The Troubles of the early 17th century, the prerequisites, the stages of which will be discussed further, are a historical period accompanied by natural disasters, deep socio-economic and state-political crises. The difficult situation in the country was aggravated by the Polish-Swedish intervention.
Troubles of the 17th century in Russia: reasons
The crisis was caused by a number of factors. The first problems occurred, according to historians, due to the cessation and struggle between royal power and boyars. The latter sought to preserve and strengthen political influence and the enhancement of traditional privileges. The tsarist government, on the contrary, tried to limit these powers. The boyars, in addition, ignored the proposals of the Zemstvo people. The role of representatives of this class is assessed extremely negatively by many researchers. Historians point out that the boyars' claims turned into a direct struggle with the tsarist power. Their intrigues had an extremely negative impact on the position of the sovereign. This is what created the favorable soil on which the Troubles arose in Russia. IN early XVII the century was characterized only from an economic point of view. The situation in the country was very difficult. Subsequently, political and social problems joined this crisis.
Economic situation
The Troubles in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century coincided with conquests Grozny and Livonian War. These events required the productive forces high voltage. The devastation in Veliky Novgorod and the forced displacement of service people had an extremely negative impact on the economic situation. This is how the Troubles began to brew in Russia. The beginning of the 17th century was also marked by widespread famine. In 1601-1603, thousands of small and large farms went bankrupt.
Social tension
The Troubles in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century were fueled by the rejection of the existing system by masses of fugitive peasants, impoverished townspeople, city Cossacks and Cossack freemen, large quantity servicemen. The introduced oprichnina, according to some researchers, significantly undermined the people's respect and trust in the law and government.
First events
How did the Time of Troubles develop in Russia? The beginning of the 17th century, in short, coincided with a reshuffle of forces in the ruling circles. The heir to Ivan the Terrible, Fyodor the First, did not have the necessary managerial abilities. The youngest son, Dmitry, was still a baby at that time. After the death of the heirs, the Rurik dynasty came to an end. The boyar families - the Godunovs and Yuryevs - came closer to power. In 1598, Boris Godunov took the throne. Period from 1601 to 1603 there were no harvests. The frosts did not stop even in the summer, and in the fall, in September, it snowed. The ensuing famine killed about half a million people. Exhausted people They went to Moscow, where they were given bread and money. But these measures only worsened economic problems. The landowners were unable to feed the servants and slaves and kicked them out. People left without food and shelter began to engage in robbery and robbery.
False Dmitry the First
The Troubles in Russia in the early 17th century coincided with the spread of rumors that Tsarevich Dmitry had survived. It followed from this that Boris Godunov was on the throne illegally. The impostor False Dmitry announced his origin to Adam Vishnevetsky, the Lithuanian prince. After this, he became friends with Jerzy Mniszek, a Polish magnate, and Ragoni, the papal nuncio. At the beginning of 1604, False Dmitry 1 received an audience with the Polish king. After some time, the impostor converted to Catholicism. The rights of False Dmitry were recognized by King Sigismund. The monarch allowed everyone to help the Russian Tsar.
Entry to Moscow
False Dmitry entered the city in 1605, on June 20th. The boyars, led by Belsky, publicly recognized him as the Prince of Moscow and the legal heir. During his reign, False Dmitry focused on Poland and tried to carry out some reforms. However, not all the boyars recognized the legitimacy of his reign. Almost immediately after the arrival of False Dmitry, Shuisky began to spread rumors about his imposture. In 1606, in mid-May, the opposition of the boyars took advantage of the population's protests against the Polish adventurers who came to Moscow for the wedding of False Dmitry and raised an uprising. During it, the impostor was killed. The coming to power of Shuisky, who represented the Suzdal branch of the Rurikovichs, did not bring peace to the state. In the southern regions, a movement of “thieves” broke out. Events of 1606-1607 describes R. G. Skrynnikov. "Russia at the beginning of the 17th century. Troubles" is a book he created based on a large amount of documentary material.
False Dmitry II
However, there were still rumors in the country about miraculous salvation legitimate prince. In the summer of 1607, a new impostor appeared in Starodub. The turmoil in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century continued. By the end of 1608, he achieved the spread of his influence to Yaroslavl, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Vologda, Galich, Uglich, Kostroma, Vladimir. The impostor settled in the village of Tushino. Kazan, Veliky Novgorod, Smolensk, Kolomna, Novgorod, Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky remained faithful to the capital.
