The struggle of Russia against external aggression in the XIII century. The struggle of Russia against external aggression xiii

Topic: Russia's struggle against external aggression in the 13th century.

Type: Test | Size: 19.87K | Downloads: 98 | Added on 01/27/10 at 04:31 PM | Rating: +22 | More Examinations

University: VZFEI

Year and city: Tula 2010

1. Mongol-Tatar conquest of Russia

The Mongol-Tatar yoke is of great importance in the history of Russia. The yoke existed for almost two and a half centuries, and during this long period it left a significant imprint on the Russian people.

The unification and strengthening of the Mongol tribes took place at the beginning of the 13th century. This was mainly facilitated by the diplomatic and military activities of Temujin (Genghis Khan), who at that time was the leader of the Mongols and it is he who is considered the founder of the powerful Mongol Empire.

The first Mongol campaigns were against the peoples of Siberia and China. Having conquered them in 1219-1221, they undertook campaigns in Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, the Caucasus and the Polovtsian steppes. Having defeated part of the Polovtsy, they began to move towards the Russian lands. Then one of the Polovtsian khans - Kotyan turned to the Russian princes for help.

“In 1223 an unknown people appeared; an unheard-of army came, godless Tatars, about whom no one knows very well who they are and where they came from, and what kind of language they have, and what tribe they are, and what faith they have ... The Polovtsy could not resist them and ran to the Dnieper. Their Khan Kotyan was father-in-law to Mstislav of Galicia; he came with a bow to the prince, his son-in-law, and to all the princes of Russia ... and said: The Tatars have taken our land today, and tomorrow they will take yours, so protect us; if you do not help us, then today we will be cut off, and you will be cut off tomorrow.”

However, not all Russian lands put up their troops. There was no unity between the princes who participated in the campaign. Having lured the Russian army in the steppe, on May 31, 1223, the Mongol-Tatars inflicted a crushing defeat in the battle on the Kalka River.

The campaign was started in April when the rivers were in full flood. The troops were heading down the Dnieper. The command was carried out by the Kyiv prince Mstislav Romanovich Dobry and Mstislav Mstislavich Udaly, who were cousins. Just before the Russian offensive, Mongol-Tatar ambassadors arrived in Russia, who assured that they would not touch the Russians if they did not go to the aid of their neighbors.

On the 17th day of the campaign, the army stopped near Olshen, somewhere on the banks of the Ros. There he was found by the second Tatar embassy. Unlike the first, when the ambassadors were killed, these were released. Immediately after crossing the Dnieper, Russian troops collided with the enemy’s vanguard, chased him for 8 days, and on the eighth day they reached the bank of the Kalka River (now the Kalchik River, a tributary of the Kalmius River, in the Donetsk Region, Ukraine). Here Mstislav Udaloy with some princes immediately crossed the Kalka, leaving Mstislav of Kyiv on the other side.

According to the Laurentian Chronicle, the battle took place on May 31, 1223. The troops that crossed the river were almost completely destroyed. The onslaught of the brave squad of Mstislav the Udaly, who almost broke through the ranks of the nomads, was not supported by other princes and all his attacks were repulsed. The Polovtsian detachments, unable to withstand the blows of the Mongol cavalry, fled, upsetting the battle formations of the Russian troops. The camp of Mstislav of Kyiv, broken on the other side and heavily fortified, the troops of Jebe and Subedei stormed for 3 days and were able to take it only by cunning and deceit, when the prince, believing the promises of Subedei, stopped resisting.

As a result of this, Mstislav the Good and his entourage were brutally destroyed, Mstislav the Udaloy fled. Russian losses in this battle were very high, six princes were killed, only a tenth of the soldiers returned home.

Only a tenth of the Russian army returned from the campaign, however, despite the success, the Mongol-Tatars unexpectedly turned back to the steppes.

The Battle of Kalka was lost not so much because of the civil strife of the princes, but more because of historical factors:

1. Jebe's army was tactically and positionally completely superior to the united regiments of the Russian princes, who had in their ranks for the most part princely squads, reinforced in this case by the Polovtsians.
2. The Russian squads, unlike the Mongol army, did not have a single commander.
3. The Russian princes, mistaken in assessing the forces of the enemy, could not choose a convenient place for the battle.

The army of Jebe and Subedei, having defeated the militia of the southern Russian princes on Kalka, entered the Chernigov land, reached Novgorod-Seversky and turned back.

In 1235, a general Mongol campaign to the west was announced. The Great Khan Udegei sent Batu, the head of the Juchi ulus, to reinforce the main forces of the Mongol army under the command of Subedei to conquer the Volga Bulgaria, Diit-Kinchak and Russia. In total, 14 "princes", descendants of Genghis Khan, with their hordes took part in the campaign. Throughout the winter, the Mongols gathered in the upper reaches of the Irtysh, preparing for a big campaign.

In the spring of 1236, countless horsemen, innumerable herds, endless carts with military equipment and siege weapons moved west.

In 1236 . Genghis Khan's grandson Batu invaded Russian lands. Earlier, the Mongol-Tatars captured the Volga Bulgaria with a swift attack and subjugated all the nomadic peoples of the steppe to their power.

In the autumn of 1237, Batu was placed at the head of the united army. The first ruined Russian city was Ryazan.

Having been defeated in battle, the Ryazanians retreated behind the city walls. Ryazan stood on the high right bank of the Oka River, below the mouth of the Proni River. The city was well fortified.

The siege of Ryazan began on December 16, 1237. The Mongol-Tatars surrounded the city so that no one could leave it.

December 21 began a decisive assault on Ryazan. The defense of the city managed to break through in several metas at once. As a result, all the soldiers and most of the inhabitants were killed.

Vladimir and Chernigov princes refused to help Ryazan, after six days of the siege, she was taken.

In January 1238, the Mongols moved along the Oka River to the Vladimir-Suzdal land. February 4, 1238 Batu besieged Vladimir.

The main battle took place near Kolomna, almost the entire Vladimir army died here, which predetermined the fate of the principality. Batu laid siege to Vladimir and on the fourth day took the city.

After the ruin of Vladimir, a similar fate befell many cities of North-Eastern Russia. Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, even before the enemy came to Vladimir, went to the north of his principality to gather troops. On the City River on March 4, 1238, the Russian squad was defeated, and Prince Yuri died.

The Mongols moved to the north-west of Russia and to Novgorod, turned back. Two weeks of the siege of Torzhok saved North-Western Russia from ruin. Spring forced Batu's troops to retreat to the steppes. Along the way, they ravaged the Russian lands. The most stubborn was the defense of the small town of Kozelsk, whose inhabitants courageously defended themselves.

In 1239-1240. Batu undertook a new campaign, attacking South Russia with all his might.

In 1240 he laid siege to Kyiv. The nine-day defense of the city did not save him from capture.

