Little-known wars of the Russian state: Russian-Livonian-Lithuanian war 1500 — 1503.
As a result, the Moscow sovereign makes a decision that violated the condition of "eternal peace" 1494 of the year, it forbade the princes to leave for the service to another lord. Ivan again began to accept princes in Moscow who had ceased to serve the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russian and Zhemoitsky. In April, Prince Semen Ivanovich Belsky moved to the service of Ivan III Vasilyevich 1500. Ownership of S. Belsky, Belaya, south-west of Tver, passed to the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The reason for his departure was that the prince called the loss of the “caress” of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, as well as Alexander’s desire to translate it into “Roman law” (Catholicism), which was not the case with the previous grand dukes. The Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander, sent an embassy to Moscow in protest, categorically rejecting the accusations of being forced to convert to Catholicism and calling Prince Belsky a traitor. To the Lithuanian envoys who had arrived in Moscow, the sovereign of Russia not only confirmed the fact of the departure of Prince Belsky, but also announced that he had been transferred to his service with the patrimonies of the princes of Mosalsk and their relatives, the princes of Hotetovskys. The reason for their transition to the side of Moscow was also called religious oppression.
In the same April, the princes Semyon Ivanovich Starodubsko-Mozhaysky and Vasily Ivanovich Shemyachich Novgorod-Seversky transferred to the service of Moscow. As a result, huge lands in the east of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, including the cities of Belaya, Novgorod-Seversky, Rylsk, Radogoshch, Gomel, Starodub, Chernigov, Karachev and Khotiml, became part of the Moscow Grand Duchy. War has become inevitable.
On her eve, Alexander Kazimirovich Jagiellon was taking steps to strengthen the foreign policy position of Lithuania. He initiated the renewal and confirmation of the Gorodel Union 1413 of the year. He was supported by his brother, the Polish king, Jan Olbracht. In May 1499 of the year in Krakow the union act was confirmed by the Polish gentry, and in July of the same year by the Lithuanian nobility in Vilna. In the same year a decree of the Vilna Sejm was issued, according to which henceforth neither the Grand Duke of Lithuania could be elected without the consent of the Polish gentry, nor the Polish throne could be occupied without the consent of Lithuania. And on October 25, 1501 of the year came out of the Melnitsky Privilege, which established that since then Poland and Lithuania should constitute a single state, under the control of one king, elected in Krakow. This rule was applied in the same year - Jan Olbracht died unexpectedly, and Alexander became the Polish king. The main goal of the union was the military-strategic alliance - Lithuania and Poland could now conduct defensive and offensive operations together. Poland was threatened on the southern frontiers - the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire, and on the eastern frontiers - Moscow.
In addition, Lithuania has strengthened ties with the Livonian Order and began to establish contacts with the Great Horde. True, neither Poland, nor Livonia, nor the Great Horde could render immediate assistance to Lithuania.
The outbreak of war
Ivan III decided not to expect the campaign of the Lithuanian troops against the defectors, the arrival of Polish forces to help Lithuania, and in May 1500 opened the hostilities. Russian troops acted on a clear plan. According to Ivan III, Russian forces were to attack in three directions: 1) north-west (on Toropets and Belaya), 2) west (Dorogobuzh and Smolensk) and 2) south-west (Starodub, Novgorod-Seversky and other cities of Seversk land ). On the eve of the war were formed three rati. In addition, a reserve was created to support those troops, against which the Lithuanians will act. The southwestern direction was considered to be the main one at the first stage of the war (due to the desire to gain a foothold in the Seversky lands).
The Russian army marched almost simultaneously with the departure of messengers with the declaration of war to Lithuania (the ambassadors were Ivan Teleshov and Athanasius Sheenok). The troops commanded - exiled Kazan Khan Mohammed-Emin and Yakov Zakharich Koshkin. Russian troops in the southwest direction occupied Bryansk, Mtsensk and Serpeysk (their owners went over to the side of Moscow). Without a fight, the cities of Chernigov, Gomel, Pochep, Rylsk and others surrendered. The Moscow authorities recognized the princes Trubetskoy, Mosalskie. In the western direction, Russian troops were also successful. Dorogobuzh was taken.
