In the spring of 1610, Russian troops with Swedish mercenaries marched towards Smolensk against the army Polish king Sigismund, however, were defeated at the village of Klushino near Mozhaisk (June 24, 1610), which accelerated the overthrow of Shuisky and the establishment of the “Seven Boyars”.
The reason for Sweden's action against Russia was the election of Moscow boyars to Russian throne Polish prince Vladislav. Having learned about the reorientation of Moscow, the Swedes, who were at war with Poland, began military operations against the Russians. For the Swedish side, a favorable opportunity opened up for large territorial acquisitions in northern Russia. The greatest success of the Swedes was their capture of Novgorod.
Capture of Novgorod (1611). In March 1611, the Swedish army under the command of General J. P. Delagardie approached Novgorod. The townspeople closed the gates and decided to defend themselves. In May, a representative of the First Militia, Voivode Buturlin, arrived in the city with a detachment. However, he did not have sufficient strength to defeat the Swedes. Deciding not to wait for new reinforcements to approach the Russians, the Swedish army launched an assault on Novgorod on July 8, 1611, but failed. Success not only inspired the Novgorodians, but also made them more careless, and Delagardi took advantage of this. On the night of July 16, with the help of a traitor, the Swedes entered the city through the unguarded Chudintsovsky Gate. Having suppressed individual pockets of resistance, the Swedish army captured Novgorod. After this, the Novgorodians recognized the King of Sweden as their patron and called on the rest Russian regions recognize them as king of the Swedish prince Philip.
Battle of Bronnitsy (1614). In 1614 new Moscow government resumed military operations against the Swedes, trying to recapture Novgorod from them. An army was sent to the city under the command of Prince Dmitry Trubetskoy. Having reached Bronnitsy (30 km southwest of Novgorod), Zarutsky’s former comrade-in-arms set up camp there. The atmosphere of the times of the First Militia reigned in the Russian camp. Nobody wanted to obey anyone. The governors quarreled with each other, and the rank and file were engaged in robberies of the surrounding villages. Taking advantage of the disintegration of the Russian army, Delagardie attacked Trubetskoy on July 14, 1614 severe defeat and blocked his camp, where famine soon began. Having learned about this, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich ordered Trubetskoy to retreat to Torzhok. When breaking out of encirclement, the Russians suffered heavy losses. According to the chronicle, the governors barely escaped on foot. The failure at Novgorod allowed the new Swedish king Gustav Adolf to intensify military operations and capture in September 1614 the strong fortress of Gdov, which covered the road to Pskov from the north.
Defense Tikhvin Monastery (1613-1615). The defense of the Tikhvin Monastery was more successful for the Russians, where a handful of heroes stopped the onslaught professional army. Delagardie's first attempt to take possession of the monastery in 1613-1614. was repelled by the monks and surrounding residents. On September 14, 1614, Delagardie lifted the siege. In 1615, the Swedes once again tried to take possession of the monastery, but again failed. According to legend, the intercession of the famous Tikhvin icon helped the Orthodox soldiers repel the formidable onslaught Mother of God located in the monastery. Tradition says that the monks, initially frightened by the numbers Swedish army, decided to leave the monastery and take the image of Our Lady of Tikhvin with them to Moscow. But when they tried to take the icon, no one could move it from its place. Then, along with the icon, its defenders remained in the monastery.
Pskov defense (1615). The culmination of the Russian-Swedish struggle in 1614-1615. became heroic defense Pskov. The next year after the capture of Gdov, the Swedish king Gustav Adolf moved to Pskov. On June 30, 1615, his army (16 thousand people) besieged this fortress, which was defended by a garrison under the command of governors Morozov and Buturlin. The Swedes' attempt to take the city on the move ended in failure. Their first onslaught was repulsed with heavy losses. Among the killed was the Novgorod governor, Field Marshal Evert Horn. Then the king moved on to a siege, creating a series of camps fortified with trenches around the city. On October 9, having fired 700 incendiary cannonballs into the city, the Swedes launched a general attack on the Pskov fortifications. But he too was a complete failure. The defenders of the fortress heroically repelled all attacks, inflicting significant damage on the attackers. After the defeat at Pskov, Gustav Adolf did not dare to delay military action. Sweden planned to resume the fight with Poland for the Baltic states and was not ready for protracted war with Russia.
Stolbovsky world
Russia and Sweden (concluded on February 27, 1617 in the village of Stolbovo near Tikhvin).