The Russian people waged a selfless struggle, but the disunity and inconsistency of actions made it unsuccessful. These events led to the establishment of the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia.

However, the campaigns of Batu did not lead to the complete absorption of the Russian lands by the conquerors.

In 1242, the Mongols in the lower reaches of the Volga formed a new state - the Golden Horde ( ulus Jochi), which was part of the Mongol Empire. It was a huge state, which included the lands of the Volga Bulgars, Polovtsy, Crimea, Western Siberia, the Urals, Khorezm. Sarai became the capital of the Horde. The Mongols demanded obedience from the Russian princes. The first to go to the Golden Horde in 1243 with gifts was Vladimir-Suzdal Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. Russian princes were frequent guests in the Horde, where they sought to confirm their rights to reign and receive a label. The Mongols, pursuing their own interests, often kindled a bloody rivalry between the Russian princes, which weakened their position and made Russia defenseless.

Prince Alexander Yaroslavich (in 1252 he became the Grand Duke) was able to establish personal contacts with the Golden Horde and even stopped various anti-Mongol actions, considering them useless.

The main form of dependence on the Horde was the collection of tribute (in Russia it was called Horde exit). To determine its size more precisely, a special population census was conducted. Representatives of the Khan were sent to control the collection of tribute in Russia - Basques. The great Baskak had a residence in Vladimir, where the center of Ancient Russia actually moved from Kyiv. The Russian Church was freed from tribute.

Despite all these establishments, the raids of the Mongol-Tatars on Russia did not stop.

The first raid after the Batyev campaign took place in 1252. The Nevryuyev army subjected the Suzdal land to a rout.

Dependence on the Golden Horde coincided with the apogee of feudal fragmentation. At this time, a new political system developed in Russia. A fait accompli was the transfer of the capital to Vladimir. The fragmentation of the principalities intensified: 14 new principalities emerged from the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, of which the most significant were Suzdal, Gorodetsky, Rostov, Tver and Moscow. The Grand Duke of Vladimir stood at the head of the entire feudal hierarchy, but his power was largely nominal. The princes waged a bloody struggle for the Vladimir “table”. The main contenders for it in the fourteenth century. there were princes of Tver and Moscow, and then Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod. The most powerful principalities (Moscow, Tver, Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan) from the XIV century. often referred to as great, and their princes, regardless of whether they received the reign of Vladimir - the great princes. They united other specific princes around themselves, were intermediaries in relations with the Horde, and often collected a “Horde exit”.

2. The struggle of Russia with the expansion of the West

In the middle of the XIII century. Russia, fragmented into appanages, was subjected to double aggression. No less serious than the raids of the Mongol-Tatars, the danger to Russian statehood also existed in the northwest.

Here a threat arose from the German, Danish and Scandinavian knights. was especially dangerous Livonian order, which through the Baltic

threatened Northwestern Russia.

To conquer the Baltic lands in 1202, a knightly order of swordsmen was created. The knights wore clothes with the image of a sword and a cross. They pursued an aggressive policy under the slogan of Christianization: "Whoever does not want to be baptized must die." Back in 1201, the knights landed at the mouth of the Western Dvina (Daugava) River and founded the city of Riga on the site of the Latvian settlement as a stronghold for subjugating the Baltic lands. In 1219, the Danish knights captured part of the Baltic coast, founding the city of Revel (Tallinn) on the site of an Estonian settlement.

In 1224 the crusaders took Yuriev (Tartu). To conquer the lands of Lithuania (Prussians) and the southern Russian lands in 1226, the knights of the Teutonic Order, founded in 1198 in Syria during the crusades, arrived. Knights members of the order wore white cloaks with a black cross on their left shoulder. were defeated by the Novgorod-Suzdal troops, and two years later from the Lithuanians and Zemgalians.This forced the crusaders to join forces.In 1237, the swordsmen united with the Teutons, forming a branch of the Teutonic Order - the Livonian Order, named after the territory inhabited by the tribe livs, which was captured by the crusaders.

The offensive of the knights especially intensified due to the weakening of Russia, which bled in the fight against the Mongol conquerors.

In July 1240, the Swedish feudal lords tried to take advantage of the plight of Russia. The Swedish fleet with an army on board entered the mouth of the Neva. Having risen along the Neva to the confluence of the Izhora River, the knightly cavalry landed on the shore. The Swedes wanted to capture the city of Staraya Ladoga, and then Novgorod.

Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who was 20 years old at that time, with his retinue quickly rushed to the landing site. "We are few," he addressed his soldiers, "but God is not in power, but in truth." Covertly approaching the Swedes' camp, Alexander and his warriors struck at them, and a small militia led by Misha from Novgorod cut off the Swedes' path along which they could flee to their ships.

Alexander Yaroslavich was nicknamed Nevsky by the Russian people for the victory on the Neva. The significance of this victory is that it stopped the Swedish aggression to the east for a long time, retained Russia's access to the Baltic coast. (Peter I, emphasizing the right of Russia to the Baltic coast, founded the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in the new capital on the site of the battle.)

In the summer of the same 1240, the Livonian Order, as well as Danish and German knights, attacked Russia and captured the city of Izborsk. Soon, due to the betrayal of the posadnik Tverdila and part of the boyars, Pskov was taken (1241). Strife and strife led to the fact that Novgorod did not help its neighbors. And the struggle between the boyars and the prince in Novgorod itself ended with the expulsion of Alexander Nevsky from the city. Under these conditions, individual detachments of the crusaders found themselves 30 km from the walls of Novgorod. At the request of the veche, Alexander Nevsky returned to the city.

Together with his retinue, Alexander liberated Pskov, Izborsk and other captured cities with a sudden blow. Having received the news that the main forces of the Order were coming at him, Alexander Nevsky blocked the way for the knights, placing his troops on the ice of Lake Peipus. The Russian prince showed himself as an outstanding commander. The chronicler wrote about him:

"Winning everywhere, but we won't win at all." Alexander deployed troops under the cover of a steep bank on the ice of the lake, eliminating the possibility of enemy reconnaissance of his forces and depriving the enemy of freedom of maneuver. Taking into account the construction of the knights by a "pig" (in the form of a trapezoid with a sharp wedge in front, which was heavily armed cavalry), Alexander Nevsky arranged his regiments in the form of a triangle, with a point resting on the shore. Before the battle, part of the Russian soldiers were equipped with special hooks to pull the knights off their horses.

On April 5, 1242, a battle took place on the ice of Lake Peipsi, which was called the Battle of the Ice. The knight's wedge broke through the center of the Russian position and hit the shore. The flank attacks of the Russian regiments decided the outcome of the battle: like flares, they crushed the knightly "pig". The knights, unable to withstand the blow, fled in panic. The Novgorodians drove them for seven versts across the ice, which by the spring had become weak in many places and collapsed under heavily armed soldiers. The Russians pursued the enemy, "flashed, rushing after him, as if through air," the chronicler wrote. According to the Novgorod chronicle, "400 Germans died in the battle, and 50 were taken prisoner" (German chronicles estimate the death toll at 25 knights). The captured knights were led in disgrace through the streets of the Lord Veliky Novgorod.

