifteen thirty four started actively pushing the 175 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:41.399 Khan to invade Russia. In July fifteen forty one, the 176 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:46.120 Tartars crossed the Don River into Russian territory. Moscow was 177 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:49.720 placed on high alert. Although Ivan was only a boy 178 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:52.919 and could not direct the defense of the city per se, 179 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:57.720 he remained an important figurehead. The people believed he was 180 00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:01.679 their direct connection to God, so it was important that 181 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:04.200 he be seen as active in the defense of the city. 182 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:08.559 When news reached Moscow that the Tartars had reached the 183 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:13.480 Oka River not far from the city, Prince Dmitribelski was 184 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:16.320 dispatched with an army to prevent the Tartars from crossing 185 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:20.639 the order he was given read as follows quote. But 186 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:23.960 if it should happen that the Khan succeeds in crossing 187 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.879 the river, then you must hold fast for the sake 188 00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:30.480 of the Holy Churches and the Orthodox Christians, and fight 189 00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:34.360 the Tartars with God's help. I this is from Ivan, 190 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:37.519 shall reward you and your children. And those of you 191 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:40.559 whom God shall take will have their names entered into 192 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.879 the Book of Life. And I shall give rewards to 193 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:49.639 their wives and children. This proclamation, which at least officially 194 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:52.960 came from Ivan himself, had the effect of showing Ivan 195 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:57.360 as deeply concerned for the welfare for his army, and 196 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:02.279 it boosted morale. So the army of Crimea reached the 197 00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:05.120 Oka River at three o'clock in the afternoon on July 198 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:09.600 the thirtieth, fifteen forty one. The Tartar engineers had already 199 00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:13.279 laid down pontoons near a small town, and a massive 200 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:16.240 crossing was about to take place when the Russian army 201 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:21.200 suddenly appeared on the opposite bank. The Khan zayoup Gari 202 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:24.200 set up his headquarters on a hill overlooking the river. 203 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:29.440 Only the first detachment of Dmitribelski's army had reached the 204 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:32.559 river bank. But they were so numerous that for a 205 00:15:32.600 --> 00:15:36.000 while the Khan thought he was confronted by the entire 206 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:40.039 Russian army. It was a hot summer day, and were 207 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:43.840 told the arms and armor of the Russians glintered in 208 00:15:43.879 --> 00:15:49.559 the sun. The Khan nevertheless prissed his advantage. His troops 209 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:53.039 raced across the pontoons, and the Turkish guns he had 210 00:15:53.080 --> 00:15:57.480 brought with him opened up. The Tartar archers drew their 211 00:15:57.480 --> 00:16:01.200 bows and arrows fell on the Russians. The chronicle indicates, 212 00:16:01.399 --> 00:16:07.440 thick as rain. This relentless, massive assault seem to shudder 213 00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:10.919 through the Russian lines, which faltered and they were close 214 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:14.960 to breaking. Remember this was only the tip of the 215 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:19.679 Russian Iceberg. More and more Russian troops came up, and 216 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:25.120 the line held. Soon the Russian heavy guns were answering 217 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:28.399 the fire of the Turkish guns, and the Tartars were 218 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:33.480 being forced off the north bank of the river. That night, 219 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:37.320 the Khan held a council of war. The forces arrayed 220 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:41.559 against him were clearly more than he expected. He became 221 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:45.360 convinced that there was no way his army could successfully 222 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:50.279 cross the river. Before morning. He had decided to break 223 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:54.799 off the engagement. Before long, the whole of the Tartar 224 00:16:54.960 --> 00:17:01.120 army was fleeing south. Ultimately, Demise Tribelski decided to pursue 225 00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:04.720 them with only a token force. He feared an ambush, 226 00:17:05.160 --> 00:17:07.680 and it was generally the policy of the Russian army 227 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:13.200 at this stage not to pursue a retreating army. Back 228 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:17.839 in Moscow, with much of the army loyal, Toubelski and 229 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:23.839 Ivan absent, Ivan Shuyski decided to attempt a coup. This 230 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:28.640 plot called for the simultaneous arrests of Velski, the Metropolitan, 231 00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:34.200 and Ivan