A Timeline of Troubles
Chapter 1: The Russian Civil War
From “Understanding the History of the Don-Volga Republic 101” copyright 2006. Vandalism retained for stylistic purposes
1547-1602: The reign of Ivan the Awe-inspiring was complicated to say the least. The early part of his reign was marked by peaceful, modern policies. Ivan was, however, not an economist. Famine and hardship were facts of life in Russia. It must still be said that it was Ivan’s toil that led to there being a single Russia at all. Feeling betrayed by his boyars, Ivan became more unstable as his reign wore on; He became paranoid and temperamental. (Temperamental might not be the word for “beating your son and chosen heir to death, thus leaving the crown to an imbecile”) (Hah, Ivanovich really got the Singapore Special)(People like Ivan always abuse their power). After accidentally killing his groomed heir, Ivan Ivanovich, during a heated argument; the title of heir apparent fell to his mentally challenged brother Feodor. The incapable Feodor’s regency council consisted of few serious threats to Russian power, except for Boris Godunov. Godunov was a schemer, whose plots to become Tsar eventually destabilized the Empire. (Didn’t Godunov get Russia a patriarch? He seemed like an okay guy from what I’ve read)1603-1605: By this time, Boris the Usurper was tsar. Under Tsar Boris, Russia was driven into the ground. Rumours had circulated since Feodor’s reign that Dmitri, the old Tsar’s brother, was alive and in hiding. In 1603, a man claiming to be Dmitri began attempting to take Russian lands with the support of Polish troops. This sparked the Dmitriad War. While The False Dmitri couldn’t win in battle, he ended up outlasting Boris and entered Moscow in 1605 (Wonder what job interview will ask me “When did The False Dmitri enter Moscow?”)(Please, working is for suckers)
1605-1618: Before a year had passed, The False Dmitri was deposed by Vasily Shuisky, a Rurikid prince, who himself was unable to hold on to the throne as a new imposter came forward as Dmitri. False Dmitri II attempted to seize the throne. Dmitri was opposed by a Russo-Swedish alliance, as well as a revolt led by Ivan Bolotnikov to free the serfs, and to top it all off there was another False Dmitri once more being supported by the Poles. Bolotnikov negotiated with Shuisky to pardon all the serfs who had risen up in exchange for surrender in 1607. Shuisky double-crossed Bolotnikov (And so have we), trying to have him blinded and drowned (If you’re going to drown him, why blind him first?). Bolotnikov made a run for the border, taking with him 3000 people; most of them freed serfs. Bolotnikov managed to win over the support of the Cossacks and quickly overran the border provinces of the Empire, forming the Don-Volga Republic. Sweden betrayed Shuisky by invading Moscow and installing their prince, Wladislaw, as the tsar. It was at this point that Russia, now greatly reduced to a collection of feuding territories, accepted its bitter peace. Ivangorodsky left as an independent territory allied with Sweden under the rule of Dmitri, Don-Volga was recognized as an independent republic, and Russia was a shadow of Ivan’s Empire.