The significance of this victory lies in the fact that the military power of the Livonian Order was weakened. The response to the Battle of the Ice was the growth of the liberation struggle in the Baltic states. However, relying on the help of the Roman Catholic Church, the knights at the end of the thirteenth century. captured a significant part of the Baltic lands.

In 1253 Livonian knights attacked the lands of Pskov. This time, the Pskovites repelled the onslaught, and then crossed the Narova River and ravaged the Order's possessions. In 1256 the Swedes made an attempt to attack Novgorod. They fortified themselves on the eastern bank of the Narova River and founded a fortress there. But when the Russian squads approached, they fled without accepting the battle. In response, the troops of Alexander Nevsky made a winter campaign on the ice of the Gulf of Finland and struck at the Swedish possessions in Finland. So, in the second half of the XIII century. Russians move from defending their lands to attacking and begin to beat the aggressor on his territory. The central battle of this period was the Battle of Rakovor.

Battle of Rakovor. In the winter of 1268 Novgorod and Pskov regiments led by Dovmont of Pskov, reinforced by the retinue of the son of Alexander Nevsky - Dmitry Alexandrovich (in total up to 30 thousand people according to German data), made a major campaign in Livonia against the Danish knights invading the Baltic states. In the Rakovor area (now the Estonian city of Rakvere), the Russians encountered a combined Danish-German army under the command of Master Otto von Rodenstein, who gathered the color of Livonian chivalry under his banners.

The Battle of Rakovor took place on February 18, 1268. It was distinguished by a furious pressure from both sides. “Neither our fathers nor our grandfathers,” wrote the chronicler, “have seen such a cruel slaughter.” The central blow of the "great pig" was taken by the Novgorodians, led by the posadnik Mikhail. The German Iron Regiment, clad in armor, fought against them. According to the chronicle, people fell in whole rows. In a terrible slaughter, both Michael himself and many of his soldiers perished. However, the Russians managed to turn the tide of battle in their favor and put the knights to flight. The outcome of the battle was decided by the flank attack of the regiments of Prince Dmitry Alexandrovich, who put the crusaders to flight and drove them 7 miles to Rakovor itself.

But when in the evening Dmitry returned to the place of the battle with the soldiers, he found another German regiment attacking the Novgorod carts. Dmitry wanted to immediately attack the knights, but the governors dissuaded the prince from starting a night battle fraught with confusion. Dmitry agreed and decided to wait until morning. But under cover of night, the remnants of the German troops retreated. Novgorodians stood at Rakovor for three days. At this time, Dovmont of Pskov with his regiments raided Livonia, capturing a large number of prisoners.

According to the Livonian chronicles, the crusaders lost 1350 people in the Battle of Rakovor, the Russians - 5000 people. (unless otherwise specified, battle casualties usually refer to killed, wounded and captured). Russian chronicles do not name losses, but from their reports that the Russian cavalry could not break through the corpses, one can conclude that there were significant losses among the crusaders. This is also evidenced by the fact that a year later the Danes and the Livonian Germans concluded peace with the Novgorodians, which lasted 30 years. The defeat of the crusaders also meant the triumph of Orthodoxy over the military expansion of Catholicism. No wonder Alexander Nevsky and Dovmont Pskov were canonized by the Russian Church as saints.

The reflection of aggression on the northwestern borders of Russia continued in the future. Few places in Russia can compare in the tenacity and duration of hostilities with the section from Izborsk to Ladoga. From the 13th to the 18th centuries on these frontiers, now fading, then flashing again, there was a severe confrontation between the Eastern Slavs and the Germans and Swedes. The main burden in the fight against the German crusaders was borne by the Pskov principality, whose lands directly bordered on the possessions of the Livonian Order. From 1228 to 1462, according to the calculations of the historian S. M. Solovyov, the Pskov land was invaded 24 times, i.e. on average once every 10 years. Novgorodians, on the other hand, mostly clashed with Sweden. During this period, they repulsed the external onslaught 29 times. In 1322 their squads under the leadership of the Moscow prince Yuri Daniilovich made a campaign against the Swedes, after which in 1323. Orekhov peace was concluded. He first established the official border between Novgorod and Sweden along the Karelian Isthmus. But it took more than one century to finally settle the territorial disputes.

1. Test

Test answers:

1. 1223 →III. Battle of the Kalka → V. Mongol-Tatars
2. 1237 → II. The beginning of the Batu invasion → V. Mongol-Tatars
3. 1240 → I. Battle of the Neva → B. Swedes
4. 1242 → IV. Battle on the Ice→ A. Germans

Bibliography

1. Orlov A. S., Georgiev V. A., Georgieva N. G., Sivokhina T. A., History of Russia. Textbook. - M .: "PROSPECT", 1997.

   Friends! You have a unique opportunity to help students like you! If our site helped you find the right job, then you certainly understand how the work you added can make the work of others easier.

   If the Control Work, in your opinion, is of poor quality, or you have already met this work, let us know about it.

Mongol Empire

Political fragmentation and constant princely strife facilitated the implementation of large-scale plans of the Mongol-Tatars, launched by the leader of the Mongol tribes, Khan Temuchin (Temujin) (c. 1155-1227). In 1206 on kurultai(congress of the Mongolian nobility), he was proclaimed Genghis Khan (Great Khan) and founded Mongol Empire.

At the end of the XII century. the Mongol tribes roaming in the steppes of Central Asia began the process of decomposition of the tribal system and the formation of early feudal relations.

The reign of Genghis Khan influenced the development of the political and spiritual culture of the population of many Asian regions. A single set of laws began to operate throughout the territory of the Mongol Empire - the Great Yasa (Jasak), formulated by Genghis Khan. It was one of the most cruel codes of laws in the history of mankind; for almost all types of crimes, only one type of punishment was provided - the death penalty.

The success of the conquests and the large number of the Mongol army are explained not only by the fact that Genghis Khan managed to unite the nomadic tribes of the Asian steppes, but also by the fact that the inhabitants of the territories he captured often joined the Mongol army. They preferred to participate in military raids and receive their share of the booty than to bear duties in favor of the Mongol treasury.

In 1208-1223. the Mongols made aggressive campaigns in Siberia, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, Northern China and began to move towards the Russian lands.

The first clash between Russian and Mongolian troops took place in the Azov steppes on the Kalka River (1223). The battle ended with the defeat of the Russian-Polovtsian troops. As a result of this battle, the Polovtsy state was destroyed, and the Polovtsy themselves became part of the state created by the Mongols.