himself. It worked perfectly. In fact, when the 232 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:38.039 Lithuanian ambassador arrived that March, he wrote back how surprised 233 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:43.200 he was at the sudden and abrupt change in regent. Indeed, 234 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:48.000 it was becoming increasingly imparent in Russia that coups were 235 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:52.480 the order of the day. Ivan responded to all of 236 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.440 this by behaving as he was expected to in public, 237 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:03.799 while seething in private, making matters worse. Ivan Shusky treated 238 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:09.079 Ivan the Fourth just as poorly as his brother had. Luckily, 239 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:12.920 for our Ivan Shuski, like his brother before him, died 240 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:17.039 pretty quickly. He died of natural causes. In May fifteen 241 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:21.680 forty two, Ivan Belski unfortunately died in prison. That same month, 242 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:27.279 Ivan Shuski was succeeded as regent by his brother Andrey Shuski, 243 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:32.920 but this time Ivan had had enough. On December the 244 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:36.799 twenty ninth, fifteen forty three, Andrey Shuski came to an 245 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:41.640 audience with Ivan unarmed, without personal guards. Ivan did not 246 00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:46.200 need two chances. He ordered Shusky arrested and given over 247 00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:49.079 to the keeper of the hounds, where he was clubbed 248 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:54.680 to death before his body was unceremoniously flung outside the Kremlin. 249 00:18:56.119 --> 00:19:01.200 Ivan the fourth was done being a puppet. That September 250 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:05.920 he turned fifteen, and Ivan could now be formally invested 251 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:08.839 as the Grand Prince of Moscow in his own right. 252 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:14.319 Before he could, however, affairs in the south took over. 253 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:19.200 It seemed likely the Tartars were going to try another invasion. 254 00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:24.039 Luckily for Ivan, the Tartar court was just as riven 255 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:29.200 with factional intrigue as the Russian one. A pro Russia 256 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:35.839 candidate emerged and, with Russian support, became khan, hence the 257 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:41.119 Khanate of Kazan suddenly and once more became a Russian vassal, 258 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:49.000 the threat for the moment was gone. Ivan finally reached 259 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:53.480 Moscow on December the twelfth, fifteen forty six. At present 260 00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:57.839 his two uncles, both from the Glinsky family, were in charge, 261 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:00.960 but everyone now agreed it was time for Ivan to 262 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:07.319 be crowned. But crowned what. For As long as Moscow 263 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:12.680 had existed, the ruler had been crowned Grand Prince. But 264 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:18.279 now the ruler of Moscow also ruled Novgorod, extensive territories 265 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:21.720 to the south and, through its vassal, the Khanate of Kazan, 266 00:20:22.680 --> 00:20:27.839 so the title of prince no longer seemed appropriate. Ivan 267 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:32.640 was an emperor. It was a new caesar. Hence, when 268 00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:36.960 Ivan was crowned on January the sixteenth, fifteen forty seven, 269 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:42.960 he was crowned the first ever Russian czar, a term 270 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:48.079 derived from the word caesar. The association with the great 271 00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:53.000 and glorious Roman Empire was clear. From this point on, 272 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:57.519 every Russian ruler up to Nicholas the Second would be 273 00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:03.359 crowned Czar even happily claimed this new title in his 274 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:08.279 coronation speech, quote, Father, most Holy Metropolitan, by the will 275 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:11.920 of our God, our ancestors, the grand Princes have from 276 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:15.119 earliest times to the present day handed down the Grand 277 00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:20.000 principality to their eldest sons. Thus, my father, Grand Prince 278 00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:25.880 Velisi venage of all of Russia during his lifetime, endowed 279 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:29.880 me with the Grand Principality of Vladimir and of Moscow 280 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:34.079 and of Novgorod and of all Russia, and commanded that 281 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:37.920 I should ascend the grand princely throne and be anointed 282 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:42.119 and crowned with the Tsar's crown according to our ancient customs, 283 00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:47.200 and my father, the Grand Prince wrote about this in 284 00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:51.759 his testament. Therefore, our father, thou shouldst bless my ascension 285 00:21:51.799 --> 00:21:55.720 to the throne and pronounce me grand Prince and Tzar 286 00:21:56.119 --> 00:22:02.440 crowned by God end quote. Asar