Seven Boyars
One of the key events that marked the Troubles in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century was the coup. Shuisky, who was in power, was removed. The country's leadership had a council of seven boyars - the Seven Boyars. They recognized Vsevolod, the Polish prince, as such. The population of many cities swore allegiance to False Dmitry 2. Among them were those who had recently opposed the impostor. Real threat from False Dmitry II forced the council of boyars to allow Polish-Lithuanian troops into Moscow. It was assumed that they would be able to overthrow the impostor. However, False Dmitry was warned about this and left the camp in a timely manner.
Militia
The turmoil in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century continued. It began It contributed to the formation of militias. The first was commanded by a nobleman from Ryazan Lyapunov. He was supported by supporters of False Dmitry II. Among them were Trubetskoy, Masalsky, Cherkassky and others. On the side of the militia there were also Cossack freemen, the head of which was Ataman Zarutsky. The second movement began under the leadership of He invited Pozharsky as leader. In the spring, the Moscow region camp of the First Militia swore allegiance to False Dmitry the Third. The detachments of Minin and Pozharsky were unable to march in the capital while supporters of the impostor ruled there. In this regard, they made Yaroslavl their camp. At the end of August, the militia reached Moscow. As a result of a series of battles, the Kremlin was liberated, and the Polish garrison that occupied it capitulated. After some time, a new king was chosen. He became
Consequences
Compare the Troubles in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century according to its destructive force and the depth of the crisis in the country is possible, probably, only with the state of the country during the period of the Tatar-Mongol invasion. This terrible period in the life of the state ended with huge territorial losses and economic decline. The Great Troubles of the early 17th century took away great amount lives. Many cities, arable lands, and villages were devastated. The population could not recover to its previous level for quite some time. Many cities fell into the hands of the enemies and remained in their power for several subsequent decades. The area of cultivated land has decreased significantly.
Time of Troubles or Troubles- period in history Russia from 1598 to 1613, marked by natural disasters, Polish-Swedish intervention, severe state-political and socio-economic crisis
The time of troubles was caused by a number of reasons and factors. Historians highlight the following:
P first reason turmoil - dynastic crisis. The last member of the Rurik dynasty has died.
The second reason- class contradictions. The boyars sought power, the peasants were dissatisfied with their position (they were forbidden to move to other estates, they were tied to the land).
Third reason- economic devastation. The country's economy was not doing well. In addition, every now and then there were crop failures in Russia. The peasants blamed the ruler for everything and periodically staged uprisings and supported the False Dmitrievs.
All this prevented the reign of any one new dynasty and worsened the already terrible situation.
The essence of the Troubles:
Stage 1 of the Time of Troubles began with a dynastic crisis caused by the murder of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible of his eldest son Ivan. The 2nd stage of the Time of Troubles is associated with the split of the country in 1609: in Muscovy there were formed two kings, two Boyar Dumas, two patriarchs (Hermogenes in Moscow and Filaret in Tushino), territories recognizing the power of False Dmitry II, and territories remaining loyal to Shuisky. Stage 3 of the Troubles is associated with the desire to overcome the conciliatory position of the Seven Boyars, who had no real power and were unable to force Vladislav (son of Sigismund) to fulfill the terms of the agreement and accept Orthodoxy. The combination of these events led to the appearance of adventurers and impostors on the Russian throne, claims to the throne from Cossacks, runaway peasants and slaves (which manifested itself in Bolotnikov’s peasant war). The consequence of the Time of Troubles was changes in the system of government of the country. The weakening of the boyars, the rise of the nobility who received estates and the possibility of legislatively assigning peasants to them resulted in the gradual evolution of Russia towards absolutism.
Results of the turmoil:
The Zemsky Sobor in February 1613 elected 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov (1613–1645) as tsar. In 1617, the Stolbovo Peace Treaty was concluded with Sweden. Russia returned the Novgorod lands, the Swedes retained the shores of the Gulf of Finland, the Neva lands, Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye, Oreshek, and Karela. In 1618, the Deulin truce with Poland was concluded, according to which the Smolensk, Chernigov, Novgorod Seversky lands, Sebezh went to Poland.
22. Muscovite Rus' of the 17th century: economics, politics, urban and rural uprisings
Economy. Agriculture continued to be the basis of the economy of Muscovite Rus'. Agricultural technology remained virtually unchanged for centuries, and labor remained unproductive. The increase in yields was achieved using extensive methods - mainly through the development of new lands. The economy remained predominantly natural: the bulk of the products were produced “for oneself.” Not only food, but also clothing, shoes, and household items were mostly produced on the peasant farm itself.
