Dmitry was succeeded by his son, Vasily Dmitrievich (1389-1425). Under him, the policy of the former Moscow princes was continued, the main directions of which were the annexation of new lands and the defense of external borders.
Vasily managed to annex the Nizhny Novgorod principality (1392), buying a label for it in the Horde, as well as Murom and Tarusa.
At the turn of the XIV-XV centuries. Rus' again experienced the invasion of the Horde rulers. In the 70s of the XIV century. one of the small Central Asian rulers, Timur (Tamerlane), strengthened. Soon he conquered Central Asia, Transcaucasia, and the Caucasian peoples. At the turn of the 80-90s, having defeated Tokhtamysh, he subjugated the Golden Horde. Timur was a cruel and bloody conqueror: painting by a Russian artist of the 19th century. V. Vereshchagin's "Apotheosis of War" well conveys the result of his conquests.
During the war with the Golden Horde, Timur appears within Rus': in 1395 he reached the city of Yelets and plundered it. Vasily Dmitrievich and his army came out to meet him, but the battle did not take place: Timur turned back. The reasons for this are not given, but, apparently, his plans of conquest did not include a war with Russia, especially during the ongoing battle with the Horde.
In 1408, a new Horde ruler, Emir Edigei, unexpectedly for Vasily, made a campaign against Rus'. His troops burned Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov, Dmitrov, Serpukhov, and destroyed villages. Having reached Moscow, Edigei “made everything captive and empty,” but he failed to take the city itself. Having received the ransom money, he left. But the Horde yoke, somewhat weakened at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, was restored.
The struggle between the North and the Center in the second quarter of the 15th century.
Usually events in Rus' in the second quarter of the 15th century. called "feudal war", meaning strife and military activity primarily of the princes. However, this does not take into account that the main force in military operations was the broad masses of the various regions of the country. The princes relied on them, and without this foundation it is impossible to imagine their successes and failures. War of the second quarter of the 15th century. should be considered within the framework of the confrontation between the old ancient Russian traditions of democracy and new trends that strengthen princely power. Behind the first stood the black-plowed North, which preserved its freedom, behind the second - the Moscow Center.
According to A.A. Zimin, this war breaks down into two stages: the first - 1425-1446, the second - 1447-1451.
The reason for it was a dynastic conflict between the princes of the Moscow house. After the death of Vasily Dmitrievich, there were two contenders for the grand-ducal throne due to uncertainty in the inheritance: his ten-year-old son Vasily and his younger brother; Prince of Zvenigorod and Galitsky Yuri Dmitrievich. Yuri defended the generic principle of inheritance (“from brother to brother”), and Vasily defended the family principle (“from father to son”). Already in the first clashes, the troops gathered by Yuri in the northern territories took part. After the first failure, in 1433 Galician troops captured Moscow, and Yuri became the Grand Duke. But without receiving support from the Moscow population and boyars, he was forced to leave Moscow. The next year he again conquers the reign of Moscow, but dies 2.5 months later.
His sons are now performing in the arena: Vasily Kosoy, Dmitry Shemyaka and Dmitry Krasny. The first of whom, while in Moscow, declared himself the heir, but the other two brothers did not recognize him, saying: “If God doesn’t want it, let our father reign, but we ourselves don’t want you.” The Yuryevichs preferred to see on the throne the weakest, as it seemed to them, Vasily Vasilyevich, but they were mistaken. The war continued, involving ever larger masses of the population. It is now that it turns into a struggle for old liberties.
The theater of military operations, in addition to areas close to Moscow, covers the Upper Volga and Volga region with outlying centers: Vyatka, Vologda, Ustyug, Kostroma. A prince of an adventurous nature, Vasily Kosoy overestimated his strength and managed to lose his reliable allies. Vasily Vasilyevich, on the contrary, managed to unite the princes of “Kalita’s nest”. In the decisive battle in May 1436 near Rostov, the troops of Vasily Kosoy were defeated, and he himself was captured and blinded.
