According to most historians, Time of Troubles lasted from 1598 to 1613. However, during this time so many events happened that they clearly affected the entire 17th century, influenced the nature of the transfer of power in the house of the Romanovs in the future, and partly predetermined the policies of Peter I. The period under discussion is quite difficult to study. Therefore, grade 10 can make their task easier and fill out a table where they will enter all the main dates. Or simply stages, besides, there is a generally accepted division of this period of time.
If it is difficult to figure out such a task on your own, you can search for information on the Internet: for the query “table of the Time of Troubles periods” there is already ready-made options, including successfully visualized ones. However, rote memorization of dates does not help much. When there is nothing behind a number, it is quite easy to forget. Therefore, it is worth understanding the nature of the events that took place.
So, it all started with the fact that ruling dynasty ended, there were no direct heirs left. At the same time, a terrible famine reigned in the country: for three years in a row, from 1600 to 1603 inclusive, there were practically no harvests. Even in summer there were frosts. Some researchers believe that the cause of this cataclysm was a volcanic eruption in Peru, which resulted in a volcanic winter. According to some estimates, up to 500 thousand people died from famine.
People dying from lack of food flocked to Moscow. They demanded that the authorities do something. Boris Godunov, who was elevated to the throne in 1598, ordered the distribution of bread and money to people; in fairness, he was not responsible for this problem. But many people believed that God was angry with them because a “false” king was sitting on the throne. We should not forget that then people were for the most part very religious, and this intensified in difficult times: during periods of mass epidemics, famine, and wars. And one thing often led to another.
In addition, the reign of Ivan the Terrible led to an aggravation of the mass social problems. The boyars believed that they needed more power. Free archers are accustomed to denying themselves nothing. Craftsmen and zemstvo people in general were disadvantaged, and the peasantry also suffered greatly. Boris Godunov’s mistake is that he tried not to change anything and did not delve enough into the current situation, especially outside of Moscow. This created favorable conditions for the appearance of False Dmitry I, who declared himself the surviving youngest son of Ivan the Terrible.
This automatically meant that Boris Godunov occupied the throne illegally. What was very important in this situation was that his rule was contrary to the desires of God. As a result, when False Dmitry headed with his army to Russia, many cities surrendered to him without a fight, people went over to his side on their own initiative, and Godunov was eventually betrayed. He died before the tsar could be captured, in 1605, but the heir Fedor and his mother were killed. False Dmitry was recognized.
But the reign did not last long. Very soon Vasily Shuisky, who won first a military victory and then a political one, hatched a conspiracy. One was discovered, but he was pardoned at the very last moment at the scaffold. But the second was a success: in 1606, False Dmitry I was killed during the uprising, because he greatly angered Muscovites by fraternizing with the Poles, who were then perceived as enemies, by converting to the Catholic faith, and by the desire to give Russian lands to Poland and Lithuania. Vasily Shuisky became king, almost immediately colliding with Bolotnikov, who was recruiting an army. In 1606-1607, there were battles between Bolotnikov and Shuisky with varying success, into which another impostor intervened - “Tsarevich Peter”, posing as the grandson of Ivan the Terrible. However, in the end, Shuisky managed to lure the nobility to his side, thanks to which he was able to deal quite brutally with both.
False Dmitry II
However, the story with the False Dmitrys did not end there. Since rumors that the “prince” had again escaped in the most amazing way did not subside, and Poland and Lithuania did not abandon their thoughts of conquering Russia, the appearance of another army led by False Dmitry II became almost a pattern. For the first time on the historical and political scene, it appeared in the summer of 1607 and continued to be a problem in Russia until 1610. The main camp was in Tushino, while False Dmitry II controlled Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Vladimir and a number of other cities. Nizhny Novgorod and Novgorod continued to remain steadfastly loyal to the tsar (the latter was subsequently subjected to severe ruin for this).
And even the voluntary recognition of the power of False Dmitry II did not get rid of the invaders, who constantly robbed, burned, killed and were not going to stop. As a result, people began to form militias to deal with this problem. Many people were unhappy that Shuisky was unable to protect the people.
However, it cannot be said that he did nothing. He turned to Sweden for military assistance, where, in exchange for territory and maintenance of mercenaries, he asked for and received military assistance. Thanks to this, and also largely due to the Russian militia and the loyalty of many governors, the army of False Dmitry II was greatly pushed back, practically defeated by 1609. However, the situation became more complicated when in 1609 the Polish king declared war on Russia, which ended only in 1618.
However, the series of Russian victories was interrupted with the death of Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky. According to historians, the talented commander and distant relative of Tsar Vasily Shuisky was poisoned by the latter and his brother Dmitry. They were both jealous of his fame and feared that he would take away their power. As a result, defeats began, Moscow began to be threatened with capture from two sides. Dissatisfaction with Shuisky intensified, and as a result of the coup, he lost his throne. The Seven Boyars began, which lasted from 1610 to 1613, until the election of Mikhail Romanov. However, many believe that actual power passed somewhat earlier into the hands of Minin and Pozharsky.
The Time of Troubles (Time of Troubles) is a deep spiritual, economic, social, and foreign policy crisis that befell Russia at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries. The Troubles coincided with a dynastic crisis and the struggle of boyar groups for power.
Causes of the Troubles:
1. A severe systemic crisis of the Moscow state, largely associated with the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Conflicting domestic and foreign policies led to the destruction of many economic structures. Weakened key institutions and led to loss of life.
2. Important western lands were lost (Yam, Ivan-gorod, Korela)
3. Social conflicts within the Moscow state sharply escalated, affecting all societies.
4. Intervention of foreign states (Poland, Sweden, England, etc. regarding land issues, territory, etc.)
5. Dynastic crisis:
1584 After the death of Ivan the Terrible, the throne was taken by his son Fedor. The de facto ruler of the state was the brother of his wife Irina, boyar Boris Fedorovich Godunov. In 1591, under mysterious circumstances, the youngest son of Grozny, Dmitry, died in Uglich. In 1598, Fedor dies, the dynasty of Ivan Kalita is suppressed.
