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Siege Of Cēsis Castle (1577)
The siege of Cēsis Castle (1577) was a part of Ivan the Terrible, Ivan the Terrible's campaign to conquer Terra Mariana, Old Livonia. After a five-day-long bombardment, about 300 people within the castle committed mass suicide by blowing themselves up with four barrels of gunpowder. The event is regarded as one of the greatest tragedies in the war-torn Europe of the early modern period. Background After the dissolution of the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order in 1561, Cēsis Castle, one of the region's most important fortresses, was garrisoned by Polish troops. In the summer of 1577, the townsmen of Cēsis drove the Polish garrison from the castle and submitted to Magnus, Duke of Holstein, Magnus, the titular King of Livonia. Soon after Magnus have moved to Cēsis the Muscovites, personally led by Ivan the Terrible, arrived at the edge of the town. The tsar had a reputation for not sparing even those who willingly surrendered, and therefore the decision was made not to open ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivan The Terrible
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar of all Russia, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in 1584. Ivan's reign was characterised by Russia's transformation from a medieval state to a fledgling empire, but at an immense cost to its people and long-term economy. Ivan IV was the eldest son of Vasili III of Russia, Vasili III by his second wife Elena Glinskaya, and a grandson of Ivan III of Russia, Ivan III. He succeeded his father after his death, when he was three years old. A group of reformers united around the young Ivan, crowning him as tsar in 1547 at the age of 16. In the early years of his reign, Ivan ruled with the group of reformers known as the Chosen Council and established the ''Zemsky Sobor'', a new assembly convened by the tsar. He also revised the Sudebnik of 1550, legal code and in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
