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An historical academic group including role play. With emphasis on the Tudors who were a Welsh-English family that ruled England from 1485 to 1603. Special attention will be paid to King Henry VIII. |
The World of the Tudors
(- threads, 17 posts)
 The Making of Russia
Historical Thread
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The ebbing of Mongol influence and the collapse of the Byzantine Empire opened the door for a new European power. This power was the principality of Muscovy. The first Muscovite Prince to be called the Tsar, Ivan III (1462-1505), laid claim to not only the heritage of the Kievan Rus but also, by marrying the daughter of the last Byzantine Emperor, to the legacy of Byzantium and Christian Orthodoxy. Muscovy flexed its growing muscles with the ruthless annexation of Novgorod in 1478 and then openly defying the Golden Horde and facing down a Mongol attempt to extract tribute by force in 1480. The 16th century continued this expansion with the capture of Pskovand Smolensk and the defeats of Kazan and Astrakhan khanates. By 1556, Muscovite territory stretched from the Caspian to Barents Sea in the Arctic Circle. Expansion westward was not so easy with the unified Poland -Lithuania repulsing any intrusions. things got worse during the 'Time of Troubles' (1605-13) when the son of the Polish King was elected Tsar by a group of boyars and a Polish garrison occupied the Kremlin. However, the Tsars recovered and expanded further into the Ukraine, fulfilling their claim to the Kievan Rus. By the middle of the 17th century, Muscovy had become Russia.