The Russian command received information about military preparations in Lithuania. The most dangerous direction was considered western. From the side of Smolensk, a strike was expected on Dorogobuzh. The reserve of Tver army, commanded by the governor Daniil Vasilyevich Scheni-Patrikeev, was sent here via Vyazma. The reserve has teamed up with a detachment of Yuri Zakharich Koshkin, D. Schenya led the entire army. The number of Russian troops in this area increased to 40 thousand people. It was the right decision. From Smolensk, the 40-thousandth Lithuanian army led by hetman Konstantin Ivanovich Ostrozhsky moved through Yelnya. 14 July 1500 was held on the Battle of Vedrosh (several kilometers from Dorogobuzh), which became the key event of the Russian-Lithuanian war 1500-1503.
Vedroshskaya battle
Before the battle, the Russian army was located in a camp on the Mitkovo field (near the village of Mitkovo), which was located 5 km west of Dorogobuzh, behind the rivers Vedrosh, Celia and Trosna. True, historians do not have exact data about the battlefield: some researchers believe that the battle did not occur to the west, but approximately 15 kilometers southeast of Dorogobuzh, on the banks of the modern Selnje and Ryasna rivers.
The only bridge in these places was thrown over the Bucket. Learning about the approach of the enemy. The Russian governors built the Big Regiment, and the bridge was not destroyed. The right flank of the Russian rati was turned to the Dnieper, not far from the Trosny's confluence, the left was covered by a dense forest. An ambush was set up in the same forest - the Watch Regiment commanded by Yuri Koshkin. On the west bank, units of the Front Regiment were put forward, which was supposed to start a battle and withdraw to the east bank of the Vadroshi, substituting Lithuanians for the blow of the Big Regiment.
Unlike the Russian command, the Lithuanian hetman did not have accurate information about the enemy. Information about a small Russian detachment was received from the defector. On July 14, Ostrozhskiy attacked advanced Russian units, overturned them and began to pursue. The Lithuanians crossed the river and joined the battle with the forces of the Big Regiment. Furious slashing continued 6 hours. The forces were about equal and both sides fought courageously. The outcome of the battle was decided by the Russian ambush regiment. Russian troops hit the flank of the enemy, went to the rear of the Lithuanians and destroyed the bridge. The enemy has lost the opportunity to retreat. The Lithuanians fell into a panic, a large number drowned, trying to escape, others were captured, including Hetman Konstantin Ostrogsky. All Lithuanian wagon train and artillery were captured. The number of dead Lithuanians is estimated differently - from 4-8 - to 30 thousand killed and prisoners. There is no information about Russian losses.
It was a serious defeat - the most combat-ready units of the Lithuanian army were killed or captured in the battle. In addition to the hetman, other eminent Lithuanian commanders were captured - Grigory Ostovich Trotsky, voivode, Ivan Litavor (marshals) Marshal Ivan Lutavr, Governor Nikolai Glebov, Nikolai Zinoviev, Princes Drutskys, Mosalskie and other noble people. Having suffered a crushing defeat, Lithuania was forced to move to a defensive strategy.
Russian troops continued successfully launched campaign. In the southwestern direction of August 6, voivode Yakov Koshkin took Putivl. In the northwestern direction, the Novgorod-Pskov army of Andrei Fyodorovich Chelyadnin, advanced from the Great Onions of August, took Toropets and then Belaya. At the same time, an ally of the Moscow State, the Crimean Khan Mengli I Giray, raided the south of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. At the end of the year, Russian sovereign Ivan III planned to develop the achieved success and make a winter hike to Smolensk, but the severe winter of 9 — 1500. did not allow to execute the conceived.
War with Livonia (1501-1503)
Back in 1500, the Lithuanian Embassy was sent to the Grand Master of the Livonian Order Walter von Plettenberg (Master of the Livonian Order from 1494 of the year to 1535 of the year), with a proposal for an alliance against Moscow. Remembering the previous conflicts with Lithuania, Master Plettenberg gave his consent to the union not immediately, but only in 1501. The successes of the Russian troops in the war with Lithuania alarmed the Livonians, and they decided to help the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. 21 June 1501 was signed a treaty of alliance in Wenden. The master even tried to convince the Pope Alexander VI to declare a crusade against Russia, but the idea failed.
Back in the spring of 1501, more than 200 Russian merchants were arrested in Dorpat, their goods were looted. The Pskov ambassadors sent to Livonia were detained. The war with Livonia threatened the northwestern Russian lands. The Moscow monarch Ivan III sent a detachment from Novgorod to Pskov under the leadership of princes Vasily Vasilyevich Shuisky and the Tver army under the command of Daniil Alexandrovich Penko (Penko). In early August, they joined in Pskov with a detachment of Prince Ivan Ivanovich Gorbaty. 22 August army under the authority of Daniel Penko came to the border, where there were clashes with Livonian troops.