Ivan wasted little time 287 00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:08.359 in solidifying his dynasty. He married Anastasia Zacharina, the daughter 288 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:14.559 of a powerful Boyar family, in February fifteen forty seven. Now, 289 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:17.279 in that same spring, Moscow was hit by not one 290 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:22.440 but two major fires. Like many European cities, but even 291 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:27.440 more so, Moscow was a city built of timber. As 292 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:30.920 a result, it was extremely susceptible to fires, and would 293 00:22:30.920 --> 00:22:35.680 be so throughout Ivan's reign. Honestly, fires will remain a 294 00:22:35.720 --> 00:22:41.200 problem in Moscow for about the next two centuries. On 295 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:44.480 June the twenty first, fifteen forty seven, at ten o'clock 296 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:46.880 in the morning, a fire began in the Church of 297 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:51.000 Exultation of the Cross on the crowded Arbat Street, and 298 00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:54.759 within an hour the entire area beyond the Neglina River 299 00:22:55.079 --> 00:22:58.880 had gone up in total flames. A strong wind was blowing. 300 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:02.480 The fire took the form of sheets of flame moving 301 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:06.480 at will across Moscow, and when the wind changed directions, 302 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:10.839 the fires and flames stormed across the Kremlin walls. The 303 00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:16.480 Tsar's palace even caught fire. His stables, armory, treasury all 304 00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:20.200 went up in flames. Within this treasury was kept the regalia, 305 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:24.440 vast stores of gold, and the jeweled Cross, containing a 306 00:23:24.519 --> 00:23:27.799 fragment of the True Cross. The gold domed of the 307 00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:30.920 Cathedral of the Renunciation, which stood next to the treasury, 308 00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:37.039 caught fire and all of its treasures perished. Famous buildings 309 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:40.400 within the Kremlin compound went up in flames. The people 310 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:44.000 of Moscow were furious. They could not blame the Tsar, 311 00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:48.519 as he essentially descended directly from God to attack. The 312 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:52.400 Tsar was to mount an assault on the Almighty, but 313 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:55.519 they could blame his ministers, and in this case they 314 00:23:55.559 --> 00:24:00.279 blamed the Glinsky family. At this time, Mikhayo Glinski and 315 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:04.319 his older mother, the Princess Anna Glinskaya, were living at 316 00:24:04.359 --> 00:24:07.880 their estates and out of reach, but Prince Yuri Glinsky, 317 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:11.799 Mikhail's brother, had recently arrived in Moscow and was actually 318 00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:15.559 present on the square outside the cathedral. He was being 319 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:18.839 accused of practicing magic against the people, as were all 320 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:23.000 members of the Glinski family. He was recognized and fled 321 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:27.279 for safety into the cathedral, hoping to receive sanctuary, but 322 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:30.960 the crowd ran after him, murdered him, and dragged his 323 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:33.960 body through the main gates of the cathedral and carried 324 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:37.319 it triumphantly to the place of execution on the red Square, 325 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:41.079 where it was exposed for everyone to see. In this way, 326 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:45.000 the goal was to show that the accused had been 327 00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:50.799 properly executed for his crimes, but the chief target of 328 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:56.519 the mob remained the Princess Anna Glinskaya. Ivan, however, hated 329 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:01.240 the mob and detested the idea of mob violence. He 330 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:05.559 wanted to control, and the mob represented the absolute absence 331 00:25:05.559 --> 00:25:08.519 of control. So for the first time in his reign, 332 00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:13.000 Ivan used duplicity to get what he wanted. He addressed 333 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:15.599 the crowd directly. He told them he was not hiding 334 00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:20.359 the princess, which he was. The mob then dispersed. No 335 00:25:20.440 --> 00:25:24.839 sooner had it than Ivan had the ringleaders arrested and 336 00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:31.319 summarily executed. It was his second act of decisive ruthlessness. 337 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:35.839 Now there are many portraits of a young Ivan, but 338 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:39.200 there are a few miniatures that survive. They show a 339 00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:42.960 round face, curly haired youth laden down with crowns and jewels. 