Course of events:
1. 1598-1605 The key figure of this period is Boris Godunov. He was energetic, ambitious, capable statesman. In difficult conditions - economic devastation, a difficult international situation - he continued the policies of Ivan the Terrible, but with less brutal measures. Godunov led a successful foreign policy. Under him, further advancement into Siberia took place, and the southern regions of the country were developed. Russian positions in the Caucasus strengthened. After a long war with Sweden, the Treaty of Tyavzin was concluded in 1595 (near Ivan-Gorod). Russia regained its lost lands on the Baltic coast - Ivan-Gorod, Yam, Koporye, Korelu. An attack by the Crimean Tatars on Moscow was prevented. In 1598, Godunov, with a 40,000-strong noble militia, personally led a campaign against Khan Kazy-Girey, who did not dare to enter Russian lands. Construction of fortifications was carried out in Moscow (White City, Zemlyanoy Gorod), in border cities in the south and west of the country. With his active participation, the patriarchate was established in Moscow in 1598. The Russian Church became equal in rights in relation to other Orthodox churches.
To overcome economic devastation, B. Godunov provided some benefits to the nobility and townspeople, while at the same time taking further steps to strengthen the feudal exploitation of the broad masses of the peasantry. For this, in the late 1580s - early 1590s. The government of B. Godunov conducted a census of peasant households. After the census, the peasants finally lost the right to move from one landowner to another. Scribe books, in which all peasants were recorded, became the legal basis for their serfdom from the feudal lords. A bonded slave was obliged to serve his master throughout his entire life.
In 1597, a decree was issued to search for fugitive peasants. This law introduced “prescribed summers” - a five-year period for the search and return of fugitive peasants, along with their wives and children, to their masters, whom they were listed in the scribe books.
In February 1597, a decree on indentured servants was issued, according to which anyone who served as a free agent for more than six months became an indentured servant and could be freed only after the death of the master. These measures could not but aggravate class contradictions in the country. The masses were dissatisfied with the policies of the Godunov government.
In 1601-1603 There was a crop failure in the country, famine and food riots began. Every day in Russia hundreds of people died in the city and in the countryside. As a result of two lean years, bread prices rose 100 times. According to contemporaries, almost a third of the population died in Russia during these years.
Boris Godunov, in search of a way out of the current situation, allowed the distribution of bread from state bins, allowed slaves to leave their masters and look for opportunities to feed themselves. But all these measures were unsuccessful. Rumors spread among the population that punishment had been extended to people for violating the order of succession to the throne, for the sins of Godunov, who had seized power. Mass uprisings began. The peasants united together with the urban poor into armed detachments and attacked the boyars and landowners' farms.
In 1603, an uprising of serfs and peasants broke out in the center of the country, led by Cotton Kosolap. He managed to gather significant forces and moved with them to Moscow. The uprising was brutally suppressed, and Khlopko was executed in Moscow. Thus began the first peasant war. In the peasant war of the early 17th century. three large periods can be distinguished: the first (1603 - 1605), the most important event of which was the Cotton rebellion; the second (1606 - 1607) - a peasant uprising under the leadership of I. Bolotnikov; third (1608-1615) - the decline of the peasant war, accompanied by a number of powerful uprisings of peasants, townspeople, and Cossacks
During this period, False Dmitry I appeared in Poland, received the support of the Polish gentry and entered the territory of the Russian state in 1604. He was supported by many Russian boyars, as well as the masses, who hoped to ease their situation after the “legitimate tsar” came to power. After the unexpected death of B. Godunov (April 13, 1605), False Dmitry, at the head of the army that had come over to his side, solemnly entered Moscow on June 20, 1605 and was proclaimed tsar.
Once in Moscow, False Dmitry was in no hurry to fulfill the obligations given to the Polish magnates, since this could hasten his overthrow. Having ascended the throne, he confirmed the legislative acts adopted before him that enslaved the peasants. By making a concession to the nobles, he displeased the boyar nobility. Faith in the “good king” also disappeared among the masses. Discontent intensified in May 1606, when two thousand Poles arrived in Moscow for the wedding of the impostor with the daughter of the Polish governor Marina Mniszech. In the Russian capital, they behaved as if they were in a conquered city: they drank, rioted, raped, and robbed.
On May 17, 1606, the boyars, led by Prince Vasily Shuisky, hatched a conspiracy, raising the population of the capital to revolt. False Dmitry I was killed.
2. 1606-1610 This stage is associated with the reign of Vasily Shuisky, the first “boyar tsar”. He ascended the throne immediately after the death of False Dmitry I by decision of Red Square, giving a kiss of the cross record of his good attitude towards the boyars. On the throne, Vasily Shuisky faced many problems (Bolotnikov's uprising, False Dmitry II, Polish troops, famine).
Meanwhile, seeing that the idea with impostors had failed, and using the conclusion of an alliance between Russia and Sweden as a pretext, Poland, which was at war with Sweden, declared war on Russia. In September 1609, King Sigismund III besieged Smolensk, then, having defeated the Russian troops, moved to Moscow. Instead of helping, Swedish troops captured Novgorod lands. This is how the Swedish intervention began in northwestern Russia.
Under these conditions, a revolution took place in Moscow. Power passed into the hands of a government of seven boyars (“Seven Boyars”). When the Polish troops of Hetman Zholkiewski approached Moscow in August 1610, the boyar rulers, fearing a popular uprising in the capital itself, in an effort to preserve their power and privileges, committed treason to their homeland. They invited 15-year-old Vladislav, the son of the Polish king, to the Russian throne. A month later, the boyars secretly allowed Polish troops into Moscow at night. This was a direct betrayal of national interests. The threat of foreign enslavement loomed over Russia.
3. 1611-1613 Patriarch Hermogenes in 1611 initiated the creation of a zemstvo militia near Ryazan. In March it besieged Moscow, but failed due to internal divisions. The second militia was created in the fall, in Novgorod. It was headed by K. Minin and D. Pozharsky. Letters were sent to cities calling for support for the militia, whose task was to liberate Moscow from the invaders and create a new government. The militia called themselves free people, headed by the zemstvo council and temporary orders. On October 26, 1612, the militia managed to take the Moscow Kremlin. By decision of the boyar duma, it was dissolved.