26 August 1501, the Livonian army led by Master V. Plettenberg crossed the Russian border near the town of Ostrov in order to unite with the allied Lithuanian forces on Russian territory and strike at Pskov. It should be noted that Master Walter von Plettenberg was one of the greatest leaders of the order for all his history.
Already on August 27, the forces of Plettenberg came together with the Russian army in the battle on the River Seritsa in 10 versts from Izborsk. The forces of Livonians and Russians are estimated at about 6 thousand people. The main feature of the Livonian detachment was the presence in it of a significant amount of artillery: field guns and manual tweezers. The advanced Russian regiment (Pskov) unexpectedly came across large forces of the Livonians. The Pskov, under the command of mayor Ivan Tenshin, attacked the Livonian vanguard and overturned it. In pursuing the enemy, the Pskov came across the main forces of the enemy, who managed to deploy batteries. Livonians fired at the Pskov, one of the first to die was Ivan Tenshin. Pskov under fire began to depart. Livonians transferred fire to the main forces of the Russian detachment. The Russian forces mixed up and withdrew, leaving the wagon train. The reasons for the defeat of the Russian army, in addition to the skillful use of artillery by the enemy, was also in the unsatisfactory organization of intelligence, the interaction between the Pskov and Novgorod-Tver units of the army. In general, both sides suffered minor losses. The main thing was that the Russian army was demoralized and gave the initiative to the enemy.
Russian forces retreated to Pskov. The Livonian Master did not pursue them and organized a siege of Izborsk. The garrison of the Russian fortress, despite the heavy shelling, repelled the attack of the enemy. Plettenberg did not linger and moved to Pskov, it was not possible to take fords across the Great River. Livonians 7 September laid siege to a small island fortress. The guns were brought down to the town. With the help of incendiary projectiles managed to cause fires. On the night of September 8, the storming of a stormed fortress began. The city was captured, during the assault and massacre Livonians destroyed the entire population of the Island - 4 thousand people. After that, the Livonians hastily retreated into their territory. Researchers cite two reasons for the withdrawal of the Livonians: 1) an epidemic began in the army (the master also fell ill), 2 was the position of the Lithuanian allies - the Lithuanians did not come to the aid of the Livonians. The Polish king, Jan Olbracht, died and the Grand Duke of Lithuania had to resolve issues related to the succession to the throne. A small detachment was sent to help the Livonians, but it appeared when the Livonians already retreated. The Lithuanians laid siege to the Opochka fortress, but could not take it and soon retreated.
Inconsistency of actions of opponents took advantage of Ivan III Vasilyevich. In October, a large Moscow army led by voivods Daniel Shchenya and Alexander Obolensky moved to the north-western borders. It included the Allied detachment of the Kazan Tatars. Connecting with Pskov, the army at the end of October crossed the border and invaded Livonia. The eastern regions of Livonia, especially the Dorpat bishopric, were terribly devastated (sources have reported 40 thousand dead and gone to full). Livonian Master tried to take advantage of the fact that Russian troops divided, devastating enemy territory. On the night of November 24 1501, he attacked the Moscow army under the castle Gelmed, near Dorpat. At the very beginning of the battle, voivode Alexander Obolensky died, the Russian troops mixed up and retreated. But soon the Russian and Tatar cavalry overthrew the enemy, the battle ended with a significant Russian victory. The Germans were driven ten miles away.
In the winter of 1501-1502, the Russian army under the leadership of Scheny made a trip to Revel. The German lands were devastated again. In the spring of 1502, the Livonians tried to answer. German knights attacked in two directions: a large detachment moved to Ivangorod, and another to the Red town (a fortress belonging to the Pskov land). 9 March there was a battle at Ivangorod outpost. In the battle Novgorod governor Ivan Kolychev died, but the enemy attack was repulsed. 17 March The Germans laid siege to Red Town, but could not take it. Upon learning of the approach of the Pskov rati, the Germans lifted the siege and retreated.