In 1236, a huge army of Batu Khan (Batu) (1208-1255), the grandson of Genghis Khan, moved to the Volga Bulgaria. In 1237, Batu invaded Russia. Ryazan, Vladimir, Suzdal, Moscow were plundered and burned, the southern Russian lands (Chernigov, Kyiv, Galicia-Volyn, etc.) were devastated.

In 1239, Batu began a new campaign against Russian soil. Murom and Gorokhovets were captured and burned. In December 1240 Kyiv was taken. Then the Mongol troops moved into Galicia-Volyn Rus. In 1241, Batu invaded Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Moldavia, and in 1242 reached Croatia and Dalmatia. Having lost significant forces on Russian soil, Batu returned to the Volga region, where he founded the state Golden Horde(1242).

The consequences of the invasion were extremely severe. First of all, the population of the country has sharply decreased. Most of all, cities suffered from the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The invasion dealt a heavy blow to the productive forces. Many production skills were lost, and entire craft professions disappeared. Russia's international trade relations suffered. Numerous written monuments and outstanding works of art were destroyed.

The Golden Horde occupied the territory of a significant part of modern Russia. The Golden Horde included the steppes of Eastern Europe and Western Siberia, lands in the Crimea, the North Caucasus, the Volga-Kama Bulgaria, Northern Khorezm. The capital of the Golden Horde was the city of Saray (near modern Astrakhan).

In relation to the Russian lands, the Golden Horde pursued a cruel predatory policy. All Russian princes were approved for thrones by khans, and certainly in the capital of the Golden Horde. The princes were given labels- Khan's letters confirming their appointment. Often, during visits to the Horde, princes objectionable to the Mongol-Tatars were killed. The Horde maintained power over Russia with the help of constant terror. In the Russian principalities and cities, Horde detachments led by Baskaks (officials) were stationed to monitor the proper collection and flow of tribute from Russia to the Horde. In order to record tribute payers, a census was conducted in the Russian lands. The khans exempted only the clergy from taxes. To keep the Russian lands in obedience and for predatory purposes, the Tatar detachments made frequent punitive raids on Russia. Only in the second half of the XIII century. there were fourteen such campaigns.

The masses resisted the Horde's policy of oppression. In 1257 the Novgorodians refused to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. In 1262, in many cities of the Russian land - Rostov, Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Veliky Ustyug, Vladimir - there were popular uprisings. Many tribute collectors - the Baskaks - were killed.

Expansion from the West

Simultaneously with the assertion of Mongol rule over the Russian principalities, the northwestern Russian lands were attacked by the troops of the crusaders. The invasion of the German knights into the Eastern Baltic began in the 10th century. Supported by the merchants of the northern German cities and the Catholic Church, chivalry began the "Drang nach Osten" - the so-called "onslaught to the east." By the XII century. German feudal lords captured the Eastern Baltic. By the name of the Liv tribe, the Germans called the entire occupied territory Livonia. In 1200, Canon Albert of Bremen, sent there by the Pope, founded the fortress of Riga. On his initiative, in 1202, a spiritual and knightly order of swordsmen was created. The order faced the task of capturing the Baltic states by German feudal lords. In 1215-1216. The crusaders captured the territory of Estonia. In 1234, the Order of the Swordsmen was defeated by Russian troops in the Yuryev region (Tartu). In 1237, the Order of the Swordsmen, renamed the Livonian Order, became a branch of a larger spiritual and knightly order, the Teutonic Order, created in 1198 for campaigns in Palestine. The threat of an invasion by the crusaders and Swedish troops hung over Novgorod, Pskov and Polotsk.

In 1240, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich of Novgorod (1221-1263) defeated the Swedish invaders at the mouth of the Neva, for which he received the nickname Nevsky. In 1240, the crusader knights occupied the Pskov fortress of Izborsk, and then fortified in Pskov itself. In 1241, the order invaded Novgorod. In response to this, in 1241 Alexander Nevsky captured the fortress of Koporye, and in the winter of 1242 liberated Pskov from the crusaders. Then the princely Vladimir-Suzdal squad and the Novgorod militia moved to Lake Peipus, on the ice of which a decisive battle took place on April 5, 1242. The battle that went down in history as Battle on the Ice, ended with the complete defeat of the crusaders.

I. Causes of aggression:

1. Russia is weakened.

2. Interest in the rich lands of Northern Russia.

3. The desire of the Roman Catholic Church to make Russian Catholics.

II. The peoples of the Baltic in the 13th century.

III. Invasion of the Knights in the Baltics:

· 1201 – foundation of the city of Riga by the Germans.

· 1202 - creation of the Order of the Sword.

· 1219 - foundation by the Danes of the city of Reval - the center of expansion in the Baltic.

1237 - ____________________________

V. Alexander Nevsky (characteristics of personality and activity).

VI. Battle of the Neva July 15, 1240

Scheme (move)

Meaning:

Stopped Swedish aggression to the East

Russia retained access to the Baltic Sea

The purpose of the invasion of the Swedes was to capture the mouth of the river. Neva and the city of Ladoga, which made it possible to seize the most important section of the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", which was under the control of Novgorod the Great. Having received news of the appearance of the Swedes under the command of the son-in-law of King Eric XI Birger, the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich, without waiting for the approach of all his forces, moved down the river. Volkhov and before the Swedes went to Ladoga, where he was joined by a squad of Ladoga; by this time, the Swedes with their allies (Norwegians and Finns) had reached the mouth of the river. Izhora. Taking advantage of the fog, the Russians unexpectedly attacked the Swedish camp and defeated the enemy; only the onset of darkness stopped the battle and allowed the remnants of Birger's troops to escape, who was wounded by Alexander Yaroslavich. In N. b. Gavrila Oleksich, Zbyslav Yakunovich, Yakov Polochanin and others especially distinguished themselves. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was nicknamed Nevsky for his military leadership and courage shown in battle. The military-political significance of N. b. consisted in preventing the threat of an enemy invasion from the north and in ensuring the security of Russia's borders from Sweden.

Scheme (move).

Meaning

weakened the power of the Livonian Order

thwarted aggression against Russia

the independence of the Novgorod and Pskov lands was preserved

· put an end to attempts to impose Catholicism on Russia.

The defeat of the Swedes on the Neva did not completely eliminate the danger hanging over Russia. Already in the early autumn of 1240, the Livonian knights invaded the Novgorod possessions, occupied the city of Izborsk. Soon his fate was shared by Pskov. In the same autumn of 1240, the Livonians captured the southern approaches to Novgorod, invaded the lands adjacent to the Gulf of Finland and created the Koporye fortress here, where they left their garrison. It was an important foothold that allowed control of the Novgorod trade routes along the Neva, to plan further advance to the East. After that, the Livonian aggressors invaded the very center of the Novgorod possessions, captured the Novgorod suburb of Tesovo. In their raids, they approached Novgorod for 30 kilometers. Neglecting past grievances at the request of the Novgorodians, Alexander Nevsky returned to Novgorod at the end of 1240 and continued the fight against the invaders. The following year, he recaptured Koporye and Pskov from the knights, returning most of their western possessions to the Novgorodians. But the enemy was still strong and the decisive battle was ahead.