From the beginning of the 40s, Dmitry Shemyaka became an opponent of the Moscow prince. In 1445, after a raid on Rus' by the Kazan Khan Ulu-Mukhammed, Vasily Vasilyevich was captured by him. Shemyak seizes power in Moscow. However, Vasily, having promised a ransom to the Tatars, returns to Moscow with a label for a great reign. The Tatars come with him to receive a "ransom". The people condemned the Grand Duke for this, which Shemyaka took advantage of, again establishing himself in Moscow in February 1446. Vasily was blinded, swore that he would not pretend to the great table, and was exiled to Vologda by an appanage prince. However, after this, public opinion (“many people are retreating from him”) turned away from Shemyaka. A year later, Vasily the Dark, from whom the oath was “revoked,” left for Moscow. In 145O, the troops of Vasily the Dark near Galich inflicted a decisive defeat on Dmitry Shemyaka, who fled to Novgorod, where he died in 1453.
With the defeat of the Galician princes, the possibilities for alternative development of Russian statehood decreased, and a more intensive formation of central power began, although the traditions of previous centuries would not die in the 16th century. will be implemented during reforms of local and central authorities.
Completion of the territorial unification of Russian lands
The final stages of the “gathering” of Russian lands around Moscow were the annexation of the Yaroslavl, Rostov, Tver principalities and the Novgorod land, as well as the Western Russian lands that were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The independence of the Yaroslavl principality fell in the 60s of the 15th century, and Rostov was annexed in 1474.
The most difficult task was the annexation of Novgorod, where the traditions of independence remained very strong, despite the fact that in 1456, according to the Yazhelbitsky agreement, the judicial power of the Grand Duke was strengthened in Novgorod, and the Novgorodians were deprived of the right of independence in international affairs. Events were complicated by the fact that two political groups had formed in the city, the first of which was oriented towards Lithuania, and the second towards Moscow. In 1471, the Pro-Lithuanian “party”, led by Martha Boretskaya, the “posadnitsa” (posadnik’s widow), and her sons, entered into an agreement with the Grand Duke of Lithuania and Poland, King Casimir IV, who, while sending his governor, nevertheless promised to preserve the liberties of Novgorod and defend Novgorod from Moscow.
In response to this, Ivan III set out on a campaign, which also included the princes subordinate to him. On the Shelon River in July 1471, the Novgorodians, who fought reluctantly (the archbishop's regiment did not take part in the battle at all), were defeated. But Novgorod remained independent for now, although it undertook not to enter into further relations with Lithuania.
In subsequent years, the pro-Lithuanian “party” came to life in Novgorod, but Ivan III also strengthened its position. And at the end of 1477 he undertakes a new campaign. The city was surrounded by a dense ring of Moscow troops. The Grand Duke presented a harsh ultimatum to the veche authorities, which meant the liquidation of the political independence of Novgorod: “there will be no veche bell in our fatherland in Novgorod, but we will keep our dominion.”
In January 1478, Novgorod capitulated, the veche was cancelled, the veche bell was taken to Moscow, and Moscow governors began to rule instead of posadniks and thousands. The lands of the boyars most hostile to Ivan III (including Martha Boretskaya) were confiscated. And in 1484-1499. The mass eviction of the remaining Novgorod boyars began. Their lands were given to Moscow service people.
The northern Novgorod lands also went to Moscow. Thus. The Tver principality was surrounded on almost all sides. Tver Prince Mikhail Borisovich was forced to enter into an alliance with Casimir IV. This is just what Ivan III was waiting for. In September 1485, when Moscow troops approached Tver, Mikhail fled to Lithuania. The son of Ivan III, Ivan Ivanovich, became the prince of Tver. In fact, the annexation of Tver basically meant the end of the process of territorial unification of Russian lands. This was fully accomplished under Vasily III Ivanovich (1505-1533), under whom Pskov (1510) and Ryazan (1521) were transferred to Moscow. “What Ivan III did not have time to complete, Vasily completed,” wrote the Russian historian S.F. Platonov.