In early autumn, the Livonian Master launched a new offensive. At this time, the main Russian troops in the western direction besieged Smolensk and Orsha. 2 September 15-th. Livonian army approached Izborsk. Storm Russian garrison repulsed. Plettenberg did not linger and moved to Pskov. 6 September the Germans began the siege of Pskov. Attempts to destroy part of the fortifications with the help of artillery and create gaps were not crowned with success. In the meantime, the army under the leadership of Scheni and the princes Shuisky came out of Novgorod to help Pskov. The Germans began to depart, but at the Smolin Lake were overtaken. September 13 battle took place at the lake Smolin. Livonians were again able to take advantage of the inconsistency of the actions of the Russian regiments and won. But, apparently, the success of the operation is exaggerated (the loss of Russian 12-thousand troops - 3-8 thousand soldiers) is reported, since the Livonians could not take advantage of the victory, and were driven abroad. Already in the winter of 1502, the troops of the princes Semyon Starodubsky-Mozhaysky and Vasily Shemyachich made a new raid on the lands of Livonia.
Vendensky castle.
War with the Great Horde and Lithuania
At this time, the great Horde Khan (the remnant of the Golden Horde, after the separation of the other Khanates) had a significant benefit to the great Lithuanian prince. Sheikh Ahmed Khan. In the 1500 year and the first half of 1501, he fought against the Crimean Khanate, but in the fall of 1501, his forces made a devastating raid on Seversk land. Rylsk was plundered, Novgorod-Seversky. Some units even reached the outskirts of Bryansk.
But, despite the attacks of the forces of the Livonian Order and the Great Horde, the Russian command in the autumn of 1501 of the year organized a new offensive against Lithuania. 4 November 1501, the battle took place at Mstislavl. The Lithuanian army under the command of commander Mikhail Izeslavsky tried to stop the Russian forces, and was completely defeated. The Lithuanians lost about 7 thousand people and all the banners. True, to take Mstislavl failed. Russian troops were limited to the destruction of Mstislavl district. The troops had to be transferred to the south in order to oust the Tatar detachments from the Seversk land.
Sheikh Ahmed Khan was unable to deliver a second strike: in the winter - summer of 1502, he fought with the Crimean troops. The Great Horde Khan suffered a crushing defeat. Sheikh Ahmed Khan fled to Lithuania, where he was soon arrested by former allies. The Great Horde ceased to exist. Her lands temporarily became part of the Crimean Khanate.
At this time, Ivan III Vasilyevich was preparing a new offensive to the west. The goal was Smolensk. Significant forces were gathered, but the siege of Smolensk, begun at the end of July 1502, ended in vain. The artillery shortage affected, the Lithuanians put up stubborn resistance and soon were able to move considerable forces to the fortress. Russian troops moved away from Smolensk.
After that, the nature of the war changed. Russian troops moved from large marches and sieges of fortresses to raids in order to devastate frontier volosts. At the same time, the Crimean detachments of Mengli I Girey invaded Lithuania and Poland. The districts of Lutsk, Turov, Lviv, Blavlava, Lublin, Vishnetsk, Belz, and Krakow were devastated. In addition, Stephen Moldavsky attacked Poland. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was drained of blood and could not continue the war. The Poles were engaged in the defense of the southern and south-western borders.
The truce
The King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander Jagiellon, having previously agreed to the Master of the Livonian Order Plettenberg, with the mediation of the Hungarian King Vladislav Jagiellon and the Pope Alexander, began the search for a peace agreement with the Moscow state. At the end of December 1502, the Hungarian ambassador Sigismund Santay arrived in Moscow, who was able to persuade Ivan to peace negotiations. In early March, the Lithuanian and Livonian embassies arrived in the Russian capital of 1503. Lithuania was represented by Peter Miskovsky and Stanislav Glebovich, and Livonia was represented by Johann Gildorp and Klaus Golstvever.
Peace could not be agreed, but they signed a truce for 6 years. The Blagoveshchensk truce was signed on 25 March 1503. As a result of this agreement, a vast territory was withdrawn to the Russian state - about a third of the entire Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Russia received the upper reaches of the Oka and Dnieper with 19 foreign cities, including Chernihiv, Novgorod-Seversky, Gomel, Bryansk, Starodub, Putivl, Dorogobuzh, Toropets, etc. It was a significant Russian success. weapons and diplomacy. In addition, Moscow was gaining an important strategic advantage over its main western adversary - the new Russian-Lithuanian border now passed in 100 km from Smolensk and 45-50 km from Kiev. Ivan III Vasilyevich understood that this was not the last war with Lithuania, the process of reunification of the Russian lands had not yet been completed. Both sides are actively preparing for a new war.
2 April 1503 was signed a truce with the Livonian Order. According to it, the status quo ante bellum was restored, that is, the powers returned to the state of borders before the outbreak of hostilities.
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