In the spring of 1242, reconnaissance of the Livonian Order was sent from Dorpat (Yuriev) in order to test the strength of the Russian troops. Approximately 18 kilometers south of Derpt, the order reconnaissance detachment managed to defeat the Russian "acceleration" under the command of Domash Tverdislavich and Kerebet. It was a reconnaissance detachment moving ahead of the troops of A.N. in the direction of Dorpat. The surviving part of the detachment returned to the prince and informed him of what had happened. The victory over a small detachment of Russians inspired the order command. He developed a tendency to underestimate the Russian forces, and was convinced that they could easily be defeated. The Livonians decided to give the Russians a battle and for this they set out from Derpt to the south with their main forces, as well as their allies, led by the master of the order himself. The main part of the troops consisted of armored knights.

The "battle on the ice" began on the morning of April 11 (5), 1242 At sunrise, noticing a small detachment of Russian shooters, the knightly "pig" rushed at him. The riflemen took the brunt of the "iron regiment" and, with courageous resistance, noticeably upset its advance. Still, the knights managed to break through the defensive orders of the Russian "chela". A fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued. And at its very height, when the “pig” was completely involved in the battle, at the signal of Alexander Nevsky, the regiments of the left and right hands hit its flanks with all their might. Not expecting the appearance of such Russian reinforcements, the knights were confused and, under their powerful blows, began to gradually retreat. And soon this retreat took on the character of a disorderly flight. Then suddenly, from behind a shelter, a cavalry ambush regiment rushed into battle. The Livonian troops suffered a crushing defeat.

The Russians drove them across the ice for another 7 versts to the western shore of Lake Peipsi. 400 knights were destroyed and 50 were taken prisoner. Part of the Livonians drowned in the lake. Those who escaped from the encirclement were pursued by the Russian cavalry, completing their rout. Only those who were in the tail of the "pig" and were on horseback managed to escape: the master of the order, commanders and bishops.

The significance of the victory of the Russian troops under the leadership of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German "dog-knights" was truly historical. The Order asked for peace. Peace was concluded on terms dictated by the Russians. Order ambassadors solemnly renounced all encroachments on Russian lands, which were temporarily captured by the order. The movement of Western invaders to Russia was stopped. The western borders of Russia, established after the Battle of the Ice, held out for centuries. The battle on the ice also went down in history as a remarkable example of military tactics and strategy. Skillful formation of a battle order, a clear organization of the interaction of its individual parts, especially infantry and cavalry, constant reconnaissance and taking into account the weaknesses of the enemy in organizing battles, the right choice of place and time, good organization of tactical pursuit, the destruction of most of the superior enemy - all this determined the Russian military art as the foremost in the world.

VIII. Reasons for the Victory in the fight against Western aggression:

preparation and military tactics of the Russian army

· a strong and united commander, his military talent.

Dominion of the Horde in Russia

As a result of the Mongol invasion of 1237-1241. Russia was thrown back in its development for several decades. Many cities were destroyed, 49 of them to the ground, in 14 - life was no longer resumed, and 15 cities turned into villages. Entire handicraft specialties have disappeared (the skill of granulation and filigree has been forgotten forever), hundreds of villages and villages have been emptied. Many of those people who passed the Mongolian saber or lasso, for several years after the invasion, lived in the forests, fearing a new ruin. The Mongols disrupted traditional trade routes, which led to a sharp reduction in foreign trade, led to the foreign political isolation of Russia. From the 1240s Russian land found itself in political and economic dependence on the Golden Horde. The Tatar-Mongol yoke was established, which lasted for about two and a half centuries (1240-1480).

Political dependence consisted in the fact that the Karakoram Khan became the supreme ruler of the Russian land, and from 1260. - Khan of the Golden Horde. The Russian princes lost their sovereignty and were obliged to travel to Sarai-Batu (the capital of the Golden Horde) in order to receive a label from the khan - a document confirming the right to reign. The first prince to receive a label was Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Vladimir (1243). At the same time, civil strife continued, which the Mongols themselves often provoked. They "traded" grand princely thrones, arranging original auctions, which, of course, contradicted the Russian traditions of succession to the throne. The khans humiliated in every way, and sometimes tortured and even killed the princes. Mikhail Vsevolodovich Chernigovskiy and Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tverskoy were martyred while visiting the Khan. Most likely, the Tatars poisoned the Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky.

The Mongol yoke finally destroyed the veche system. The exceptions were Novgorod and Pskov. In most lands, in fact, monarchical princely power was established in appanages - hereditarily transferred possessions. It should be noted that the Russian princes gradually adopted the despotic methods of government that existed among the Mongols, and actively introduced them already on Russian soil. All democratic traditions and institutions were uprooted from public life, and they were replaced by hypocritical worship of authority. The Russian people got used to kneeling not only in church. By the way, the pagan Mongols tried not to offend the church, probably fearing the wrath of the “Russian gods”.

The Russian lands were not officially part of the Golden Horde, however, the permanent representatives of the Khan's administration - the Baskaks ("crushers") - had to monitor the development of the situation in the "Zalessky ulus" and cruelly suppress even the slightest anti-Mongol attacks on the part of the Russian people.

Russia did not have the right to defend itself in the event of new predatory raids by the Horde, moreover, the princes were obliged to provide part of their squads at the disposal of the khan at his first request.

Economic dependence consisted mainly in the Horde output (annually paid tribute). At first, the tribute was collected by the Bessermen, the Muslim tax-farmers. Later, the Grand Duke Vladimirsky began to collect the Horde output, and the Baskaks controlled it. If earlier the unit of taxation was considered to be a plow, a plow (ralo), now they have switched to the household principle. To determine the size of the tribute, the khans sent numerals to Russia, who conducted a census of the population (for the first time in 1257-1259). In addition to the exit, there was also a trade duty (tamga), food for the Horde ambassadors (honor). Only the church was exempted from paying taxes.

Multimedia simulator for the section “Specific Russia. Struggle against external aggression 12-13 in ":" Work with cards ". Based on shareware program "easyQuizzy". To get acquainted, you should download the archive and install the program on your device.

"The struggle of Russia against external aggression in the XIII century"

The struggle of Russia against external aggression in the XIII century.

Key dates and events.