340 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:46.319 In each of these, Ivan is surrounded by monks and 341 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:49.400 church officials, with whom he seems to have spent a 342 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:53.279 genuine amount of time with. The Tsar's principal adviser at 343 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:57.240 this point was alexey Adishev. He presided over what was 344 00:25:57.240 --> 00:26:00.559 called the Chosen Council, a small deliver to body of 345 00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:04.640 men who effectively ran Russia during these years. And these 346 00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:08.119 were tough years for Russia overall. There were a series 347 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:12.759 of bad harvest and tons of issues with the Crimean Tartars, 348 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:17.519 who remained distinct from the Kannate of Kazan. Prince Dmitri 349 00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:20.599 Belski set out again to deal with the threat in 350 00:26:20.680 --> 00:26:26.039 January fifteen forty eight. The weather, however, was awful and 351 00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:29.599 the rains made it impossible to move the heavy artillery. 352 00:26:30.279 --> 00:26:33.680 It is a somewhat unique aspect of war in Russia 353 00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:37.160 and on the Eastern Step, that is easier to fight 354 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:40.119 in the dead of winter or when the temperatures are 355 00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:45.519 such that moving artillery along frozen rivers is possible. In 356 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.240 this case, though, the Russians were ultimately able to force 357 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:50.519 a battle with the Tartars on the Plane of Arsk, 358 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:55.119 which Belski won. It was the first true military achievement 359 00:26:55.440 --> 00:27:00.440 of Ivan's reign. While Belski was in the south, Kishev 360 00:27:00.599 --> 00:27:04.960 was working on major reforms for the state. After being appointed, 361 00:27:05.319 --> 00:27:09.559 Adishev had analyzed hundreds of petitions to the Tsar and 362 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:13.279 realized there was a great deal to be done. His 363 00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:18.559 biggest push was to eliminate the great monastic states. These 364 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:22.920 owned huge amounts of land and wealth. Adishev thought this 365 00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:27.519 was both an inefficient use of land and contrary to scripture. 366 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:31.400 He suggested that they'd be broken up and their lands 367 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:35.359 redistributed to the peasant class, which simply needed more land 368 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:40.519 to survive. Likewise, the abuses of the boyar class needed 369 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:44.079 to be curbed. The tsar needed to be responsive to 370 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:49.920 his people, his peasant people, not the wealthy nobility. Here 371 00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:52.920 the concrete suggestions were that peasants be allowed to pay 372 00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:57.480 their taxes in grain rather than coin or cattle, that 373 00:27:57.519 --> 00:28:00.960 they be exempt from all state obligates if working for 374 00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:05.440 a lord, and that the landlords in those circumstances be 375 00:28:05.559 --> 00:28:10.799 responsible for paying the peasants taxes. Essentially, the peasants were 376 00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:13.680 working to improve the land on an a state, and 377 00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:16.759 if they were doing so, that should be their sole obligation. 378 00:28:17.880 --> 00:28:20.680 The goal was to improve the material welfare of the 379 00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:25.880 peasants while reducing the power of the boyars. Adishev also 380 00:28:25.960 --> 00:28:28.960 suggested banning the sale of liquor, which he felt was 381 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:33.160 a drain on society. The fact that these reforms could 382 00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:37.039 be discussed at all suggests a decline on the part 383 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:40.440 of the boyars and a rise in power for the czar. 384 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:45.720 By fifteen forty nine, it was pretty clear that at 385 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:51.359 least some rudimentary reforms were needed to keep going. Ivan's 386 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:56.480 first major political convocation opened on February twenty seventh, fifteen 387 00:28:56.559 --> 00:29:00.759 forty nine. He started out by simply conceding that things 388 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:04.200 had gone very wrong during his minority, but now he 389 00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:07.240 would act as an arbiter or judge in the event 390 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:11.200 of a major dispute to ensure that justice was done. Likewise, 391 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:14.839 not wanting to re litigate the past, Ivan decreed that 392 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:20.960 the state should be wiped clean, effective immediately. However, when 393 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:24.200 Ivan addressed the people, he called the Boyars quote unquote, 394 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:30.400 rapacious and fabricators of false justice. This was clearly a 395 00:29:30.440 --> 00:29:33.440 pr move. Ivan wanted the people to believe he was 396 00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:37.599 on their side, while constantly reassuring the Boyars he was 397 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:42.480 not going to go back and relitigate old grievances. Ultimately, 398 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:45.480 Ivan had shown himself here to be a fantastic actor. 399 00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:48.200 He knew he could not be on the side of 400 00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:51.880 both the Boyars and the peasants. He knew he could 401 00:29:51.960 --> 00:29:56.119