Somewhat earlier, as a result of two Russian-Lithuanian wars (1487-1494 and 1500-1503), the Chernigov-Seversk land and the eastern part of the Smolensk land, and in 1514 Smolensk itself, went to Rus'.
In the interval from his death to his appearance on the historical stage Dmitry Ivanovich, on Rus' his descendants ruled.
Considering feudal fragmentation, historians by Russia of that period usually mean the principalities of Moscow, Vladimir and Novgorod (sometimes also Kiev and Galicia-Volyn).
Daniil Alexandrovich.
Daniil Alexandrovich- Jr son of Alexander Nevsky, was born at the end of 1261 just two years before his father’s death, so he was raised by his brother Alexandra Yaroslav Yaroslavovich, after whose death in 1272 Daniel became Prince of Moscow.
During the reign of Daniil Alexandrovich in Rus', another civil strife between Nevsky's sons Daniil and Andrey, as well as grandson Ivan and nephew Mikhail from Tver for the principality of Vladimir. Thanks to Daniel’s justice and peacefulness, all rivals were brought together to Dmitrov Congress Russian princes, where partially internecine war managed to stop, but some local conflicts continued to arise.
This civil strife had extremely negative consequences for the economy and culture of Rus' of that period. Daniel's brother Andrey Alexandrovich, for example, asked for help from Golden Horde in this confrontation. The Mongols took this issue seriously and launched a joint campaign with the Horde commander Tudan ( Dudenev's army) turned into the capture and plunder of Murom, Suzdal, Vladimir, Pereyaslavl, Yuryev, Rostov, Uglich, Yaroslavl, Kolomna, Moscow, Zvenigorod, Serpukhov, Mozhaisk and, possibly, other cities about which the chronicles are silent. This was one of the largest pogroms in Rus' since Batu's invasion .
Thus, the Dmitrov Congress was a step forward in the development of diplomacy, although the truce did not last long.
In addition, during his reign, Prince Daniil annexed Moscow Principality territories of Pereyaslavl and Kolomna, and he also tried to do this with Novgorod and Ryazan.
Daniil Alexandrovich built the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in the area of the current Assumption Cathedral in Moscow.
Prince Daniil Alexandrovich died in Moscow on March 5, 103, leaving behind five sons.
Ivan Kalita.
Ivan Danilovich (Ivan I, Ivan Kalita), grandson of Alexander Nevsky, was born into the family of Daniil Alexandrovich around 1283. Future Prince of Moscow, Prince of Novgorod And Grand Duke Vladimir Already at the age of 13 he became his father's governor in Novgorod.
In 1325 he became the Prince of Moscow, and three years later the Grand Duke of Vladimir.
Ivan Danilovich was nicknamed Kalita for his habit of always carrying a kalita with small change (kalita - wallet) for the poor; he was known as a generous and fair prince towards the common people.
During his reign, Prince Ivan transported from Vladimir to Moscow metropolitan, and thus made Moscow the spiritual capital of Rus'.
In the 30s of the 14th century, Ivan Danilovich became known as a great diplomat, preventing open military conflicts in the contradictions of Moscow, Novgorod, Tver and Smolensk, as well as restraining the discontent of the Golden Horde due to the irregular payment of tribute by the Russian principalities (its desire to resolve this problem with one military blow was is quite real). In addition, he had to take into account the interests of the Principality of Lithuania in relation to Rus'.
Ivan Kalita built the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow from white stone, the Archangel Cathedral, the Church of St. John, Moscow Kremlin(wooden) and the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor, which, unfortunately, has not survived (it was demolished in 1933). During his time in Moscow the famous Siya Gospel on parchment.
Thanks to the reign of Prince Kalita, peace reigned in the Moscow principality for 40 years (1328-1368), there were no military conflicts - this was the result of a competent policy with the Horde, Lithuania and other Russian princes. In addition, influence and territory Moscow Principality have increased significantly.