Results of the Troubles:
1. The total number of deaths is equal to one third of the country's population.
2. Economic disaster, the financial system and transport communications were destroyed, vast territories were taken out of agricultural use.
3. Territorial losses (Chernigov land, Smolensk land, Novgorod-Seversk land, Baltic territories).
4. Weakening the position of domestic merchants and entrepreneurs and strengthening foreign merchants.
5. The emergence of a new royal dynasty On February 7, 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov. He had to solve three main problems - restoring the unity of the territories, restoring the state mechanism and the economy.
As a result of peace negotiations in Stolbov in 1617, Sweden returned Novgorod land, but left behind the Izhora land with the banks of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland. Russia has lost its only access to the Baltic Sea.
In 1617 - 1618 Poland's next attempt to seize Moscow and elevate Prince Vladislav to the Russian throne failed. In 1618, in the village of Deulino, a truce with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was signed for 14.5 years. Vladislav did not renounce his claims to the Russian throne, citing the treaty of 1610. The Smolensk and Seversky lands remained behind the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Despite the difficult conditions of peace with Sweden and the truce with Poland, a long-awaited respite came for Russia. The Russian people defended the independence of their Motherland.
Literature
1. History of Russia: textbook / A. S. Orlov [etc.]. - M.: Prospekt, 2009. - P. 85 - 117.
2. Pavlenko, N.I. History of Russia from ancient times to 1861: textbook. for universities / N. I. Pavlenko. - M.: Higher. school, 2004. - P. 170 -239.
The beginning of the 17th century was marked for Russia by a series of difficult trials.
How the Troubles Began
After Tsar Ivan the Terrible died in 1584, the throne was inherited by his son Fyodor Ivanovich, who was very weak and sickly. Due to his state of health, he did not rule for long - from 1584 to 1598. Fyodor Ivanovich died early, leaving no heirs. The youngest son of Ivan the Terrible was allegedly stabbed to death by Boris Godunov's henchmen. There were many people who wanted to take the reins of power into their own hands. As a result, a struggle for power developed within the country. This situation gave rise to the development of such a phenomenon as the Troubles. The causes and beginning of this period were interpreted differently at different times. Despite this, it is possible to identify the main events and aspects that influenced the development of these events.
Main reasons
Of course, first of all, this is the interruption of the Rurik dynasty. From this moment on, the central government, which has passed into the hands of third parties, loses its authority in the eyes of the people. The constant increase in taxes also served as a catalyst for discontent among townspeople and peasants. For such a protracted phenomenon as the Troubles, the reasons have been accumulating for more than one year. This also includes the consequences of the oprichnina, economic devastation after the Livonian War. The last straw was the sharp deterioration in living conditions associated with the drought of 1601-1603. The Time of Troubles became the most opportune moment for external forces to eliminate Russia's state independence.
Background from the point of view of historians
It was not only the weakening of the monarchy that contributed to the emergence of such a phenomenon as the Troubles. Its reasons are related to the interweaving of the aspirations and actions of various political forces and social masses, which were complicated by the intervention of external forces. Due to the fact that many unfavorable factors emerged simultaneously, the country plunged into a deep crisis.
For the occurrence of such a phenomenon as the Troubles, the reasons can be identified as follows:
1. The economic crisis that occurred at the end of the 16th century. It was caused by the loss of peasants to the cities, the increase in tax and feudal oppression. The situation was aggravated by the famine of 1601-1603, which killed about half a million people.
2. Dynasty crisis. After the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, the struggle between various boyar clans for the right to stand in power intensified. During this period, Boris Godunov (from 1598 to 1605), Fyodor Godunov (April 1605 - June 1605), False Dmitry I (from June 1605 to May 1606), Vasily visited the state throne Shuisky (from 1606 to 1610), False Dmitry II (from 1607 to 1610) and the Seven Boyars (from 1610 to 1611).
3. Spiritual crisis. The desire of the Catholic religion to impose its will ended in a split in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Internal turmoil marked the beginning of peasant wars and urban revolts.
Godunov's board
Difficult struggle for power between representatives high nobility ended with the victory of Boris Godunov, the Tsar's brother-in-law. This was the first time in Russian history when the throne was acquired not by inheritance, but as a result of victory in elections in the Zemsky Sobor. In general, during the seven years of his reign, Godunov managed to resolve disputes and disagreements with Poland and Sweden, and also established cultural and economic relations with the countries of Western Europe.
His domestic politics also brought results in the form of Russia's advance into Siberia. However, the situation in the country soon worsened. This was caused by crop failures in the period from 1601 to 1603.
Godunov took all possible measures to alleviate such a difficult situation. He organized public works, gave permission to serfs to leave their masters, and organized the distribution of bread to the starving. Despite this, as a result of the repeal of the law on the temporary restoration of St. George's Day in 1603, a slave uprising broke out, which marked the beginning of the peasant war.
Aggravation of the internal situation
The most dangerous stage of the Peasant War was the uprising led by Ivan Bolotnikov. The war spread to the southwest and south of Russia. The rebels defeated the troops of the new tsar - Vasily Shuisky - moving on to the siege of Moscow in October-December 1606. They were stopped by internal disagreements, as a result of which the rebels were forced to retreat to Kaluga.
The right moment for the attack on Moscow for the Polish princes was the Time of Troubles of the early 17th century. The reasons for the attempts at intervention lay in the impressive support provided to the princes False Dmitry I and False Dmitry II, who were subordinate to foreign accomplices in everything. Ruling circles Rzeczpospolita and catholic church Attempts were made to dismember Russia and eliminate its state independence.
The next stage in the split of the country was the formation of territories that recognized the power of False Dmitry II, and those that remained loyal to Vasily Shuisky.