1223 - the first clash of Russian troops with the Mongol-Tatar troops on the Kalka River (the Russians were defeated)

1236 - the defeat of the Mongol-Tatars of the Volga Bulgaria

1237 - 1238 - Batu's I campaign against Russia

1239 - 1242 - Batu II campaign against Russia

1240 - Neva battle

1242 - Battle on the Ice on Lake Peipsi

1252 - 1263 - the years of the reign of Alexander Nevsky

Mongol-Tatar invasion and the establishment of a yoke over Russia.

By the time the invasion of the territory of Russia began, the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan managed to conquer the tribes of the Buryats, Yakuts, the Jin Empire (China), Khorezm, Transcaucasia and began to threaten the territories controlled by the Polovtsian tribes. At this time, the Russian princes were on friendly terms with the Polovtsy, so the Polovtsy, together with the Russian princes in 1223 the city put up a united army against the Mongols and, despite their numerical superiority, were defeated on the river. Kalka.

After the death of Genghis Khan in 1227 his empire, which had grown by this time, was divided among his sons. One of the grandsons of the conqueror, Batu, led a campaign in Europe (1235). Along the way, the Volga Bulgaria was conquered and a number of tribes living in the neighborhood. AT 1237 Tatar troops appear at the borders of the river. Voronezh and begin a powerful attack on the southern lands of Russia. Ryazan, Moscow, Rostov, Suzdal, Vladimir were destroyed. On the first campaign against Russia, Batu was unable to reach Novgorod and his army turned back. The military invasion was resumed in 1239. The Mongols defeated the scattered forces of the Russian princes and took Murom, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl, Kiev. Batu's army reached the Adriatic Sea and in 1242 The city suddenly returned to the steppes, which was associated with the death of one of the sons of Genghis Khan - Ogedei. New elections of the great khan were coming, and Batu considered participation in these elections more important for himself than further advancement to the West. As a result, over Russia it was established yoke(domination) of the Mongol-Tatars.

In the east of Russia, the Golden Horde was formed in 1243, a state formation headed by Khan Batu. A system of relations was established between the Horde and Russia, which was based on the payment by the Russian princes tribute Tatars. In addition, a system was determined for the approval of all Russian princes, who were to receive in the Horde label, giving them the right to rule.

Consequences of the invasion:

Lagging behind Europe for 240 years

Population reduction, destruction of cities and villages

Vassal dependence on the Horde - tribute, labels, systematic raids

Reduction of sown areas

The assertion of autocratic power.

The struggle of northwestern Russia against the aggression of the Swedish and German knights.

Sweden, Baltics - goals → capture new lands

→ the spread of Catholicism

July 1240 - Neva battle.

The Swedes climbed up the Neva in order to cover the Novgorod land with "pincers": from the west - the Germans, from the north-west - the Swedes = a lightning attack by Russian squads and the militia of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich = the Swedes were defeated.

Reasons for the defeat of the Swedes: the heroism of the Novgorod warriors, the talent of Alexander Nevsky (surprise, the Swedes blocked the retreat to the ships, divided the enemy into parts by infantry and cavalry).

Victory Meaning: Novgorod concentrated all its forces against the German knights.

April 1242 - Battle on the Ice.

The tactics of the knights with a wedge - a "pig" to break through the defenses of the Russians, smash them piece by piece.

Tactics of Alexander Nevsky = encirclement of the enemy, the ice does not withstand heavily armed Germans.

Reasons for the Russian victory: The talent of Alexander Nevsky: choosing a place for a decisive battle, knowledge of enemy tactics (building a “pig”), skillful placement of the Russian army, heroism of Russian soldiers.

Victory Meaning: Novgorod and Pskov lands retained their independence. Prevent further invasion of Russian lands. Prince Alexander Nevsky canonized as a saint.

View document content
"Feudal fragmentation of Kievan Rus in the XII century"

Feudal fragmentation of Kievan Rus in the XII centuries.

In the XII century. on the territory of Russia begins a period of political fragmentation, a natural historical stage in the development of feudalism.

The specific period is full of complex, contradictory processes. On the one hand, the flourishing and strengthening of individual lands, for example, Novgorod, Vladimir, on the other hand, a clear weakening of the overall military potential, the fragmentation of princely possessions intensified. If in the middle of the XII century. in Russia there were 15 states, at the beginning of the XIII century. - about 50, then in the XIV century, when the process of consolidation had already begun, the number of states reached 250.

The real power of the Kyiv princes already in the middle of the XII century. limited to Kyiv itself. An attempt by Yaropolk, who became a prince of Kyiv after the death of Mstislav, to arbitrarily dispose of the "fatherlands" of other princes was decisively suppressed. Despite the loss of all-Russian significance by Kyiv, the struggle for its possession continued until the Mongol invasion. The Kyiv table passed from hand to hand, depending on the balance of power between the rival princely and boyar groups. Soon the rulers of the strongest principalities, who had become "great" in their lands, began to put dependent princes - "handmaids" on the Kyiv table. The strife turned the Kyiv land into an arena of frequent hostilities, as a result of which cities and villages were ruined, the population was driven into captivity. All this predetermined the gradual decline of Kyiv.

Causes of feudal fragmentation:

The dominance of subsistence farming;

Lack of strong economic ties between various parts of Kievan Rus;

Features of the transfer of princely power not from father to son, but to the eldest in the family, the division of territory between heirs;

internecine strife of princes;

Urban growth;

The weakening of the central government, i.e. Kyiv prince;

Strengthening the administrative apparatus in each feudal estate;

Growth of economic and political independence of local princely dynasties, growth of political separatism;

The development of large landownership, the active development of crafts, the complication of the social structure, the emergence of the nobility;

Loss of Kyiv's historical role in connection with the movement of trade routes from Europe to the East.

In 1097, the Lyubech congress established: "everyone keeps his homeland." It was a transition to a new political system.

Among the most famous new formations stood out: Vladimir-Suzdal, Galicia-Volyn, Kiev, Polotsk, Smolensk, Chernigov principalities, as well as the boyar republics: Novgorod and Pskov, which separated from it somewhat later.

A feature of the new era was that in these formations, as their further economic and political development, the process of fragmentation, the allocation of new possessions, appanages did not stop.

Consequences of feudal fragmentation:

The rise of the economy and culture of individual principalities and lands;

Fragmentation of principalities between heirs;

Conflicts between princes and local boyars;

Weakening of the defense capability of Russia.

Of the feudal formations into which the Old Russian state broke up, the most notable in terms of power and influence on all-Russian affairs were: the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, the Galicia-Volyn principality and the Novgorod land.

Vladimir-Suzdal Principality occupied the territory between the Oka and Volga rivers, covered by forests from the Polovtsian raids. Masses of people moved here from the southern principalities bordering the steppe. In the XII - XIII centuries. The Rostov-Suzdal land experienced an economic and political upsurge, which made it one of the strongest principalities of Russia. The cities of Dmitrov, Kostroma, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Gorodets, Galich, Starodub and others arose. In 1108, Vladimir Monomakh founded the city of Vladimir on the Klyazma River, which later became the capital of all North-Eastern Russia. The political significance of the Rostov-Suzdal land increases sharply under Yuri Dolgoruky (1125-1157). Under 1147, Moscow was first mentioned in the annals - a small border town founded Yuri Dolgoruky.