Convinced of the firmness of the Russians, the Swedish leadership, through the mediation of England, entered into a deal with them peace talks. They ended with the signing of the Stolbovo Peace Treaty. Sweden returned Novgorod to Russia, Staraya Russa etc., but reserved Korela (Kexholm), Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye, Oreshek. Novgorod land did not become a Swedish protectorate, but Russia completely lost access to Baltic Sea. The Peace of Stolbovo crowned Sweden's centuries-long efforts with success. From now on, the Russian-Swedish border in the west began to pass along the Lavuya River (east of Oreshok). “The sea has been taken away from Russia, and, God willing, now it will be difficult for the Russians to jump over this stream,” - this is how Gustav Adolf expressed the essence of the signed agreement.
Russia has a truly heroic military history. No army in the world has fought so successfully. The heroism of Russian soldiers was often recognized by their opponents. But Russia also had defeats. We invite you to remember them.
1 Livonian War (1558-1583)
The Livonian War was one of the most long wars, in which Russia participated. It lasted almost thirty years. During this time, a lot happened both inside and foreign policy events, which seriously influenced the course and outcome of the war.
Its first stage was extremely successful for the Russian troops. From May to October 1558, 20 fortresses were taken, including Narva and Yuryev (Dorpt). However, Russia was unable to consolidate its military successes due to internal disagreements at court and the Crimean campaign.
Truce of 1559 Livonian Order used it in my own way. The master of the order, Gotthard Ketler, instead of coming to Moscow to conclude an agreement, transferred the lands of the order and the possessions of the Riga archbishop under the protectorate Principality of Lithuania. Revel was in the possession of Sweden, and the island of Ezel - Danish prince Magnus.
A month before the end of the truce, the Livonian Order treacherously attacked Russian troops, but by 1560 its troops were completely defeated, and the Livonian Confederation ceased to exist. Russia faced new problem: Lithuania, Poland, Denmark and Sweden now legally claimed the Livonian lands.
Now Russia was already at war with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Three years later, Lithuania proposed dividing Livonia, but Grozny followed the principle. In 1569, Lithuania united with Poland. At the end of the war, Sweden also decided to fight “for a piece of the Livonian pie”...
Russia lost Livonian War due to many factors. Firstly, internal disagreements at the court of Ivan the Terrible and the betrayal of the governor; secondly, a forced war on two fronts (in 1572, the Russian army crushed the troops of Devlet-Girey at the Battle of Molodi); thirdly, “The Tsar created the oprichnina... And from this came the great desolation of the Russian land.”
The “English factor” also played a role in Russia’s defeat. Grozny believed in England's help until the last, but the British in every possible way delayed the conclusion of a defensive-offensive treaty with Russia. England was preparing to move its trading post to Revel, after the end seven years war between Denmark and Sweden. Grozny's diplomatic efforts (and privileges English merchants for transit trade with Persia) delayed the transfer of the trading post for almost 9 years, but the conclusion union treaty it never happened.
Russia lost its strategic advantage. England, skillfully using military actions between other countries, pushed back Hanseatic League in the Baltic, finally seized the trade initiative, and turned into the strongest maritime power.
2 Russian- swedish war (1610-1617)
In 1611 he ascended the Swedish throne new king- Gustav II Adolf. On the throne he continued the line foreign policy his father, Charles IX, from whom he was left with three wars, including Russia, where Novgorod had already been captured by the Swedes. Karl, anticipating a future confrontation with Poland, wanted to “untie the Russian knot” as quickly as possible. He understood that the chances of Novgorod becoming a Swedish outpost were extremely small.
"This proud people“,” Gustav II Adolf himself wrote about the Russians, “has an inveterate hatred of all alien peoples.” Therefore, the young king was increasingly inclined to leave all his conquests in Russia and make peace with Mikhail Romanov on the most favorable terms.
However, in order to take a large spoils of war and provide yourself strong positions During the negotiations, the Swedish king began military operations in North-West Russia. In 1614 he took possession of Gdov, and in next year besieged Pskov, approaching the city with 16,000 troops. But Pskov did not give up, even despite the fact that in three days “700 fiery cannonballs, and countless cast iron ones,” were fired at it.
A lengthy negotiation process in 1617 in the village of Stolbovo near Tikhvinomp was carried out through the mediation of the English diplomat John Merrick. He persuaded the Swedes to stay several times when negotiations reached a dead end and they were about to leave.
The Swedes wanted to get all the lands captured during the Time of Troubles - along with Novgorod. The Russians demanded that everything be returned. As a result, a compromise was reached, acceptable for both sides at that time: Sweden received the Baltic cities, cutting off Moscow from access to the sea, and in addition almost a ton of silver; Russia returned Novgorod and focused on the war with Poland.