However, during this period the geography of agriculture changed noticeably. The cessation of the Crimean raids made it possible to fearlessly develop the territories of the modern Central Black Earth region, where the yield was twice as high as in the old arable areas.
The growth of territory and differences in natural conditions gave rise to economic specialization in different regions of the country. Thus, the Black Earth Center and the Middle Volga region produced commercial grain, while the North, Siberia and the Don consumed imported grain.
Much wider than in agriculture, new phenomena have spread in industry. Its main form remained craft. However, the nature of craft production in the 17th century. changed. Craftsmen increasingly worked not to order, but for the market. This type of craft is called small-scale production. Its spread was caused by the growth of economic specialization in various regions of the country. For example, Pomorie specialized in wood products, the Volga region - in leather processing, Pskov, Novgorod and Smolensk - in linen. Salt making (North) and iron production (Tula-Kashira region) were the first to acquire a small-scale commercial character, since these crafts depended on the availability of raw materials and could not develop everywhere.
In the 17th century Along with craft workshops, large enterprises began to appear. Some of them were built on the basis of division of labor and can be classified as manufactories.
The first Russian manufactories appeared in metallurgy. In 1636, A. Vinius, a native of Holland, founded an ironworks that produced cannons and cannonballs on government orders, and also produced household items for the market.
Manufacturing production, based on wage labor, is no longer a phenomenon of the feudal, but of the bourgeois order. The emergence of manufactories testified to the emergence of capitalist elements in the Russian economy.
The number of manufactories operating in Russia by the end of the 17th century was very small and did not exceed two dozen. Along with hired workers, forced laborers also worked in manufactories - convicts, palace artisans, and assigned peasants. Most of the manufactories were poorly connected to the market.
Based on the growing specialization of small-scale crafts (and partly agriculture), the formation of an all-Russian market began. If in the 16th century and earlier trade was carried out mainly within one district, now trade relations began to be established throughout the country. The most important trading center was Moscow. Extensive trade transactions were carried out at fairs. The largest of them were Makaryevskaya near Nizhny Novgorod and Irbitskaya in the Urals.
Urban and rural uprisings
The 17th century (especially the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich) went down in Russian history as a “rebellious time.” Indeed, the middle - second half of the century is the era of large and small uprisings of the peasantry, the urban lower classes, and service people, thus reacting to the policy of absolutization of power and enslavement.
History of urban uprisings opens the "salt riot" of 1648. in Moscow. Various segments of the capital’s population took part in it: townspeople, archers, nobles, dissatisfied with the pro-boyar policy of the government of B.I. Morozova. The reason for the speech was the dispersal by the archers of a delegation of Muscovites who were trying to submit a petition to the tsar at the arbitrariness of the administrative officials, who, in their opinion, were guilty of introducing a tax on salt. Pogroms of influential dignitaries began. The Duma clerk Nazariy Chistoy was killed, the head of the Zemsky Prikaz, Leonty Pleshcheev, was given over to the crowd, and the okolnichy P.T. was executed in front of the people. Trachaniotov. The Tsar managed to save only his “uncle” Morozov, urgently sending him into exile to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. The uprising was suppressed by the archers, to whom the government was forced to give increased salaries.
The uprising in Moscow received a wide response - a wave of movements in the summer of 1648 covered many cities: Kozlov, Sol Vychegodskaya, Kursk, Ustyug Velikiy, etc. In total, in 1648-1650. There were 21 uprisings. The most significant of them were in Pskov and Novgorod. They were caused by a sharp increase in bread prices as a result of the government's commitment to supply grain to Sweden. In both cities, power passed into the hands of zemstvo elders. The Novgorod uprising was suppressed by an army led by Prince Khovansky. Pskov put up successful armed resistance to government troops during a three-month siege of the city (June-August 1650). The zemstvo hut, headed by Gavriil Demidov, became the absolute owner of the city, distributing bread and property confiscated from the rich among the townspeople. At an emergency Zemsky Sobor, the composition of the delegation was approved to persuade the Pskovites. Resistance ended after all participants in the uprising were forgiven.
In 1662, the so-called copper riot, caused by the protracted Russian-Polish war and the financial crisis. Monetary reform (minting depreciated copper money) led to a sharp drop in the exchange rate of the ruble, which primarily affected the soldiers and archers who received cash salaries, as well as artisans and small traders. On July 25, “thieves’ letters” were scattered around the city with an appeal to the action. The excited crowd moved to seek justice in Kolomenskoye, where the tsar was. In Moscow itself, the rebels destroyed the courtyards of boyars and rich merchants. While the tsar was persuading the crowd, rifle regiments loyal to the government approached Kolomensky. As a result of the brutal massacre, several hundred people died, and 18 were publicly hanged. The "Copper Riot" forced the government to abandon the issue of copper coins. But back in the fall of 1662, the Streltsy tax on bread was doubled. This put the townsfolk population in a particularly difficult situation, since they practically did not engage in agriculture. Mass flights to the Don began - people fled from the suburbs, peasants fled.