According to some historians, the main reasons for such a phenomenon as the Troubles lay in lawlessness, imposture, internal division of the country and intervention. This time became the first civil war in Russian history. Before the Troubles appeared in Russia, its causes took many years to form. The preconditions were related to the oprichnina and the consequences of the Livonian War. By that time, the country's economy was already ruined, and tension was growing in social strata.
Final stage
Beginning in 1611, there was a rise in patriotic sentiment, accompanied by calls for an end to strife and strengthened unity. A people's militia was organized. However, only on the second attempt, under the leadership of K. Minin and K. Pozharsky, in the fall of 1611, Moscow was liberated. 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov was elected the new tsar.
The Troubles brought enormous territorial losses in the 17th century. The reasons for it were mainly the weakening of the authority of the centralized government in the eyes of the people and the formation of an opposition. Despite this, having gone through years of losses and hardships, internal fragmentation and civil strife under the leadership of False Dmitry impostors and adventurers, the nobles, townspeople and peasants came to the conclusion that strength can only be in unity. The consequences of the Troubles influenced the country even for a long time. Only a century later they were finally eliminated.
The Time of Troubles in Russia in dates covers the period from 1598 to 1613 until the accession of the Romanov dynasty to the throne. After the death of the last Rurikovich, the country fell into a difficult period. The Rurik dynasty ended because there were no direct heirs left, and therefore many boyars sought to take the vacant seat on the throne.
Kings occupying the throne during the Time of Troubles in dates
Boris Godunov (1598 - 1605)
The first monarch who was not Rurikovich was. He was elected at the Zemsky Assembly. Godunov himself was an energetic and capable figure. His policy was a continuation of the activities of Ivan the Terrible, but less radical methods. No matter how hard I try new king He failed to lead the country out of a terrible crisis and to hold on to the throne for long. And at the age of 54, the life of Boris Godunov was cut short.
Fyodor Godunov (April - June 1605)
Two days after Godunov’s death, the oath ceremony to the new sovereign, Fyodor Godunov, took place. But his reign lasted only two months from April to June 1605.
False Dmitry I (1605 - 1606)
Pretending to be the “escaped” son of Ivan the Terrible, with the support of the people and Polish magnates, he took the throne, and Fyodor Godunov, along with his mother, was arrested and secretly killed. False Dmitry was in no hurry to fulfill the numerous promises made to both the Poles and the people. And after a short reign - 1605-1606. - was killed by the rebels, led by the Shuisky boyars.
Vasily Shuisky (1606 - 1610)
The next king to ascend the throne was. During his reign, the conflict between boyar factions for the throne and crown spilled over into a social one. The people began to understand that nothing would change in their situation, since Shuisky’s policy was aimed at supporting the boyars, not the peasants. Therefore, an uprising led by Ivan Bolotnikov broke out again.
While the tsar was besieging Bolotnikov’s troops, an impostor appeared in the country again - False Dmitry II, fighting with the money of Polish magnates. Although the latter failed to take the place of the tsar, Shuisky also did not remain on the throne. A group of boyars led by Lyapunov overthrew Shuisky and forcibly tonsured him as a monk. Subsequently, these boyars will join the body that became the provisional government and called the “Seven Boyars”.
Vladislav IV Vasa and the Seven Boyars (1610 - 1613)
After the deposition of Shuisky from the throne, the Seven Boyars resorted to open intervention, inviting the son of the Polish Tsar, Vladislav IV, to the Moscow throne. After this, a group of boyars were captured, and Sigismund III, the Polish king, set his sights on Russia as a country that should be included in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, this was prevented by the Russian people, who gathered two militias led by Minin and Pozharsky, which allowed them to expel the interventionists from Russian soil.
Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1613 - 1645)
In 1613 in Moscow he was elected new at the Zemsky Sobor, during which the Troubles sank into oblivion.
Results of the Time of Troubles
- The Seversky and Smolensk lands were ceded to Poland
- The army was in decline.
- A ruined and devastated country
- Economic devastation
- Large population lossesand impoverished people
- Financial difficulties.
Despite all this negativity, Rus' retained its independence. A new dynasty came to power - the Romanovs. The country gradually began to emerge from hunger and devastation.
End of the intervention
The role of the nobility increased significantly in the internal political life of the country.
ABSTRACT
Topic: Time of Troubles and its consequences for Rus'
1 First period
2 Second period
3 Third period
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
IN Russian history There are quite a large number of crisis stages that are relevant for the further formation of the state and its development. One of these transitional periods is the Time of Troubles, which arose at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries. Having started at the top, it quickly went down, captured all layers of Moscow society and brought the state to the brink of destruction. The Troubles continued from the death of Ivan the Terrible until the election of Mikhail Fedorovich (1584-1613) to the kingdom. Troubles are the fermentation of a sick state organism, striving to get out of those contradictions to which the previous course of history led it and which could not be resolved in a peaceful, ordinary way."
The study of the Time of Troubles in Russia has a long tradition. At various stages of the development of science, individual subjects, social movements, and economic contradictions of the era were studied. Subject selection historical research depended on the research method. Historians who shared Karl Marx's view of the development of history focused on economic and social processes during the Time of Troubles. Historians at the beginning of the century, agreeing with the prominent Russian lawyer and follower of Hegel B. N. Chicherin, believed that the main thing in the Russian Troubles was the crisis and renewal of the “state organism.” Therefore, in their research they focused on studying political system Russia of the named period, the fate and economic situation of the class that supported and strengthened it - the nobility. However, to date there is no general work on the Time of Troubles. In order to try to give a comprehensive definition of the content of the concept of the Time of Troubles, one should analyze the conclusions of leading research scientists of the pre-revolutionary and modern periods, as well as the testimony of contemporaries.
The consequences of the Time of Troubles largely determined the path of further development of the state. The study of which is the relevance of this topic for modern historical science.
In this work we will study the causes of the Time of Troubles; Let's analyze the main periods of troubles, and also consider the consequences of the time of troubles for the further development of the Russian state.
1. The causes of unrest in Rus'
At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. The Moscow state was experiencing a severe political and socio-economic crisis, which especially affected the situation in the central regions of the state.