John Merrick was generously rewarded by the king: among other things, he was given a fur coat from the royal shoulder: a rare honor, exclusive for a foreigner. But he did not participate in the negotiations, of course, for the sake of a fur coat: he needed to obtain preferential rights for the British to travel through Russia to Persia and trade there.
Despite all the Englishman’s merits, his main request was gently refused: trade with Persia after the Time of Troubles became one of the main sources of profit for Russian merchants, and therefore it was unprofitable to allow foreigners to the Caspian Sea. Nevertheless, Merrick managed to negotiate the consent of the Russian Tsar for the British to search for a route to China, to investigate iron ore deposits in the Vologda region, to sow flax and export alabaster.
3 Crimean War (1853-1856)
In terms of its grandiose scale, the width of the theater of operations and the number of mobilized troops, the Crimean War was quite comparable to the World War. Russia defended itself on several fronts - in Crimea, Georgia, the Caucasus, Sveaborg, Kronstadt, Solovki and Kamchatka. In fact, Russia fought alone, with minors acting on our side. Bulgarian forces(3000 soldiers) and the Greek legion (800 people). We were opposed by an international coalition consisting of Great Britain, France, Ottoman Empire and Sardinia, total number more than 750 thousand.
The peace treaty was signed on March 30, 1856 in Paris at international congress with the participation of all the warring powers, as well as Austria and Prussia. Under the terms of the treaty, Russia returned Kars to Turkey in exchange for Sevastopol, Balaklava and other cities in Crimea captured by the Allies; ceded to the Moldavian principality the mouth of the Danube and part of southern Bessarabia. The Black Sea was declared neutral; Russia and Turkey could not maintain a navy there.
Russia and Türkiye could only contain 6 steam ships 800 tons each and 4 vessels of 200 tons each for carrying guard service. The autonomy of Serbia and the Danube principalities was confirmed, but supreme power Turkish Sultan was preserved over them. The previously adopted provisions of the London Convention of 1841 on the closure of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to military vessels of all countries except Turkey were confirmed. Russia pledged not to build military fortifications on the Åland Islands and in the Baltic Sea.
The patronage of Turkish Christians was transferred to the hands of the “concern” of all the great powers, that is, England, France, Austria, Prussia and Russia. The treaty deprived Russia of the right to protect the interests of the Orthodox population on the territory of the Ottoman Empire.
4 Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
Large-scale fighting Russo-Japanese War began on January 26, 1904 with a treacherous attack by Japanese destroyers on external roadstead Port Arthur to the Russian squadron.
The Japanese torpedoed and temporarily disabled the best Russian battleships Tsesarevich and Retvizan, as well as the cruiser Pallada. Measures to protect ships in the outer roadstead turned out to be clearly insufficient. It must be admitted that none of the Russian ships received fatal damage, and after an artillery battle on the morning of January 27, the Japanese fleet was forced to retreat. The moral factor played a fatal role - Japanese fleet managed to seize the initiative. Our squadron began to suffer ridiculous and unjustified losses in the following days due to weak interaction and management. So, just two days after the start of the war, the minelayer "Yenisei" and the cruiser "Boyarin" were killed by their own mines.
The war was going on with with varying success and was marked by the heroism of Russian sailors and soldiers, who amazed even the enemy with their fighting spirit. Like, for example, Private Vasily Ryabov, who was detained by the Japanese during a reconnaissance mission. Dressed as a Chinese peasant and wearing a wig with a pigtail, Ryabov ran into a Japanese patrol behind enemy lines. Ryabov's interrogation did not break him, he preserved military secret and, being sentenced to death, behaved with dignity. Everything happened strictly according to the ritual. They shot from rifles from fifteen paces. The Japanese were delighted with the Russian's courageous behavior and considered it their duty to bring this to the attention of his superiors.
A note from a Japanese officer sounds like a presentation for an award: “Our army cannot help but express our sincere wishes respected army, so that the latter educates more such truly wonderful warriors worthy of full respect.”
The peace treaty, signed on August 23, 1905, is still a very controversial document, some historians consider it big mistake Russian diplomacy. Not the last negative role Lieutenant General Anatoly Stessel played a role in resolving the negotiation issue. In literature he is often called the commandant of the fortress, although this is not so. Stessel was the head of the Kwantung fortified region; after the abolition of the latter in June 1904, he, contrary to orders, remained in Port Arthur. He did not show himself as a military leader, sending reports with exaggerated data about Russian losses and the number of Japanese troops.