Dolgoruky pursued an active foreign policy, subjugated Ryazan and Murom, organized several campaigns against Kyiv. This policy was continued by his son Andrey Bogolyubsky(1157-1174), which marked the beginning of the struggle of the Suzdal princes for political supremacy over the rest of the Russian lands. In internal affairs, relying on the support of the townspeople and warriors, Andrei dealt harshly with the recalcitrant boyars, expelled them from the principality, confiscated their estates. To strengthen his position, he moved the capital from the ancient citadel of Rostov to Vladimir, a young city with a significant trade and craft settlement. After a successful campaign against Kyiv in 1169, the role of the political center of Russia passed to Vladimir.

The dissatisfaction of the boyar opposition led to the assassination of Andrei, followed by a two-year struggle and further strengthening of princely power. The heyday came during the reign of brother Andrew - Vsevolod the Big Nest(1176-1212). During his reign, the Vladimir-Suzdal land reached its highest prosperity and power, playing a decisive role in the political life of Russia. He broke the resistance of the old boyars. Ryazan and Novgorod were again "at hand" of the Vladimir prince. However, after his death, a new period of strife in the principality nullified all efforts, which especially weakened Russia before the Mongol invasion.

Galicia-Volyn land stretched from the Carpathians to the Black Sea region in the south, to the Polotsk land in the north. In the west, it bordered on Hungary and Poland, in the east - on Kyiv land and the Polovtsian steppe. There were favorable conditions for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. Craft reached a high level, there were more cities than in other Russian lands (Galic, Przemysl, Vladimir-Volynsky, Kholm, Berestye, etc.).

In 1199, the Volyn prince Roman Mstislavovich united the Volyn and Galician lands, and with the occupation of Kyiv in 1203, all of Southern and South-Western Russia fell under his rule. The favorable geographical position contributed to the growth of the principality's political significance and its economic prosperity. The rise in the economy was explained by the decline in the international role of the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", which was under the control of the Polovtsy - the trade routes moved west, to the Galician lands.

After the death of Roman, who actively fought against the boyars, a period of feudal unrest began (1205-1236). Hungary and Poland actively intervened in the internal political struggle of the principality. Relying on the trade and craft population, Roman's son Daniel in 1236 managed to break the main forces of the opposition. The grand princely power won, there was a tendency to overcome fragmentation. But this process was interrupted by the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols.

A special political system of the feudal republic, different from the monarchical principalities, took shape in the 12th century. in Novgorod land .

Three factors were decisive for the economy of Novgorod:

1. The prominent role of trade, especially foreign trade - from the north, Novgorod controlled the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks";

2. A large share in the economy of handicraft production;

3. The abundance of land-colonies, which were an important source of commercial products.

A distinctive feature here was that in the management of the city, in addition to princely power, a huge role was played by the veche - the people's assembly of free residents of the city. The executive power was exercised by the posadnik and the thousand.

Novgorod's struggle for independence, which became acute in the 30s of the 12th century, ended in 1136-1137. victory. An independent Novgorod Republic emerged. The supreme power passed into the hands of the veche, which called the princes to the throne, concluded agreements with them. Despite the democratic form of government, the real masters in Novgorod were the boyars and the elite of the merchant class. They directed the activities of the veche, often monopolizing the positions of posadniks and thousand members.

By the XIII century. the struggle between the forces of feudal centralization and boyar-princely separatism in Russia was in full swing. It was at this time that the process of internal socio-economic and political development was interrupted by external military intervention. It went in three streams: from the east - the Mongol-Tatar invasion; from the northwest and west - Swedish-Danish-German aggression; southwest - military attacks by Poles and Hungarians.

Formation of the Mongol Empire. Battle on Kalka 4

The invasion of Batu Khan on Russian lands and its consequences 7

Crusader invasion. Commander and Prince Alexander Nevsky. Neva battle and "battle on the ice" 10

The problem of the domination of the Golden Horde over Russia in modern historical literature. 13

REFERENCES 16

TESTS

1. When did the Mongols invade northeastern Russia? (answer b)

In 1237, having invaded Russian lands, they laid siege to Ryazan. Vladimir and Chernigov princes did not come to the rescue. The Mongols laid siege to Ryazan and sent envoys who demanded obedience and one-tenth "in everything." The courageous response of the Ryazanians followed: "If we are all gone, then everything will be yours." On the sixth day of the siege, the city was taken, the princely family and the surviving inhabitants were killed. In the old place, Ryazan was no longer revived (modern Ryazan is a new city located 60 km from the old Ryazan, it used to be called Pereslavl Ryazansky). The city was taken and completely ruined.

2. Which city of North-Eastern Russia defended itself from the troops of Batu for seven weeks? (answer b)

Having reached the stone Ignach Cross - an ancient sign on the Valdai watershed (one hundred kilometers from Novgorod), the Mongols retreated south, to the steppe, in order to restore losses and give rest to tired troops. The retreat was in the nature of a "raid". Divided into separate detachments, the invaders "combed" the Russian cities. Smolensk managed to fight back, other centers were defeated. Kozelsk, which held out for seven weeks, offered the greatest resistance to the Mongols during the "raid". The Mongols called Kozelsk an "evil city".

3. What land escaped Batu's ruin? (answer b)

The Mongols did not reach Novgorod only 100 km. swampy terrain and strong resistance from cities prevented.

4. Why did the Tatar-Mongols defeat Russia so easily and quickly? (answer d)

The specific orders that reigned at that time in Russia allowed the Tatar-Mongols to defeat Russia so quickly. In Russia, they knew about the impending formidable danger, but the princely feuds prevented them from joining forces to repel a strong and treacherous enemy. There was no unified command. Fortifications of cities were erected for defense against neighboring Russian principalities, and not from steppe nomads.

5. Who were called Baskaks? (answer b)

To collect tribute, the Tatars conducted a census and appointed special officials - Baskaks - with armed guards. "Great Baskak" had a residence in Vladimir.

6. What was the historical significance of the victories. Obsessed under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky? (answers a, c)

The significance of this victory lies in the fact that the military power of the Livonian Order was weakened.

The victories of the Russian troops prevented attempts to impose Catholicism on Russia. The Teutonic and Levonian Orders renounced aggression towards the Russian lands.

7. What was the influence of the Horde yoke on Russia. (answer c)

In modern historical science, there are 2 points of view of the influence of the Mongol yoke on the development of Russia. The traditional considers it as a disaster for the Russian lands. Another considers the invasion of Batu as an ordinary raid of nomads.

