Ivan The Terrible

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan the IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible, was born on August 25, 1530. His parents were Tsar Vasili III and Helena Glinskaia. Ivan came to the throne when he was just three-years-old after his father died. The boyars took control of the throne until Ivan was 16 and declared himself tsar. During this period, Ivan was maltreated by the boyars for most of this time. This treatment caused him to become the person he was. During his reign as tsar, he married Anastasia Romanov. She gave birth to Dmitri but he died by drowning. Soon after she had another heir, Ivan Ivanovich. Through the next decade, Ivan made reforms. This made him popular in lower and middles classes. Ivan became sick on March 1, 1553. The boyars, wanting him to die, told his cousin, Vladimir Andreevich, to take the throne. On January 22, 1558, Ivan invaded Livonia against the Council's wishes. Anastasia died on August 7, 1560. After her death, he was torn apart from grief. He believed her death was caused by the boyars and they wanted to kill his two sons. Ivan, now paranoid, had members of the Council tried, convicted, and exiled. Ivan married Maria on August 21, 1561. Maria soon produced a son but he died 2 months after birth. Ivan's brother and the Metropolitan Makari also died soon after in the same year. Ivan's family soon left Moscow on December 3, 1564. Ivan then separated Russia in to two states, the Zemschina and the Oprichnina.

On September 1, 1596, Ivan's wife Maria dies. He was more paranoid than ever now. Ivan believed everything that did not protect him needed to be destroyed. Ivan executed 116 boyars in front of the citizens of Russia on July 25, 1570. Ivan married his third wife on October 28, 1571. Sixteen days later, she died. He believed "evil spells" and witchcraft were the cause. He married his fourth wife in December but the church stopped counting after three. Ivan was declared