Ivan Danilovich Kalita died on March 31, 1340, leaving behind four sons and four daughters. In his honor, the Moskvich automobile plant produced the Moskvich - Ivan Kalita luxury car from 1998 to 2001.
Ivan Krasny.
Ivan Ivanovich (Ivan II, Ivan Krasny, Ivan the Merciful, Ivan Korotky), Prince of Zvenigorod, Prince of Novgorod, Prince of Moscow, Grand Duke Vladimir, great-grandson of Alexander Nevsky, was born into the family of Ivan Kalita.
March 30, 1326 in Moscow. Thanks to his appearance, he received the prefix “Red” (as a synonym for the word “beautiful”). Another version is based on the time of birth (on the Sunday following Easter - Krasnaya Gorka).
The downside of the reign of Ivan the Red was the weakening of the political influence of Moscow, achieved by his father, to the point that the Principality of Lithuania managed to install its metropolitan in Kiev, and the Principality of Vladimir was lost immediately after his death and Ivan the Red’s son Dmitry had to re-establish his rights to Vladimir the Great .
Ivan Ivanovich died on November 13, 1359. His main achievement was his eldest son (the youngest died at the age of 10) - Dmitry Ivanovich, better known as
The territory was divided into princely lands, and those, in turn, into appanages.
The southern and western regions of Rus' were part of the strengthening at the beginning of the 14th century. Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Poland and Hungary profited from the lands of Kievan Rus. Kyiv lost its significance as a political center, and the Grand Duke of Vladimir began to be recognized as the main prince.
Important events in the history of Rus' in the 14th century. is the struggle of the Moscow and Tver principalities for power, a significant victory in and the raid of Tokhtamysh.
In the competition for power, the Moscow principality won, and played an important role in this. The Moscow prince, by decree of the khan, taught the Principality of Tver a lesson; cruel actions towards its neighbors protected Ivan’s own principality.
The competent policy of Ivan Kalita and other Moscow princes made Moscow the center of Russian lands. After the Battle of Kulikovo, this status was firmly assigned to the city.
In 1377, the Russian army was defeated in the battle on the river. Drunk. But already in 1378 he defeated on the river. Vozhe. The prince's success contributes to the unification of the forces of the Russian principalities.
In 1380, the battle on the Kulikovo Field unfolded due to the refusal to pay tribute and the situation within the Horde itself (at that time the khans were fighting among themselves for power).
During the battle, the advantage seemed to be already on the side of the Khan's hordes, but the unexpected attack of the ambush regiment of Vladimir Andreevich and Bobrok, which fell from the oak grove to the rear at a critical moment, took the enemy by surprise. The Russian regiments went on the offensive, and the defeat of the Horde became inevitable. The Horde army fled. Khan Mamai was one of the first to flee the battlefield.
The victory in this battle taught a lesson, which was that only the unity of the Russian lands could create the conditions to make the liberation of the country from the invaders possible.
News of Rus''s victory in the Battle of Kulikovo reached other countries. But it has not yet been possible to overthrow the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The human cost was colossal. People stood on the bones for a long time (mourning the dead).
While the fight against Mamai was going on, Khan Tokhtamysh (his competitor) took advantage of the state of affairs in the Horde. He gathered a large army and suddenly in 1382.
Prince Dmitry Donskoy was unable to gather a sufficient army to fight back and went to the northern regions with these goals. Moscow was plundered, the population was subjected to violence, the city was devastated. Prince Dmitry was forced to recognize the power of Khan Tokhtamysh over himself. From 1389 he became a prince (1389-1425).
After Tamerlane's victory over Tokhtamysh in 1395, the winner invaded the Ryazan lands and plundered Yelets. The threat was approaching Moscow, but suddenly he deployed his army and left the borders of Rus'. This happened on the day when the residents of Moscow met the image of the Virgin Mary from Vladimir. The people connected their salvation with this event.