“The Time of Troubles is an economic, social crisis, a crisis of power, which, under the conditions of foreign intervention, has grown to the scale of a national catastrophe.” This definition characterizes almost all the main features of the era of the Time of Troubles. At the beginning of the 17th century, an economic crisis shook Russia. Not only the famine years of 1603 and 1604, but also the crisis of noble land ownership set various social groups and classes in motion. The social movements of this time were diverse: Cossack revolts, peasant uprisings, noble campaigns against Moscow, movements of zemstvo people. These movements cannot be characterized only as a struggle of the peasantry against “their oppressors.” During the Time of Troubles, the interests of the peasantry, feudal lords, and townspeople were closely intertwined and intertwined in such a way that peasant movements were often organized and led by prominent representatives of the boyars. The contradiction within the dominant landowning class of the nobility and the top of the boyars led to the abundance of political groups and associations, temporary and long-term alliances of their participants. These political contradictions almost completely paralyzed the central apparatus of government, gave rise to distrust in power, led to a fall in discipline in the army, and its complete disorganization. These events, together and each individually, shook the foundations of the Russian state, but none of them could eliminate its independence , lead to its disintegration. Only the Polish intervention called into question the existence of the Russian state and its national independence. But it also contributed to the awareness of the idea of national unity of Russia as a means of overcoming social and political conflicts, a means of creating stable power necessary for fundamental changes in the state.
There were two main contradictions that caused the Troubles. The first of them was political, which can be defined in the words of Prof. Klyuchevsky: “The Moscow sovereign, whom the course of history led to democratic sovereignty, had to act through a very aristocratic administration”; both of these forces, which grew together thanks to the state unification of Rus' and worked together on it, were imbued with mutual distrust and enmity.
In this regard, a vicious circle of boyar princes formed around the Moscow sovereign, who became the pinnacle of his administration, his main council in governing the country. The authorities previously ruled the state individually and in parts, but now they began to rule the entire earth, occupying positions according to the seniority of their breed.
The Moscow government recognized this right for them, even supported it, contributed to its development in the form of localism, and thereby fell into the above-mentioned contradiction.
Ivan the Terrible was the first to understand this contradiction. Moscow boyars<#"justify">2. Main periods of troubled times
While the rulers of the old dynasty, direct descendants of Rurik, were on the Moscow throne, the population for the most part obeyed their rulers. But when the dynasties ceased and the state turned out to be a nobody's, there was fermentation in the population, both in the lower classes and in the upper ones.
The upper stratum of the Moscow population, the boyars, economically weakened and morally humiliated by the policies of Ivan the Terrible, began a struggle for power.
There are three periods in the Time of Troubles. The first is dynastic, the second is social and the third is national.
The first includes the time of struggle for the Moscow throne between various contenders up to and including Tsar Vasily Shuisky.
2.1 First period
The first period of the Time of Troubles (1598-1605) began with a dynastic crisis caused by the assassination of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible<#"justify">Boris Godunov was a talented politician; he strove to unite the entire ruling class and did a lot to stabilize the situation in the country, but he was unable to stop the intrigues of the disgruntled boyars. Boris Godunov did not resort to mass terror, but dealt only with his real enemies. Under Godunov, the new cities of Samara, Saratov, Tsaritsyn, Ufa, and Voronezh arose.
The famine of 1601-1603, caused by prolonged crop failures, caused enormous damage to the country's economy. This undermined the Russian economy, people died of hunger, and cannibalism began in Moscow. Boris Godunov is trying to suppress a social explosion. He began distributing bread for free from state reserves and established fixed prices for bread. But these measures were not successful, because bread distributors began to speculate on it; moreover, the reserves could not be enough for all the hungry, and the restriction on the price of bread led to the fact that they simply stopped selling it. In Moscow, about 127 thousand people died during the famine; not everyone had time to bury them, and the bodies of the dead remained on the streets for a long time.
The people decide that hunger is the curse of God, and Boris is Satan. Gradually rumors spread that Boris Godunov<#"justify">2.2 Second period
The second period (1606-1610) is characterized by the internecine struggle of social classes and the intervention of foreign governments in this struggle. In 1606-1607 There is an uprising led by Ivan Bolotnikov.
Meanwhile, in Starodub (in the Bryansk region) in the summer of 1607, a new impostor appeared, declaring himself the escaped “Tsar Dmitry.” His personality is even more mysterious than his predecessor. Some consider False Dmitry II to be Russian by origin, coming from a church environment, others - a baptized Jew, a teacher from Shklov.
According to many historians, False Dmitry II was a protege of the Polish king Sigismund III, although not everyone supports this version. The bulk of the armed forces of False Dmitry II were Polish nobles and Cossacks - the remnants of P. Bolotnikov's army.
In January 1608 he moved to Moscow. Having defeated Shuisky's troops in several battles, by the beginning of June False Dmitry II reached the village of Tushina near Moscow, where he settled in camp. In essence, dual power arose in the country: Vasily Shuisky sent out his decrees from Moscow, and False Dmitry sent his decrees from Tushin. As for the boyars and nobles, many of them served both sovereigns: they either went to Tushino for ranks and lands, or returned to Moscow, expecting awards from Shuisky.
The growing popularity of “The Tushino Thief” was facilitated by the recognition of his husband by the wife of False Dmitry I, Marina Mnishek, who, obviously, not without the influence of the Poles, took part in the adventure and arrived in Tushino.
In the camp of False Dmitry, as already noted, Poles-mercenaries initially played a very large role. The impostor asked the Polish king for open help, but in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth there were then internal turmoil, and the king was afraid to start an open big war with Russia. Sigismund III continued his hidden interference in Russian affairs. In general, in the summer and autumn of 1608, the successes of the Tushino residents rapidly increased. Almost half of the country - from Vologda to Astrakhan, from Vladimir, Suzdal, Yaroslavl to Pskov - supported “Tsar Dmitry”. But the excesses of the Poles and the collection of “taxes” (it was necessary to support the army and in general the entire Tushino “yard”), which were more like robberies, led to the population’s insight and the beginning of a spontaneous struggle with the Tushino thief. At the end of 1608 - beginning of 1609. Actions against the impostor began, initially in the northern lands, and then in almost all cities in the middle Volga. Shuisky, however, was afraid to rely on this patriotic movement. He sought help abroad. The second period of the Troubles is associated with the split of the country in 1609: two kings, two Boyar Dumas, two patriarchs, territories recognizing the power of False Dmitry II, and territories remaining loyal to Shuisky were formed in Muscovy.