The uprising of Stepan Razin:
In 1667, Stepan Razin stood at the head of the people, who recruited a detachment from poor Cossacks, runaway peasants, and offended archers. He came up with the idea because he wanted to distribute the spoils to the poor, give bread to the hungry, and clothes to the naked. People came to Razin from everywhere: both from the Volga and from the Don. The detachment grew to 2000 people.
On the Volga, the rebels captured a caravan, the Cossacks replenished their supply of weapons and food. With new strength, the leader moved on. There were clashes with government troops. In all battles he showed courage. Many people were added to the Cossacks. Battles took place in various cities of Persia, where they went to free Russian prisoners. The Razins defeated the Persian Shah, but they had significant losses.
The southern governors reported Razin’s independence and his plans for trouble, which alarmed the government. In 1670, a messenger from Tsar Evdokimov came to the leader, whom the Cossacks drowned. The rebel army grows to 7,000 and advances to Tsaritsyn, capturing it, as well as Astrakhan, Samara and Saratov. Near Simbirsk, the seriously wounded Razin is defeated and then executed in Moscow.
During the 17th century, there were many popular uprisings, the cause of which lay in government policies. The authorities saw the residents only as a source of income, which caused discontent among the lower masses
Ivan the Terrible had 3 sons. He killed the eldest in a fit of anger, the youngest was only two years old, the middle one, Fedor, was 27. After the death of Ivan IV, it was Fedor who had to rule. But Fyodor had a very soft character, he was not suitable for the role of a king. Therefore, during his lifetime, Ivan the Terrible created a regency council under Fyodor, which included I. Shuisky, Boris Godunov and several other boyars.
In 1584, Ivan IV died. Fyodor Ivanovich officially began to rule, in fact - Godunov. In 1591, Tsarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, died. There are many versions of this event: one says that the boy himself ran into a knife, the other says that it was on the orders of Godunov that the heir was killed. A few more years later, in 1598, Fyodor also died, leaving no children behind.
So, the first reason for the unrest is the dynastic crisis. The last member of the Rurik dynasty has died.
The second reason is class contradictions. The boyars sought power, the peasants were dissatisfied with their position (they were forbidden to move to other estates, they were tied to the land).
The third reason is economic devastation. The country's economy was not doing well. In addition, every now and then there were crop failures in Russia. The peasants blamed the ruler for everything and periodically staged uprisings and supported the False Dmitrievs.
All this prevented the reign of any one new dynasty and worsened the already terrible situation.
Events of the Troubles
After the death of Fyodor, Boris Godunov (1598-1605) was elected tsar at the Zemsky Sobor.
He led a fairly successful foreign policy: continued the development of Siberia and southern lands, strengthened its position in the Caucasus. In 1595, after a short war with Sweden, the Treaty of Tyavzin was signed, which stated that Russia would return the cities lost to Sweden in the Livonian War.
In 1589, the patriarchate was established in Russia. This was a great event, since thanks to this the authority of the Russian Church increased. Job became the first patriarch.
But despite successful policy Godunov, the country was in a difficult situation. Then Boris Godunov worsened the situation of the peasants by giving the nobles some benefits in relation to them. The peasants had a bad opinion of Boris (not only is he not from the Rurik dynasty, but he also encroaches on their freedom, the peasants thought that it was under Godunov that they were enslaved).
The situation was aggravated by the fact that the country experienced crop failure for several years in a row. The peasants blamed Godunov for everything. The king tried to improve the situation by distributing bread from the royal barns, but this did not help matters. In 1603-1604, the uprising of Khlopok took place in Moscow (the leader of the uprising was Khlopok Kosolap). The uprising was suppressed, the instigator was executed.
Soon Boris Godunov had new problem- rumors spread that Tsarevich Dmitry survived, that it was not the heir himself who was killed, but his copy. In fact, it was an impostor (monk Gregory, in life Yuri Otrepiev). But since no one knew this, people followed him.
A little about False Dmitry I. He, having enlisted the support of Poland (and its soldiers) and promised the Polish Tsar to convert Russia to Catholicism and give Poland some lands, moved towards Russia. His goal was Moscow, and along the way his ranks increased. In 1605, Godunov died unexpectedly, Boris’s wife and his son were imprisoned upon the arrival of False Dmitry in Moscow.