Stoessel is also known for a number of very shady financial affairs in the besieged fortress. On January 2, 1905, contrary to the opinion of the military council, he began negotiations with the Japanese on the surrender of Port Arthur. After the war under pressure public opinion He was put on trial and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in a fortress, but six months later he was released by decision of the emperor and hastened to go abroad.
5 World War I (1914-1918)
Despite the fact that the first World War It is considered a war lost by Russia; our troops showed considerable heroism in it. Among the Russian victories in the First World War are the capture of Przemysl, Galician battle, Sarykamysh operation, Erzemrum and Trebizond operations.
The Brusilov breakthrough gained great fame. Troops Southwestern Front under the command of A. A. Brusilov, having broken into the Austrian defenses, they again occupied almost all of Galicia and Bukovina. The enemy lost up to 1.5 million people killed, wounded and captured. But like many other Russian victories, the Brusilov breakthrough, with all its military success, turned out to be more beneficial for Russia’s allies: German pressure on Verdun was weakened, and in the Alps the Italians managed to put themselves in order after the defeat at Trentino. A direct consequence Brusilovsky breakthrough Romania entered the war on the side of the Entente, which forced Russia to extend the front by another 500 kilometers.
Only towards the end of 1916 did both England and France feel their strength. Germany's defeat was just around the corner. War is an economic funnel, at the end of which you can get good dividends, and the war itself brings good profits. The United States also planned to enter the war. Woodrow Wilson, initially neutral, matured. Participation in the division of territories and indemnities of Russia was extremely undesirable.
Sharpened from the inside (not without English influence) Russia was mentally prepared for Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. If not for the confluence of circumstances that led to unrest and the weakening of power in the country, Russia would definitely have emerged from the war as a winner. Thanks to the “allies” - I didn’t come out.
England and France presented the war as a struggle for freedom against the power of autocracy. Presence Tsarist Russia in the democratic camp of the Allies was a serious obstacle in this ideological war. The London Times welcomed February revolution as “a victory in the military movement,” and the editorial commentary explained that “the army and the people united to overthrow the forces of reaction that were stifling popular aspirations and binding the national forces.”
Which at that time was also at war with Poland. He promised to give the Korela fortress to Charles IX for his help in the fight against the Poles and False Dmitry II.
The title page of a separate book of the Novgorod state in 1612 about the distribution of palace lands to estates in the Lyatsky churchyard.
“Summer 7120 August in the day. By order of the royal majesty and the Nougorod state of the boyar and Bolshovo Ratnovo voivode Yakov Puntosovich Delegard and the boyar and voivode Prince Ivan Nikitich Bolshoy Odoevsky, with the accreditation of clerks Semyon Lutokhin and Ondrei Lystsov, clerks Yakim Veshnyakov in Shelonskaya Pyatina in the Zaleskaya half in Lyatsky district ste from the sovereign's palace village , what was previously sown for Ignorant and Bogdan Belsky, he separated into the estate [...]"
July 25, 1611 between the puppet occupied Swedes Novgorod state and the Swedish king signed an agreement, according to which the Swedish king was declared the patron of the independent Novgorod state, and one of his sons (Karl Philip) became a contender for royal throne and the Grand Duke of Novgorod. Thus, most of Novgorod land became formally independent Novgorod state, located under Swedish protectorate, although in essence it was Swedish military occupation. It was led on the Russian side by Ivan Nikitich Bolshoi Odoevsky, and on the Swedish side by Jacob Delagardie. On their behalf, decrees were issued and land was distributed to estates to service people who accepted the new Novgorod government.
After convening in Moscow Zemsky Sobor and his election in 1613 of the new Russian Tsar Mikhail Romanov, the policy of the Swedish occupation administration changed. During Delagardie's absence in the winter of 1614-1615, the Swedish military administration in Novgorod was headed by Evert Horn, who pursued a tough policy to annex the Novgorod lands to Sweden, declaring that the new king Gustav Adolf himself wanted to be king in Novgorod. Many Novgorodians did not accept such a statement; Having gone over to the side of Moscow, they began to leave the Novgorod state.
In 1613, the Swedes approached Tikhvin and unsuccessfully besieged the city. In the fall of 1613, the army of the boyar prince set out from Moscow on a campaign to Novgorod, captured by the Swedes in 1611
The Russian-Swedish War 1610-1617 (Swedish: Ingermanländska kriget) is a war between the Russian state and Sweden, which began after the collapse of the Russian-Swedish alliance in the war against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It ended with the signing of the Stolbovo Peace Treaty on February 27, 1617.