In February 1609, the Shuisky government entered into an agreement with Sweden, counting on assistance in the war with the “Tushino thief” and his Polish troops. Under this agreement, Russia gave Sweden the Karelian volost in the North, which was a serious political mistake. Swedish-Russian troops under the command of the Tsar’s nephew, Prince M.V. Skopin-Shuisky inflicted a number of defeats on the Tushins.
This gave Sigismund III a reason to switch to open intervention. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth began military operations against Russia. Taking advantage of the fact that there was virtually no central government in Russia and no army, in September 1609 Polish troops besieged Smolensk. By order of the king, the Poles who fought under the banner of “Tsar Dmitry Ivanovich” were to arrive at the Smolensk camp, which accelerated the collapse of the Tushino camp. False Dmitry II fled to Kaluga, where in December 1610 he was killed by his bodyguard.
Sigismund III, continuing the siege of Smolensk, moved part of his troops under the leadership of Hetman Zholkiewski to Moscow. Near Mozhaisk near the village. Klushino in June 1610, the Poles inflicted a crushing defeat on the tsarist troops, which completely undermined the prestige of Shuisky and led to his overthrow.
Meanwhile, the peasant war continued in the country, which was now waged by numerous Cossack detachments. The Moscow boyars decided to turn to the Polish king Sigismund for help. An agreement was concluded on the calling of Prince Vladislav to the Russian throne. At the same time, the conditions of V. Shuisky’s “cross-kissing record” were confirmed and the preservation of Russian orders was guaranteed. Only the question of Vladislav’s adoption of Orthodoxy remained unresolved. In September 1610, Polish troops led by the “vicar of Tsar Vladislav” Gonsevsky entered Moscow.
Sweden also launched aggressive actions. Swedish troops occupied a large part of northern Russia and were preparing to capture Novgorod. In mid-July 1611, Swedish troops captured Novgorod, then besieged Pskov, where the power of their emissaries was established.
During the second period, the struggle for power continued, and included external forces(Poland, Sweden). In fact, the Russian state was divided into two camps, ruled by Vasily Shuisky and False Dmitry II. This period was marked by fairly large-scale military actions, as well as the loss of a large amount of land. All this took place against the backdrop of internal peasant wars, which further weakened the country and intensified the crisis.
turmoil dynastic social national
2.3 Third period
The third period of the Troubles (1610-1613) is primarily the time of the struggle of the Moscow people against foreign domination before the creation of a national government with M.F. Romanov at the head. On July 17, 1610, Vasily Shuisky was overthrown from the throne, and on July 19, he was forcibly tonsured a monk. Before the election of the new Tsar, a government of “Prince F.I. Mstislavsky and his comrades” of 7 boyars (the so-called “Seven Boyars”) was established in Moscow. The boyars, led by Fyodor Mstislavsky, began to rule Russia, but they did not have people's trust and could not decide which of them would rule. As a result, the Polish prince Vladislav, son of Sigismund III, was called to the throne. Vladislav needed to convert to Orthodoxy, but he was a Catholic and had no intention of changing his faith. The boyars begged him to come “to have a look,” but he was accompanied by a Polish army that captured Moscow. It was possible to preserve the independence of the Russian state only by relying on the people. In the fall of 1611, the first people's militia was formed in Ryazan, led by Prokopiy Lyapunov. But he failed to come to an agreement with the Cossacks and was killed in the Cossack circle. Tushino Cossacks again besieged Moscow. Anarchy scared all the boyars. On August 17, 1610, the Russian boyars entered into an agreement to call Prince Vladislav to the Russian throne. A great embassy was sent to King Sigismund III near Smolensk, headed by Metropolitan Philaret and Prince Vasily Golitsyn. During the period of the so-called interregnum (1610-1613), the position of the Moscow state seemed completely hopeless.
Since October 1610, Moscow was under martial law. The Russian embassy near Smolensk was taken into custody. On November 30, 1610, Patriarch Hermogenes called for a fight against the invaders. The idea of convening a national militia to liberate Moscow and Russia is maturing in the country.
Russia faced a direct threat of losing its independence. The catastrophic situation that developed at the end of 1610 stirred up patriotic sentiments and religious feelings, forced many Russian people to rise above social contradictions, political differences and personal ambitions. The weariness of all layers of society from the civil war and the thirst for order, which they perceived as the restoration of traditional foundations, also affected them. As a result, this predetermined the revival of tsarist power in its autocratic and Orthodox form, the rejection of all innovations aimed at its transformation, and the victory of conservative traditionalist forces. But only on this basis was it possible to unite society, overcome the crisis and achieve the expulsion of the occupiers.
In these tragic days, the church played a huge role, calling for the defense of Orthodoxy and the restoration of a sovereign state. The national liberation idea consolidated the healthy forces of society - the population of cities, service people and led to the formation of a national militia.
At the beginning of 1611, northern cities began to rise again to fight, Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Trans-Volga cities joined them. The movement was led by the Ryazan nobleman Prokopiy Lyapunov. He moved his troops to Moscow, and Cossacks from the Kaluga camp that disintegrated after the death of False Dmitry II were brought there by Ivan Zarutsky and Prince Dmitry Trubetskoy. An anti-Polish uprising broke out in the capital itself.
The interventionists, on the advice of the traitorous boyars, set fire to the city. The main militia forces entered the city after the fire, and fighting began on the approaches to the Kremlin. However, the Russian army failed to achieve success. Internal contradictions began in the militia camp. The leaders of the Cossack detachments, Zarutsky and Trubetskoy, opposed Lyapunov’s attempts to establish a military organization for the militia. The so-called Zemsky verdict, which formulated the political program of the militia, provided for the strengthening of noble land ownership, the return of fugitive peasants to the nobles, among whom there were many who joined the ranks of the Cossacks.