In 1605-1606, False Dmitry I ruled the country. He remembered his obligations to Poland, but was in no hurry to fulfill them. He married a Polish woman, Maria Mniszech, and increased taxes. All this caused discontent among the people. In 1606, they rebelled against False Dmitry (the leader of the uprising was Vasily Shuisky) and killed the impostor.
After this, Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610) became king. He promised the boyars not to touch their estates, and also hastened to protect himself from the new impostor: he showed the remains of Tsarevich Dmitry to the people in order to suppress rumors about the surviving prince.
The peasants revolted again. This time it was called the Bolotnikov uprising (1606-1607) after the leader. Bolotnikov was appointed royal governor on behalf of the new impostor False Dmitry II. Those dissatisfied with Shuisky joined the uprising.
At first, luck was on the side of the rebels - Bolotnikov and his army captured several cities (Tula, Kaluga, Serpukhov). But when the rebels approached Moscow, the nobles (who were also part of the uprising) betrayed Bolotnikov, which led to the defeat of the army. The rebels retreated first to Kaluga, then to Tula. The tsarist army besieged Tula, after a long siege the rebels were finally defeated, Bolotnikov was blinded and soon killed.
During the siege of Tula, False Dmitry II appeared. At first he was heading with a Polish detachment to Tula, but upon learning that the city had fallen, he went to Moscow. On the way to the capital, people joined False Dmitry II. But they could not take Moscow, just like Bolotnikov, but stopped 17 km from Moscow in the village of Tushino (for which False Dmitry II was called the Tushino thief).
Vasily Shuisky called on the Swedes for help in the fight against the Poles and False Dmitry II. Poland declared war on Russia, False Dmitry II became unnecessary for the Poles, as they switched to open intervention.
Sweden helped Russia a little in the fight against Poland, but since the Swedes themselves were interested in conquering Russian lands, at the first opportunity (the failure of the troops led by Dmitry Shuisky) they got out of Russian control.
In 1610, the boyars overthrew Vasily Shuisky. A boyar government was formed - the Seven Boyars. Soon that same year, the Seven Boyars called the son of the Polish king, Vladislav, to the Russian throne. Moscow swore allegiance to the prince. This was a betrayal of national interests.
The people were outraged. In 1611, the first militia was convened, led by Lyapunov. However, it was not successful. In 1612, Minin and Pozharsky gathered a second militia and moved towards Moscow, where they united with the remnants of the first militia. The militia captured Moscow, the capital was liberated from the interventionists.
The end of the Time of Troubles. In 1613 it was convened Zemsky Sobor, at which a new king must be chosen. The contenders for this place were the son of False Dmitry II, and Vladislav, and the son of the Swedish king, and finally, several representatives of the boyar families. But Mikhail Romanov was chosen as tsar.
Consequences of the Troubles
1. Deterioration of the country's economic situation
2. Territorial losses (Smolensk, Chernigov lands, part of Karelia
Results of the Troubles
The results of the Time of Troubles were depressing: the country was in a terrible situation, the treasury was ruined, trade and crafts were in decline. The consequences of the Troubles for Russia were expressed in its backwardness compared to European countries. It took decades to restore the economy.
Chronology
- 1605 - 1606 Reign of False Dmitry I.
- 1606 - 1607 Uprising led by I.I. Bolotnikov.
- 1606 - 1610 The reign of Vasily Shuisky.
- 1610 “Seven Boyars”.
- 1612 Liberation of Moscow from invaders.
- 1613 Election of Mikhail Romanov to the throne by the Zemsky Sobor.
Time of Troubles in Russia
Troubles in Russia in late XVI- the beginning of the 17th century became a shock that shook the very foundations political system. Three periods can be distinguished in the development of the Troubles. The first period is dynastic. This was the time of struggle for the Moscow throne between various contenders, which lasted up to and including Tsar Vasily Shuisky. The second period is social. It is characterized by the internecine struggle of social classes and the intervention of foreign governments in this struggle. The third period is national. It covers the time of the struggle of the Russian people against foreign invaders until the election of Mikhail Romanov as Tsar.
After death in 1584 g. , his son succeeded him Fedor, incapable of governing affairs. “The dynasty was dying out in his face,” noted English ambassador Fletcher. “What kind of king I am, it’s not difficult to confuse me or deceive me in any matter,” is a sacramental phrase put into the mouth of Fyodor Ioannovich A.K. Tolstoy. The actual ruler of the state was the tsar's brother-in-law, boyar Boris Godunov, who endured a fierce struggle with the largest boyars for influence on state affairs. After death in 1598 g. Fyodor, the Zemsky Sobor elected Godunov as tsar.