During the Time of Troubles in Russia, Tsar Vasily Shuisky entered into an alliance with Sweden, which at that time was also at war with Poland. He promised to give the Korela fortress to Charles IX for his help in the fight against the Poles and False Dmitry II. Referring to this alliance, Sigismund III declared war on Moscow. During the Battle of Klushin in June 1610, the Poles defeated the Russian-Swedish army, destroying a large part of the Russian troops and capturing Swedish mercenaries. After this, in the summer of 1610, a detachment of Swedish and French mercenaries under the command of Pierre Delaville captured the Russian fortress of Staraya Ladoga. Delaville assured the Russians that he represented the interests of the Russian Tsar Vasily Shuisky, against whom his subjects had rebelled. In January 1611, 2 thousand Russian soldiers under the command of Prince Grigory Konstantinovich Volkonsky defeated Delaville’s detachment and offered Delaville to leave Staraya Ladoga in exchange for prisoners, among whom was his brother. In February 1611, Delaville agreed to surrender on honorable terms. In 1611, taking advantage political situation, the Swedes begin to seize the Novgorod border lands - Korela, Yam, Ivangorod, Koporye and Gdov were captured. On July 16, 1611, Novgorod was attacked by a Swedish army; Due to the betrayal and retreat of the Moscow governor Buturlin with his detachment, the city was quickly captured. The Novgorodians asked King Charles IX of Sweden to place one of his sons, Carl Philip or Gustav Adolf, on the Russian throne. On July 25, 1611, an agreement was signed between Novgorod and the Swedish king, according to which the Swedish king was declared the patron of Russia, and one of his sons (Karl Philip) became the Moscow Tsar and the Grand Duke of Novgorod. Thus, most of the Novgorod land became a formally independent Novgorod state, under Swedish protectorate, although in essence it was a Swedish military occupation. It was led by Ivan Nikitich Bolshoi Odoevsky on the Russian side, and Jacob Delagardie on the Swedish side. On their behalf, decrees were issued and land was distributed to estates to service people who accepted the new Novgorod government. During Delagardie's absence in the winter of 1614-1615, the Swedish military administration in Novgorod was headed by Evert Horn, who pursued a tough policy to annex the Novgorod lands to Sweden, declaring that the new king Gustav Adolf himself wanted to be king in Novgorod. Many Novgorodians did not accept this statement; they went over to the side of Moscow and began to leave the Novgorod state. In 1613, the Swedes approached Tikhvin and unsuccessfully besieged the city. In the autumn of 1613, the army of the boyar Prince Dmitry Trubetskoy, consisting of...
Which at that time was also at war with Poland. He promised to give the Korela fortress to Charles IX for his help in the fight against the Poles and False Dmitry II.
The title page of a separate book of the Novgorod state in 1612 about the distribution of palace lands to estates in the Lyatsky churchyard.
“Summer 7120 August in the day. By order of the royal majesty and the Nougorod state of the boyar and Bolshovo Ratnovo voivode Yakov Puntosovich Delegard and the boyar and voivode Prince Ivan Nikitich Bolshoy Odoevsky, with the accreditation of clerks Semyon Lutokhin and Ondrei Lystsov, clerks Yakim Veshnyakov in Shelonskaya Pyatina in the Zaleskaya half in Lyatsky district ste from the sovereign's palace village , what was previously sown for Ignorant and Bogdan Belsky, he separated into the estate [...]"
On July 25, 1611, an agreement was signed between the puppet Novgorod state occupied by the Swedes and the Swedish king, according to which the Swedish king was declared the patron of the independent Novgorod state, and one of his sons (the prince Karl Philip) became a contender for the royal throne and the Grand Duke of Novgorod. Thus, most of the Novgorod land became formally independent Novgorod state, located under Swedish protectorate, although in essence it was a Swedish military occupation. It was led on the Russian side by Ivan Nikitich Bolshoi Odoevsky, and on the Swedish side by Jacob Delagardie. On their behalf, decrees were issued and land was distributed to estates to service people who accepted the new Novgorod government.
After the convening of the Zemsky Sobor in Moscow and the election of the new Russian Tsar Mikhail Romanov in 1613, the policy of the Swedish occupation administration changed. During Delagardie's absence in the winter of 1614-1615, the Swedish military administration in Novgorod was headed by Evert Horn, who pursued a tough policy to annex the Novgorod lands to Sweden, declaring that the new king Gustav Adolf himself wanted to be king in Novgorod. Many Novgorodians did not accept such a statement; Having gone over to the side of Moscow, they began to leave the Novgorod state.
In 1613, the Swedes approached Tikhvin and unsuccessfully besieged the city. In the fall of 1613, the army of the boyar prince set out from Moscow on a campaign to Novgorod, captured by the Swedes in 1611