The indignation of the Cossacks was skillfully fueled by the Poles. Lyapunov was killed. Many nobles and other people left the militia. Only detachments of Cossacks remained near Moscow, whose leaders took a wait-and-see attitude.
With the collapse of the first militia and the fall of Smolensk, the country came to the edge of the abyss. The Swedes, taking advantage of the country's weakness, captured Novgorod, besieged Pskov and began to vigorously impose the candidacy of the Swedish prince Karl Philip on the Russian throne. Sigismund III announced that he himself would become the Russian Tsar, and Russia would join the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. There was virtually no central government. Different cities independently decided who they would recognize as ruler. A new impostor has appeared in the northwestern lands - False Dmitry III. The people of Pskov recognized him as a true prince and allowed him into the city (only in 1612 was he exposed and arrested). Detachments of Polish nobles wandered around the country and besieged cities and monasteries, mainly engaged in robbery. The Troubles reached the climax of its development. A real danger of enslavement loomed over the country.
Nizhny Novgorod became the center of consolidation of patriotic forces. The initiators of the formation of the new militia were the townspeople, led by the townsman, trader Kuzma Minin. The city council decided to raise funds “for the construction of military people.” Fundraising began with voluntary donations.
Sources say that Minin himself donated a significant part of his property to the treasury. An emergency military tax was introduced on all townsmen, depending on the condition of each. All this made it possible to arm the townspeople and stock up on necessary food.
Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, who was being treated for wounds received in a battle as part of Lyapunov’s militia, in the Suzdal estate, was invited as the chief governor. In addition to the Nizhny Novgorod townspeople, the new militia included nobles and townspeople from other cities of the Middle Volga region, Smolensk nobles who fled to the Nizhny Novgorod lands after the capture of Smolensk by the Poles.
Kolomna and Ryazan landowners, archers and Cossacks from outlying fortresses began to come to Pozharsky’s army. The put forward program: the liberation of the capital and the refusal to recognize a sovereign of foreign origin on the Russian throne, managed to rally representatives of all classes who abandoned narrow group claims for the sake of saving the Fatherland.
On February 1612, the second militia set out from Nizhny Novgorod to Balakhna, and then moved along the route Yuryevets - Kostroma - Yaroslavl. All cities and counties along the way joined the militia. Several months of stay in Yaroslavl finally formed the second militia. The “Council of the Whole Land” was created (something like the Zemsky Sobor), which included representatives of all classes, although representatives of the townspeople and the nobility still played the leading role.
The Council was headed by the leaders of the militia, Pozharsky, who was in charge of military issues, and Minin, who was in charge of finances and supplies. In Yaroslavl, the main orders were restored: experienced clerks, who knew how to put the matter of administration on a sound basis, flocked here from near Moscow, from the provinces. The military activities of the militias also expanded. The entire Volga region north of the country was cleared of invaders.
Finally, the long-awaited campaign against Moscow began. On July 24, 1612, Pozharsky’s advanced detachments entered the capital, and in August the main forces arrived, joining with the remnants of the troops of the first militia led by D. Trubetskoy. Under the walls of the Novodevichy Convent, a battle took place with the troops of Hetman Khotkevich, who was coming to the aid of the Poles besieged in Kitai-Gorod. The hetman's army suffered heavy losses and retreated, and on October 22, Kitay-Gorod was captured.
The Poles signed a surrender agreement. By the end of 1612, Moscow and its surroundings were completely cleared of occupiers. Sigismund's attempts to change the situation led nowhere. His troops were defeated near Volokolamsk.
For some time, the “Council of the Whole Earth” continued to rule, and then at the beginning of 1613 a Zemsky Council was held, at which the question of choosing a new Russian Tsar was raised. The Polish prince Vladislav, the son of the Swedish king Karl Philip, the son of False Dmitry II and Marina Mnishek Ivan, as well as representatives of some of the largest boyar families were proposed as candidates for the Russian throne. On February 21, the cathedral chose Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the 16-year-old great-nephew of Ivan the Terrible’s first wife, Anastasia Romanova. Why did you choose him? Researchers say it appears decisive role There were three circumstances in Mikhail's choice. He was not involved in any of the adventures of the Time of Troubles, his reputation was clean. Therefore, his candidacy suited everyone. Moreover, Mikhail was young, inexperienced, quiet and modest. Many of the boyars and nobles close to the court hoped that the tsar would be obedient to their will. Finally, the family ties of the Romanovs with the Rurikovichs were also taken into account: Mikhail was the cousin of the last tsar from the Rurikovich dynasty, Fyodor Ivanovich. In the eyes of contemporaries, these family ties meant a lot. They emphasized the “godliness of the sovereign” and the legality of his accession to the throne. This, although indirectly, preserved the principle of the transfer of the Russian throne by inheritance. Thus, the election of the Romanovs to the kingdom promised universal consent and peace; this happened on February 21, 1613.
The Polish detachments remaining on Russian soil, having learned about the election of Mikhail Romanov to the kingdom, tried to seize him in his ancestral Kostroma possessions in order to free up the Russian throne for their king.
Making their way to Kostroma, the Poles asked the peasant of the village of Domnino, Ivan Susanin, to show the way. According to the official version, he refused and was tortured by them, and according to popular legend, Susanin agreed, but sent a warning to the king about the impending danger. And he himself led the Poles into a swamp, from which they were unable to get out.
Susanin's feat seemed to crown the general patriotic impulse of the people. The act of electing a tsar and then crowning him king, first in Kostroma and then in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, meant the end of the Time of Troubles. This is how the Romanov dynasty established itself in Russia, ruling the country for more than 300 years. When electing Michael to the throne, the council did not accompany its act with any agreement. Power acquired an autocratic-legitimate character. The Troubles are over. The difficult, slow reconstruction of the Russian state began, shaken by a deep dynastic crisis, severe social discord, complete economic collapse, famine, political collapse country, external aggression.