Boris Godunov was energetic and smart statesman. In conditions of economic devastation and difficult international situation he solemnly promised on the day of his crowning, “that there will not be a poor person in his state, and he is ready to share his last shirt with everyone.” But the elected king did not have the authority and advantage of a hereditary monarch, and this could call into question the legitimacy of his presence on the throne.
Godunov's government reduced taxes, exempted merchants from paying duties for two years, and landowners from paying taxes for a year. The king started big construction, cared about enlightening the country. The patriarchate was established, which increased the rank and prestige of the Russian church. He also pursued a successful foreign policy—further advances into Siberia took place, the southern regions of the country were developed, and Russian positions in the Caucasus were strengthened.
At the same time, the internal situation of the country under Boris Godunov remained very difficult. In conditions of unprecedented crop failure and famine in 1601-1603. the economy collapsed, hundreds of thousands of people died of hunger, the price of bread rose 100 times. The government took the path of further enslavement of the peasantry. this caused a protest from the broad masses, who directly linked the deterioration of their situation with the name of Boris Godunov.
The aggravation of the internal political situation led, in turn, to a sharp decline in Godunov’s prestige not only among the masses, but also among the boyars.
The biggest threat to B. Godunov’s power was the appearance in Poland of an impostor who declared himself the son of Ivan the Terrible. The fact is that in 1591, under unclear circumstances, the last of the direct heirs to the throne died in Uglich, allegedly running into a knife in a fit of epilepsy. Tsarevich Dmitry. Godunov’s political opponents accused him of organizing the murder of the prince in order to seize power; popular rumor picked up these accusations. However, historians do not have convincing documents that would prove Godunov’s guilt.
It was under such conditions that he appeared in Rus' False Dmitry. This young man named Grigory Otrepiev introduced himself as Dmitry, using rumors that Tsarevich Dmitry was alive, “miraculously saved” in Uglich. The impostor's agents vigorously disseminated in Russia the version of his miraculous salvation from the hands of assassins sent by Godunov, and proved the legality of his right to the throne. Polish magnates provided some assistance in organizing the adventure. As a result, by the autumn of 1604, a powerful army was formed for a campaign against Moscow.
The beginning of the Troubles
Taking advantage of the current situation in Rus', its disunity and instability, False Dmitry with a small detachment crossed the Dnieper near Chernigov.
He managed to attract to his side a huge mass of the Russian population, who believed that he was the son of Ivan the Terrible. False Dmitry's forces grew rapidly, cities opened their gates to him, peasants and townspeople joined his troops. False Dmitry moved on the wave of the outbreak of the peasant war. After the death of Boris Godunov in 1605 g. The governors also began to go over to the side of False Dmitry, and at the beginning of June Moscow also took his side.
According to V.O. Klyuchevsky, the impostor “was baked in a Polish oven, but hatched among the boyars.” Without the support of the boyars, he had no chance of winning the Russian throne. On June 1, on Red Square, the impostor’s letters were announced, in which he called Godunov a traitor, and promised “honor and promotion” to the boyars, “mercy” to the nobles and clerks, benefits to merchants, “silence” to the people. The critical moment came when people asked boyar Vasily Shuisky whether the prince was buried in Uglich (it was Shuisky who headed the state commission to investigate the death of Tsarevich Dmitry in 1591 and then confirmed his death from epilepsy). Now Shuisky claimed that the prince had escaped. After these words, the crowd broke into the Kremlin and destroyed the houses of the Godunovs and their relatives. On June 20, False Dmitry solemnly entered Moscow.
It turned out to be easier to sit on the throne than to stay on it. To strengthen his position, False Dmitry confirmed the serfdom legislation, which caused discontent among the peasants.
But, first of all, the tsar did not live up to the expectations of the boyars because he acted too independently. May 17, 1606. The boyars led the people to the Kremlin shouting “The Poles are beating the boyars and the sovereign,” and in the end False Dmitry was killed. Vasily Ivanovich ascended the throne Shuisky. The condition for his accession to the Russian throne was the limitation of power. He vowed “not to do anything without the Council,” and this was the first experience of building public order based on formal restrictions supreme power . But the situation in the country did not normalize.
The second stage of the turmoil
Begins second stage of the turmoil- social, when the nobility, metropolitan and provincial, clerks, clerks, and Cossacks enter the struggle. However, first of all, this period is characterized by a wide wave of peasant uprisings.