In addition to the fight against the Horde, there was also a tense situation with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The marriage of Vasily 1st with the daughter of the Lithuanian prince Vitovt only softened the situation.
Culture of Rus' in the 14th century.
The rise of Russian culture dates back to the second half of the 14th century. It is associated with successes in economic development and victory in the Battle of Kulikovo.
In literature, the themes of the fight against invaders are relevant (The Tale of the Death of the Russian Land, Zadonshchina), and heroic deeds are glorified (The Life of Alexander Nevsky).
Architecture in the 14th century. actively developed, mainly in the cities of Pskov and Novgorod.
Russian architecture was based on the architectural traditions of the pre-Mongol period (Church of the Savior on Kovalevo 1345), and to the new style of the second half of the 14th century. The church of Fyodor Stratilates on Ruchee, 1360-1361, can be attributed.
In parallel with the construction of temples and churches, civil construction was actively carried out (1302 - a stone Kremlin was founded in Novgorod). In Pskov, the architecture bore the appearance of a fortress. Mutually intersecting arches were used by Pskov builders in the ceilings of buildings. The masters of Pskov gained fame.
The construction of stone structures in Moscow began in the second quarter of the 14th century. - and then the temples and buildings on the territory. Construction was also actively carried out in Kolomna, Serpukhov, and Zvenigorod.
Clothing of the inhabitants of Rus' in the 14th century.
Initially, the ancient costume in Rus' consisted of a belted shirt and trousers, but over time, borrowings from Byzantium began to appear. The costume of Rus' has undergone significant changes; clothing based on Byzantine patterns began to differ greatly from the folk costume. Even the headdress was presented in the form of a high, pointed cap, then became with a soft crown. The Tatar yoke also had an influence, but not as strong.
By the 14th century. The cut of the clothes of the rich and poor population of Moscow Rus' did not differ, the difference was only in the quality of the materials.
The Mongol conquest led to a long-term economic, political and cultural decline of the Russian lands. The process of unification was suspended for many years, and the khan's tribute fell on the people as a heavy burden. However, in agriculture there is a transition to a two- and three-field crop rotation system, the main arable implement is a plow with an iron coulter, and the land is fertilized with manure. As a result, the efficiency of agricultural production and the development of trade in new shopping centers - Moscow, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod - are improving. Due to treasury accumulations and aggressive political play against the backdrop of internal strife in the Horde, the Moscow principality is strengthened (rising). Moscow becomes the new political center of Rus'.
In the struggle for the grand-ducal throne, the cunning ruler Vasily II actively used the Horde as allies. In addition, Vasily II was supported by the Russian Orthodox Church, which gained independence from Byzantium after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. All this allowed Ivan III to truly begin the unification of Muscovite Rus' and achieve the final overthrow of the Golden Horde yoke.
The strengthening of the grand ducal power, the growing authority of the nobility due to the distribution of land, and the emergence of institutions for managing a centralized state necessitated the adoption of a new set of laws of the Russian state - the so-called Code of Laws of Ivan III.
1301 - Daniil Alexandrovich annexed Kolomna to the Moscow Principality.
1303, March 4 - the first Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, died.
1303-1325 - reign of Yuri Danilovich in Moscow.
1312 - adoption of Islam as the state religion by the Golden Horde.
1313-1342 - reign of Uzbek Khan in the Golden Horde.
1318 - campaign of Yuri Danilovich and Mongol troops to Tver.
1325-1340 - reign of Ivan Kalita in Moscow.
1327 - uprising in Tver against Baskak Cholkhan. The defeat of the uprising by Ivan Kalita.
1328 - transfer of the metropolitan table from Vladimir to Moscow.
1337 - foundation of the Monastery on the banks of the Konchura River by Sergius of Radonezh. Since 1345 the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Since 1742 Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
1340-1353 - reign of Simeon the Proud in Moscow.
1353-1359 - reign of Ivan II the Red in Moscow.