Thus, the third period of the Time of Troubles was marked as the final, turning point of the crisis. It was during this period of time that the accumulated fatigue of the people from the anarchic order in the country, as well as the threat from foreign conquerors, reached its apogee, which forced all classes to unite in the fight for their homeland. The Russian state was on the verge of destruction; in connection with the plans of the Polish king Sigismund III, it was supposed to become part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, the Swedes also had plans for the Russian throne. All this led to the creation of people's militias, and thus began the war of liberation from foreign occupiers, which ultimately ended with the expulsion of foreigners from Russian lands. Russia could no longer remain without a head of state, as a result it was necessary to make a decision on the choice of a king, and ultimately M.F. ascended the throne. Romanov, who is a distant relative of the last Russian Tsar from the Rurik dynasty, Fyodor Ivanovich. Thereby preserving the principle of inheritance of the Russian throne. The Troubles were over, but all the years that it lasted brought the country to a very difficult state of affairs in all spheres of the state. In this chapter, we examined the main periods identified by scientists during the Time of Troubles, from its beginning to the accession of the Romanov dynasty to the Russian throne. In the next paragraph, we will analyze the consequences of the turmoil for the further development of the Russian state.
3. The end of the turmoil and its consequences
The internal and external situation of the state at the beginning of Michael's reign was difficult. A devastated country, the north-west of which is occupied by the Swedes, the western lands by the Poles. The raids of the Crimean Tatars continue. For comparatively short term During the reign of Michael (1613 - 1645), the government was able to solve a number of difficult problems: return many of the original Russian lands, reconcile warring factions, and improve economic life.
Russia emerged from the turmoil extremely exhausted, with huge territorial and human losses. According to some estimates, up to a third of the population died.
The Troubles could not help but leave a deep mark on the life of the Moscow state. In economic terms, the Troubles were a long-term powerful setback for both the village and the city. Desolation and ruin reigned in the country. Funds for the restoration of the economy were obtained from the tax-paying people. Economic difficulties strengthened the factors of serfdom.
The Troubles affected the position of all classes. There was a further weakening of the power and influence of the old noble boyars. Some boyar families were destroyed, others became impoverished, others lost their power and political influence for a long time, discrediting themselves through intrigues and alliances with enemies of the state. But the nobility and the upper classes of the settlement grew stronger, and began to play a significant role in state affairs.
The Time of Troubles left a legacy of many unresolved foreign policy problems. The northwestern Russian lands with Novgorod remained in the hands of the Swedes; the Poles ruled the western, Smolensk lands. Relations with neighboring states have become significantly more complicated. The international authority of the country devastated by all adversities was destroyed. Thus, at the end of the Time of Troubles, the country was in a deplorable state, completely ruined, with huge territorial and human losses. The Troubles affected the position of all classes, from the boyars (weakening influence) to the peasants (strengthening serfdom). A number of foreign policy problems also remained unresolved. It was in this state that Russia fell to the reigning Romanov dynasty, which subsequently turned it into a great world power.
Conclusion
Thus, we studied the topic of the Time of Troubles and its consequences for Rus'. In this abstract we reviewed the works of such authors as V.O. Klyuchevsky, S.F. Platonov, R.G. Skrytnikov. and many others. All the goals and objectives set by us have been studied and outlined above, on the basis of which the following conclusions have been made.
Time of Troubles A concept characteristic of any historical period. The main reasons that give rise to unrest are the basic vices of human nature: envy, greed, thirst for power and wealth. As a result, those who are in power are afraid of losing their privileges, and try with all their might to retain and increase them. This is only possible by increasing the exploitation of the part of the population employed in production.
This is successful for a certain time, but the patience of the people is not unlimited, and the discontent of the disadvantaged segments of the population is growing. Those who are striving for power resort to the help of part of the population that is offended by the existing order and use it to achieve their goals by inciting and fueling discontent. As a result, the country is overwhelmed by unrest, which does not solve the problems of the oppressed, but only changes the leaders in power. But at that time (16-17 centuries), the uneducated but pious people believed in a good king, and expected relief from their fate from him. The royal dynasties that ruled for centuries were deified and accepted by the majority of the population, who faithfully served the Tsar-Father. The change of royal dynasties and the period of anarchy shook the foundations of the people's faith.
To achieve power, all means were used: bribery, imposture, terror, blackmail, etc. This happened during the troubled period under consideration, at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. Leaders changed - the people suffered, during periods of anarchy the power of the state weakened, its economy fell into decay. And a weak state is easy prey for enemies, which is what happened to Russia during the period of unrest, which could disappear as a state altogether. But there have always been people in Russia who, in difficult times for the country, selflessly fought for the freedom of their country and people. Such as Ivan Susanin, Minin and Pozharsky and many other patriots of that historical period.
Ultimately, the turmoil was completed with the accession of the Romanov dynasty to the throne, but a lot of effort and time was required to restore order both within the country and in foreign policy affairs.
Within the framework of this work, we examined only some of the aspects of the proposed topic, however, the study of the Time of Troubles cannot be completed here and will be continued in subsequent works.
Bibliography
1.Buturlin D. History of the Time of Troubles in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century. St. Petersburg, 1839
.Zanin S. V. "Time of Troubles in Rus'"
.Morozova L.E. The Troubles of the early 17th century through the eyes of contemporaries. M., 2000
.Skrynnikov R.G. RUSSIA at the beginning of the 17th century. "TROUBLE" #"justify">. Stanislavsky A.L. Civil War V Russia XVII century: the Cossacks at the turning point of history. M., 1990
.Platonov S.F. Essays on the history of the Time of Troubles in the Moscow State of the 16th-17th centuries (experience of studying social order and class relations in the Time of Troubles). M., 1937
.Cherepnin L.V. “The Troubles” and historiography of the 17th century (from the history of ancient Russian chronicles). - Historical notes. 1945, No. 14
.Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Tutoring
Need help studying a topic?
Our specialists will advise or provide tutoring services on topics that interest you.
Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.