In the summer of 1606, the masses had a leader - Ivan Isaevich Bolotnikov. The forces gathered under the banner of Bolotnikov were a complex conglomerate consisting of different layers. There were Cossacks, peasants, serfs, townspeople, many service people, small and medium-sized feudal lords. In July 1606, Bolotnikov's troops set out on a campaign against Moscow. In the battle of Moscow, Bolotnikov's troops were defeated and were forced to retreat to Tula. On July 30, the siege of the city began, and after three months the Bolotnikovites capitulated, and he himself was soon executed. The suppression of this uprising did not mean the end of the peasant war, but it began to decline.
The government of Vasily Shuisky sought to stabilize the situation in the country. But both service people and peasants were still dissatisfied with the government. The reasons for this were different. The nobles felt Shuisky's inability to stop peasant war, the peasants did not accept serfdom policies. Meanwhile, in Starodub (in the Bryansk region) a new impostor appeared, declaring himself the escaped “Tsar Dmitry”. According to many historians, False Dmitry II was a protege of the Polish king Sigismund III, although many do not support this version. The bulk of the armed forces of False Dmitry II were Polish nobles and Cossacks.
In January 1608 g. he moved towards Moscow.
Having defeated Shuisky's troops in several battles, by the beginning of June False Dmitry II reached the village of Tushino near Moscow, where he settled in camp. Pskov, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Vologda, Astrakhan swore allegiance to the impostor. The Tushins occupied Rostov, Vladimir, Suzdal, and Murom. In fact, two capitals were formed in Russia. Boyars, merchants, and officials swore allegiance either to False Dmitry or to Shuisky, sometimes receiving salaries from both.
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. This gave Sigismund III a reason to switch to open intervention. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth began military operations against Russia with the aim of conquering its territory. Polish troops left Tushino. False Dmitry II, who was there, fled to Kaluga and ultimately ended his voyage ingloriously.
Sigismund sent letters to Smolensk and Moscow, where he claimed that as a relative of the Russian tsars and at the request of the Russian people he was going to save the dying Moscow State and his Orthodox faith.
The Moscow boyars decided to accept help. An agreement was concluded on the recognition of the prince Vladislav Russian Tsar, and until his arrival obey Sigismund. On February 4, 1610, a treaty was concluded, which included a plan government system under Vladislav: immunity Orthodox faith, restriction of freedom from arbitrary authorities. The sovereign had to share his power with the Zemsky Sobor and the Boyar Duma.
On August 17, 1610, Moscow swore allegiance to Vladislav. And a month before this, Vasily Shuisky was forcibly tonsured a monk by the nobles and taken to the Chudov Monastery. To govern the country Boyar Duma created a commission of seven boyars, called “ seven-boyars" On September 20, the Poles entered Moscow.
Sweden also launched aggressive actions. Swedish troops occupied a large part of northern Russia and were preparing to capture Novgorod. Russia faced a direct threat of losing its independence. The aggressive plans of the aggressors caused general indignation. December 1610 g. False Dmitry II was killed, but the struggle for the Russian throne did not end there.
The third stage of the turmoil
The death of the impostor immediately changed the situation in the country. The pretext for the presence of Polish troops on Russian territory disappeared: Sigismund explained his actions by the need to “fight the Tushino thief.” Polish Army turned into an occupation, the Seven Boyars - into a government of traitors. The Russian people united to resist the intervention. The war acquired a national character.
The third period of unrest begins. From the northern cities, at the call of the patriarch, detachments of Cossacks led by I. Zarutsky and Prince Dm begin to converge on Moscow. Trubetskoy. This is how the first militia was formed. In April - May 1611, Russian troops stormed the capital, but did not achieve success, as internal contradictions and rivalry among the leaders took their toll. In the autumn of 1611, the desire for liberation from foreign oppression was clearly expressed by one of the leaders of the Nizhny Novgorod settlement Kuzma Minin, who called for the creation of a militia to liberate Moscow. The prince was elected leader of the militia Dmitry Pozharsky.
In August 1612, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky reached Moscow, and on October 26 the Polish garrison capitulated. Moscow was liberated. Time of Troubles or the “great destruction”, which lasted about ten years, is over.
Under these conditions, the country needed a government of a kind of social reconciliation, a government that would be able to ensure not only the cooperation of people from different political camps, but also class compromise. The candidacy of a representative of the Romanov family suited different layers and classes of society.