The Horde yoke had a noticeable predominantly negative, but not decisive, influence on the formation of the Russian statehood.

The consequences of the Mongol invasion changed the type of feudal development of Russia, mothballed the stage of feudal fragmentation, and in connection with this, the transition to the centralization of the Russian state occurred with a significant delay compared to Western European countries.

Underdeveloped patrimonial land ownership, increased personal dependence of the peasants on the feudal lords and the subordination of cities to the feudal nobility.

The change of princely unions to a monarchy with a repressive mechanism of governance, a bet on violence against the people, a huge personal property of the autocrat, the service of feudal lords and the complete subordination of the urban and rural population.

Formation of the Mongol Empire. Battle on the Kalka

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongolian state was formed in Central Asia in the territory from Lake Baikal and the upper reaches of the Yenisei and Irtysh in the north to the southern regions of the Gobi Desert and the Great Wall of China. In the name of one of the tribes that roamed near Lake Buirnur in Mongolia, these peoples were also called Tatars. Subsequently, all the nomadic peoples with whom Russia fought began to be called Mongolo-Tatars.

The Mongols were mainly engaged in nomadic cattle breeding, and hunting in the taiga regions. In the XII century, the Mongols experienced the collapse of primitive communal relations. From the environment of ordinary community members-cattle breeders, who were called karachu - black people, noyons (princes) stood out - to know; having squads of nukers (warriors), she seized pastures for livestock and part of the young. The noyons also had slaves. The rights of the noyons were determined by "Yasa" - a collection of teachings and instructions.

In 1206, a congress of the Mongolian nobility, the kurultai (Khural), took place on the Onon River, at which one of the noyons was elected the leader of the Mongolian tribes: Temuchin, who received the name Genghis Khan - “great khan”, “sent by God”. Having defeated his opponents, he began to rule the country through his relatives and local nobility until 1227.

The Mongols had a well-organized army that maintained tribal ties. The army was divided into tens, hundreds, thousands. Ten thousand Mongol warriors were called "darkness" ("tumen").

Tumens were not only military, but also administrative units.

The main striking force of the Mongols was the cavalry. The soldiers were well armed and trained. The Mongolian cavalry had high mobility. On their undersized, shaggy-maned, hardy horses, they could travel up to 80 km per day, and up to 10 km with wagon trains, wall and flamethrower guns.

Like other peoples, passing through the stage of state formation, the Mongols were distinguished by their strength and solidity. Hence the interest in expanding pastures and in organizing predatory campaigns against neighboring agricultural peoples, who were at a much higher level of development, although they experienced a period of fragmentation.

This greatly facilitated the implementation of the conquest plans of the Mongol-Tatars. The Mongols began their campaigns with the conquest of the lands of their neighbors - Buryats, Evenks, Yakuts, Uighurs, Yenisei Kirghiz (by 1211). Then they invaded China and in 1215 took Beijing. Three years later, Korea was conquered. Having defeated China (finally conquered in 1279), the Mongols significantly increased their military potential. Flamethrowers, wall-beaters, stone-throwing tools, vehicles were taken into service.

In the summer of 1219, almost 200,000 Mongol troops led by Genghis Khan began the conquest of Central Asia. The ruler of Khorezm (a country at the mouth of the Amu Darya), Shah Mohammed, did not accept a general battle, dispersing his forces over the cities. Having suppressed the stubborn resistance of the population, the invaders stormed Otrar, Khojent, Merv, Bukhara, Urgench and other cities. The ruler of Samarkand surrendered the city without a fight.

The rich, flourishing agricultural regions of Semirechye (Central Asia) turned into pastures. Irrigation systems built up over centuries were destroyed. The Mongols introduced a regime of cruel requisitions, artisans were taken into captivity. As a result of the conquest of Central Asia by the Mongols, nomadic tribes began to inhabit its territory. Sedentary agriculture was supplanted by extensive nomadic pastoralism, which slowed down the further development of Central Asia.

The main force of the Mongols with the loot returned from Central Asia to Mongolia. An army of 30,000 under the command of the best Mongol commanders Jebe and Subedei set off on a long-range reconnaissance campaign through Iran and Transcaucasia, to the West. Having defeated the united Armenian-Georgian troops and causing enormous damage to the economy of Transcaucasia, the invaders, however, were forced to leave the territory of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as they met with strong resistance from the population. Past Derbent, where there was a passage along the coast of the Caspian Sea, the Mongolian troops entered the steppes of the North Caucasus. Here they defeated the Alans (Ossetians) and Polovtsy, after which they ravaged the city of Sudak (Surozh) in the Crimea. The Polovtsy, led by Khan Kogan, the father-in-law of the Galician prince Mstislav Udaly, turned to the Russian princes for help.

On May 31, 1223, the Mongols defeated the allied forces of the Polovtsian and Russian princes in the Azov steppes on the Kalka River. This was the last major joint military action of the Russian princes on the eve of the invasion of Batu. However, the powerful Russian prince Yuri Vsevolodovich of Vladimir-Suzdal, the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, did not participate in the campaign.

Princely strife also affected during the battle on the Kalka. The Kyiv prince Mstislav Romanovich, having fortified himself with his army on a hill, did not take part in the battle. Regiments of Russian soldiers and Polovtsy, having crossed the Kalka, struck at the advanced detachments of the Mongol-Tatars, who retreated. Russian and Polovtsian regiments were carried away by the persecution. The main Mongol forces that approached, took the pursuing Russian and Polovtsian warriors in pincers and destroyed them.

The Mongols laid siege to the hill, where the prince of Kyiv fortified. On the third day of the siege, Mstislav Romanovich believed the promise of the enemy to honorably release the Russians in the event of a voluntary surrender and laid down his arms.

He and his warriors were brutally killed by the Mongols. The Mongols reached the Dnieper, but did not dare to enter the borders of Russia. Russia has not yet known a defeat equal to the battle on the Kalka River. Only a tenth of the troops returned from the Azov steppes to Russia. In honor of their victory, the Mongols held a "feast on the bones." The captured princes were crushed with boards on which the victors sat and feasted.

Abstract >> History

Several centuries. IV century AD ... tribes that consolidated to middle 1 millennium AD Eastern... the most powerful of Russians princes. 5. Struggle Russians lands and principalities... aggression militaristic states - Germany, Italy and Japan. External ...

1. Abstract >> Political science

   Due to a number of internal and external reasons: - geographical ... concluded in XIV century commercial and political... Russians lands from crusader aggression German and Swedish feudal lords. Kievan principality Already in middle... and organizers fight with Polovtsy...

2. Socio-economic and political background and reasons for collecting Russians lands

   Abstract >> History

   Organization of resistance external aggression. The tendency to unite was manifested in all Russian lands. ... around her Russians lands and organization of the nationwide fight for the overthrow ... , dated according to paleographic data middle XV century. As D.S. writes...