1359-1389 - reign of Dmitry Ivanovich in Moscow.
1367 - construction of the white stone Kremlin in Moscow.
1375 - campaign of Moscow troops against Tver. Conclusion of the Moscow-Tver Treaty. Recognition of Moscow's "eldership" by Tver.
1377 - defeat of Russian troops on the Pyana River from Mongol troops.
1378 - Battle of the Vozha River. Victory of Moscow over the Horde troops under the command of Begich.
1380 - the first mention in the charter of the Lithuanian prince Olgerd of the city of Kaluga (now the administrative center of the Kaluga region).
1382 - destruction of Moscow by Tokhtamysh. Resumption of tribute payments to the Horde by the Russian principalities.
1393 - annexation of Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow.
1395 - Timur destroys the Golden Horde.
1389-1425 - reign of Vasily I Dmitrievich.
1410, July 15 - Battle of Grunwald. Polish-Lithuanian troops defeated the Teutonic Order.
1417-1428 - plague epidemics on the territory of Rus'.
1425-1462 - reign of Vasily II the Dark.
1433-1453 - feudal war of the second quarter of the 15th century.
1439 - Union of Florence.
1462-1505 - reign of Ivan III.
1466-1472 - Afanasy Nikitin’s journey through Persia, India and Turkey.
1469 - the first mention in Russian chronicles of the city of Cheboksary (now the capital of the Chuvash Republic).
1470-1480s - construction of new fortifications and cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin.
1471 - Ivan III's campaign against Novgorod. Battle of the Sheloni River.
1472 - Ivan III marries the niece of the Emperor of Byzantium Sophia (Zoya) Paleologus, makes the Byzantine double-headed eagle the coat of arms of Rus', acting as the successor of Byzantium.
1476 - Ivan III stops paying tribute to the Horde.
1478 - annexation of Novgorod to Moscow.
1480 - Khan Akhtat’s campaign against Moscow. "Standing on the Ugra River." The fall of the Mongol-Tatar yoke.
1485 - annexation of Tver to Moscow. Ivan III began to be called the “Grand Duke of All Rus'.”
1485 - Code of Law of Ivan III. Limitation of the transition of peasants to the week before and week after St. George's Day (November 26) and payment of the elderly.
The 14th century is the time of the Middle Ages in Rus', which was marked by the gathering of lands around Moscow and the formation of a single state. This century occupies an important place in Russian history as a time of overcoming feudal fragmentation and strengthening the power of the Moscow prince. In addition, it was during this period that the famous Battle of Kulikovo took place, which marked the beginning of the overthrow of the Tatar-Mongol yoke.
Land unification
The 14th century was a century during which many principalities experienced a process of consolidation of fiefs around one main center. In the Moscow, Tver, Ryazan and other principalities, the rulers subordinated their younger appanage brothers to their power and sought to annex their lands to their domain possessions. In the first half of the century, three centers emerged that claimed to become the initiators of the formation of a single state. In addition to Moscow and Tver, the Principality of Lithuania also acted as a unifier. A significant amount of Western Russian lands were under the authority of its rulers, which gave them grounds to claim leadership status.
Inter-princely struggle
The 14th century became a time of confrontation between appanage owners. Each of them sought to defend their right to independence. The most powerful claimed the title of grand duke, which was associated with the possession of the great principality of Vladimir. Already in the first half of this century, a clear advantage was on the side of the Moscow princes, who, starting with Ivan Kalita, consistently retained the label for this territory. However, Moscow's leadership was not yet unconditional. Other principalities (Tver, Ryazan) continued to defend their independence. There were wars between them and Moscow, which, nevertheless, demonstrated the growing power of the latter.
Relations with the Horde
The 14th century was a time of major clashes with the Horde. In 1327, an anti-Mongol uprising took place in Tver, which was drowned in blood. After this, the Tver Principality found itself in decline for a long time, until the middle of the century. In the second half of the 14th century, two more important battles took place that marked the end of the yoke.