After the liberation of Moscow, letters were scattered throughout the country convening a Zemsky Sobor to elect a new tsar. The council, held in January 1613, was the most representative in the history of medieval Russia, which at the same time reflected the balance of forces that emerged during the war of liberation. A struggle broke out around the future tsar, and they ultimately agreed on the candidacy of 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, a relative of Ivan the Terrible’s first wife. This circumstance created the appearance of a continuation of the previous dynasty of Russian princes. February 21 1613 Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanov Tsar of Russia.
From this time, the reign of the Romanov dynasty in Russia began, which lasted a little over three hundred years - until February 1917.
So, concluding this section related to the history of the “time of troubles”, it should be noted: acute internal crises and long wars were generated largely by the incompleteness of the process of state centralization, the lack necessary conditions for the normal development of the country. At the same time it was important stage struggle for the establishment of a Russian centralized state.
After death last Rurikovich The Russian kingdom plunged into Troubles for many years. In 1598 – 1613, the country was rocked by internal political conflicts, foreign invasions and mass popular uprisings. Due to the lack of a legitimate procedure for the transfer of power, during the Time of Troubles, five kings were replaced on the throne, not related to each other by family ties. Political instability led to a weakening of the state apparatus and aggravated the economic problems that had existed since the oprichnina.
Although in general the Time of Troubles was a difficult stage in Russian history, positive trends were also observed during this period. For example, opposition to the interventionists led to the unification of different classes of the Moscow kingdom and accelerated the formation of national consciousness. Important changes also occurred in the minds of the monarch. The Romanov dynasty, which came to power at the end of the Time of Troubles, although it remained autocratic, ruled its subjects without allowing the degree of arbitrariness that was inherent in Ivan the Terrible and his immediate successors.
Result of the oprichnina | Other reasons |
|---|---|
Undermining the unity of the country | Crop failures 1601-1603, economic crisis. Increased influx of peasant population to the southern regions. |
The absence of social forces capable of repelling the illegal claims of impostors. | Religious consciousness perceived the disaster as God's wrath. |
Patriotic centralization policies were carried out using despotic methods. | The position of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, fanning the conflict. |
The presence of interests of all segments of the population that were previously ignored. Society is ripe for real political struggle. | Conflict between the Godunov government and the Cossacks. |
Deep crisis ruling class, disorganization and fragmentation. | Conflict between the center and the outskirts. |
Exacerbation of dynastic relations. |
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Cholera epidemic. |
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The complicated land issue, the formation of the serfdom system. |
Chronicle of the Time of Troubles and stages
Died under mysterious circumstances Dmitry (son of Ivan IV) |
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The reign of Boris Godunov. |
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1600, autumn | The Romanovs, accused of plotting to assassinate the Tsar, were sent into exile. |
1603, summer | An impostor appeared in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, posing as the miraculously escaped Tsarevich Dmitry (Grigory Otrepyev). |
Invasion of False Dmitry I with the Polish army into the Seversky lands. |
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Uprising in Moscow, accession of False Dmitry I. |
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Uprising in Moscow against False Dmitry and the Poles, murder of False Dmitry I. |
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The reign of Vasily Shuisky. |
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Uprising led by I. Bolotnikov. |
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False Dmitry II (“Tushinsky Court”) |
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Beginning of the Polish-Lithuanian intervention; siege of Smolensk. |
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Agreement on the calling of Prince Vladislav to the Russian throne; the entry of Polish troops into Moscow; subordination of the boyar government to the interventionists. |
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Formation of the first militia |
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Uprising in Moscow against the interventionists |
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Formation of the second militia led by K. Minin and Prince D. M. Pozharsky in Nizhny Novgorod. |
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Defeat of Hetman Khodkevich's troops near Moscow; union of two militias |
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Capitulation of the Polish-Lithuanian garrison in Moscow. |
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Zemsky Sobor |
Results of the Time of Troubles (Time of Troubles)
Gave impetus to the reforms of the 17th century (modernization explosion) | Confusion and cruelty |
The authorities began to manage society in a new way, taking into account the demands of the classes. | Decline of agriculture. |
The unification of the nobility and the growth of political activity. | Loss of territories |
For the first time, society acted on its own. It took 4 unsuccessful attempts to found a new dynasty: False Dmitry I, False Dmitry II, Shuisky, Vladislav. | Economic devastation, disruption of trade and crafts. |
Russia defended its national independence and its self-awareness strengthened. | The idea of unity was formed on a conservative basis. |
The reasons for the country's recovery from the crisis of the Time of Troubles:
- The degree of maturity has increased, and the level of society's awareness of its goals has increased.
- IN political struggle wide sections of the population joined.
