Ivan the terrible- statesman or madman?
"Ivan the Terrible. Statesman or Madman? Discuss."Ivan was crowned in 1547 at 17 years of age, when he married Anastasia Romanov. Ivan's life can be divided into two distinct phases- the 'good' years and the 'bad' years. During his 'good' years he was a terrific statesman who connected with his people, revolutionized the Russian legal system, and launched major military battles on Russia's enemies. When his wife died, he slipped into his 'bad' years where he killed hundreds of people, tortured scores of his own people, and established an Oprichnina in Russia.Ivan improved and gained better control of Russia by helping his people, and is often thought to be the most solicitous tsar. One of the ways Ivan he led his people, was by recognizing their need for technical skills and sending to Europe for scholars and engineers. Ivan asked for forgiveness from his people for past injustices, explaining that as an orphan he had learnt evil ways from the boyars. "How I have sinned, and how many punishments has God sent against you! And I did not repent, and I have myself persecuted poor Christians with every violence".He promised to be a more admirable ruler, and decisions like this made his respected and loved by the people of R
Both the boyars and the common people of Russia implored Ivan to return as without him Russia would be in anarchy. An oprichnina was, in effect, a stste within a state. However, the Tartars broke through and killed at least 100,000 people. In 1550, he conveyed the first "ZemskySobor", or and 'assembly of the land' where the clergy, hereditary aristocracy, service gentry and the merchants were represented. Her body was then devoured by blood hounds. His policies were greatly influence by Britain, and he even proposed to Elizabeth I. This was on the condition that the town could guarantee payments to Moscow each year. The oprichnina included half of Russia with some areas being included and others not. Most of the oprichnik's were Service gentry, Tartars, Germans, Lithuanians, and Cossacks who acted like a secret police. Ivan and sought the prophesy of witches and magicians in the final years of his life. In 1564 he loaded all his treasures onto sledges and immured himself in the small town of Alexandrov. The Russian people expanded their country's boundaries without help from the tsar. In 1560, his wife Anastasia died and he emotionally collapsed. He died aged 54, and revolutionized Russia.
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