In 1378, a battle took place on the Vozha River, which ended in victory for the Russian troops. In 1380, the famous Battle of Kulikovo took place, which ended in the complete defeat of the Khan’s troops. This battle had a huge impact on contemporaries, who captured this event in chronicles, legends, and folk art.
However, just two years later, Moscow was invaded by the Mongol-Tatars, who cunningly persuaded the townspeople to open the gates of the city and, entering inside, plundered it and killed many people. Nevertheless, the battle of 1380 marked the beginning of the liberation of Russian lands from the yoke.
The reign of Ivan Kalita
The 14th century was an important milestone in Russian history. What years are these? Period from 1301 to 1400 Julian calendar. It was during this period of time that Ivan Kalita laid the foundation for the power of Moscow.
He secured the city's status as the grand ducal center of North-Eastern Rus'. This ruler, thanks to the skillful Horde policy, saved his possessions from the attack of the Mongol-Tatars. He regularly paid tribute to the Khan’s headquarters and maintained neutral relations with the Horde ruler, which saved the Principality of Moscow from the appearance of the Baskaks. He cared a lot about strengthening his possessions. The prince was actively involved in construction and encouraged the development of land ownership, which, in turn, led to the economic rise of the state.
Reign of his sons
The 14th century was an important time for the unification of lands around Moscow. "What years are these?" - a question, the answer to which should include a description of the most important events of the specified period.
Ivan Kalita's two successors continued his work to strengthen the position of the principality in North-Eastern Rus'. The ruler's eldest son, Semyon the Proud, sought to subjugate the neighboring lands, and the youngest, Ivan the Red, consolidated the achievements of his predecessors.
The merit of these princes lies in the fact that they were able to maintain the leading position of their possessions, which prepared the preconditions for victory on the Kulikovo field.
Dmitry Donskoy and Vasily I
The 14th century in Russian history is important because it laid the foundation for the formation of a centralized state. In the second half of the century, Moscow rulers made significant progress in strengthening their power, which was evident during the reign of these two princes. Dmitry Ivanovich in his will transferred the great principality of Vladimir to the heir without the sanction of the Horde khan, which strengthened Moscow’s position in the unification of the lands.
His son Vasily Dmitrievich also gave this territory to his heir, and although he did this with reservations, nevertheless, the very fact of such an order meant the final transfer of the initiative to unify the territories to the Moscow Principality.
Tver Principality
The 14th century in the history of Rus' became a time of overcoming fragmentation in other lands. The Tver principality was the main enemy of Moscow. His princes successfully strengthened their power and laid claim to primacy in North-Eastern Rus'. After the anti-Mongol uprising in 1327, Tver's position was greatly shaken.
However, by the middle of this century, the new prince Mikhail Alexandrovich pursued an energetic policy to strengthen his power not only within his principality, but also in North-Eastern Rus'. The confrontation between the two opponents resulted in the war of 1375, in which Tver lost and was forced to sign an agreement in which Mikhail Alexandrovich recognized Dmitry Donskoy as the ruler of North-Eastern Rus'.
However, the position of the Tver Principality was not yet completely undermined, and it continued to play a prominent role in the political history of Rus' until 1485, when it was annexed to Moscow by Ivan III.
Other principalities
One of the most important topics for the medieval period is the topic “14th century in the history of Russia.” Briefly, this century should be studied by principality, since the lands, despite the beginning of the process of unification, continued to remain fragmented. The Ryazan principality, although it did not claim to be the center of a single state, nevertheless played an important role in the political history of the century under review. It was also the main enemy of Moscow; a long confrontation remained between the two centers. The Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality was also a serious competitor to Moscow; its prince, even during the childhood of Dmitry Donskoy, received the grand ducal label.
So, the history of Russia in the 14th century, the dates of which are 1301-1400, should be studied as the era of the formation of a single state. In this case, attention should be paid to the beginning of the liberation of the principalities from the Horde yoke.