The Time of Troubles in Russia: what is it and why is it called that?
The Time of Troubles is one of the most dramatic periods in the history of Russia. It was the period of the collapse of statehood, when Russia was experiencing the first civil war in its history and was on the verge of losing independence. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
The Years of Troubles: when the Crisis began and ended
Formally, the Time of Troubles covers the period from 1598 to 1613, although some historians expand this chronological framework.
The beginning of the Troubles is considered to be 1598, the year of the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, the son of Ivan IV the Terrible and the last representative of the Moscow branch of the Rurik dynasty. The tsar had no direct heirs who had the legal right to ascend the throne, which provoked a dynastic crisis and a struggle for power. The end of the Time of Troubles dates back to 1613, when the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanov to the kingdom, marking the beginning of a new dynasty.
However, a number of historians consider it legitimate to expand the boundaries of the period up to 1618, including the end of hostilities with Poland and Sweden. Some researchers begin to count the Troubles even earlier — from the 1580s, when the socio-economic crisis intensified in the country. Thus, the exact definition of the chronological framework of the Time of Troubles remains the subject of scientific debate.
Why is the Time of Troubles so called
The name comes from the word "vague," which in pre-Petrine Russia meant an anxious, divisive and turbulent period. Even contemporaries of those events used this definition to characterize an era filled with power struggles, the appearance of impostors, peasant uprisings, foreign intervention, and social chaos.
The Causes of the Time of Troubles: why Russia found itself in chaos
The time of Troubles was caused by a complex of reasons that created favorable conditions for the crisis.
Political reasons:
the suppression of the Rurik dynasty after the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich in 1598;
the struggle for power between boyar groups;
the aristocracy's desire to weaken the autocrat's power.
Economic reasons:
the devastation of the country during the years of the Oprichnina and the Livonian War;
the massive famine of 1601-1603 caused by crop failures;
economic decline and depletion of the treasury.
Social reasons:
tightening of serfdom — the introduction of reserve years in 1581 and fixed years in 1597;
the restriction of Cossack liberties and the flight of the population to the outskirts of the country;
the aggravation of contradictions between different classes of society.
The famine of 1601-1603 became a catalyst for popular unrest, as it claimed the lives of thousands of people and led to mass impoverishment. The dynastic crisis created a power vacuum, which was exploited by both internal forces fighting for the throne and external enemies — Poland and Sweden.
The main events of the Troubles: from impostors to the people's militia
The Time of Troubles passed through several stages, each of which was characterized by its own events.
The main stages and events of the Time of Troubles:
The reign of Boris Godunov (1598-1605) was a period of attempts to stabilize the situation, marked by increasing social inequality and the appearance of the first impostor.
False Dmitry I (1605-1606), an impostor who pretended to be Tsarevich Dmitry, seized power with the support of Poland, but was killed as a result of a boyar conspiracy.
Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610) — his reign proved unstable due to the appearance of new impostors and increased foreign intervention.
The Uprising of Ivan Bolotnikov (1606-1607) was a major popular uprising against the government of Vasily Shuisky.
False Dmitry II, or the thief of Tushino (1607-1610) — the appearance of the second impostor and the formation of his camp in Tushino destabilized the situation.
The Seven Boyars (1610) — a group of boyars surrendered Moscow to Polish Prince Vladislav, which led to the Polish occupation of the capital.
The First and Second national militias are a movement led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, aimed at expelling the Polish invaders and restoring Russian statehood.
The election of Mikhail Romanov (1613) — The Zemsky Sobor elected a new tsar, which put an end to the dynastic crisis.
Russian Russian Troubles also included the Russo-Polish and Russo-Swedish wars, which worsened the situation of the country. The People's Militia of 1612 marked a turning point when the liberation of Moscow from Polish invaders paved the way for the restoration of statehood.
The consequences of the Time of Troubles for Russia
The Time of Troubles left a deep mark on the history of Russia and had both negative and positive consequences.
Negative consequences:
loss of significant territories in favor of Poland and Sweden;
catastrophic economic and economic decline;
the ruin of the state treasury and the growing tax burden;
heavy human losses due to wars, famine and epidemics;
destruction of agriculture, mass starvation and impoverishment of the population;
abandoned land and reduced workforce.
Positive results:
strengthening Russia's statehood and national unity;
the establishment of the new Romanov dynasty, which ruled the country until 1917;
the end of foreign intervention and the preservation of independence;
formation of national identity in the context of the struggle for independence;
strengthening the role of the Orthodox Church as a pillar of national identity.
Economic recovery has taken considerable effort and time. The Romanov government took measures to restore land and support the peasantry, which gradually stabilized the situation. The Time of Troubles demonstrated the resilience and endurance of the Russian people, as well as the importance of national cohesion in the face of external and internal threats.
All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.
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