Mithridatir IX Pontian
Lived: 1407-1477
King of Kievan Pontus: 1445-1477
Mithridatir IX rose to the throne of Kievan Pontus in 1445. Mithridatir IX used aggressive policy towards neighbouring realms which concerned especially Roman Empire and finally escalated to hostility between Kievan Pontus and Roman Empire. Mithridatir IX started to suffer from some degree of mental instability which had seen as one reason to his aggressiveness.
After Mithridatir IX had been crowned he, like many Kievan nobles had been wanting, launched war against Denmark. War was seen as revenge war against Denmark which had seen as reason why Scandinavian invasion force had attacked against Kievan Pontus during the reign of Diomedes V. However it wasn't only reason why war against Denmark was declared. Kievan Pontus was keen to increase its power in Baltic Sea. Jutland was seen as strategically important area for trade between Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Kievans also wanted to take Memel which was only land area which Denmark controlled in east coast of the Baltic Sea. War against Denmark also brought out fact that Kievan Baltic navy was lacking power. It was too weak compared to Danish navy and because of this Kievans didn't use their navy at all in war. However after war Mithridatir IX ordered to built larger navy to response to this.
Movements of Kievan armies
Kievan troops invaded Memel quickly and moved to Jutland. There was also plan to launch invasion to Skåne but Danish navy blocked all routes and this plan was rejected. Jutland was invaded without large resistance. In fact there was not a single battle in whole war. When Kievans had besieged whole Jutland in February 1449, Denmark accepted peace conditions: Memel and whole Jutland, with the exception of its Northern parts, were annexed to Kievan Pontus.
Mithridatir IX was already planning new war when war against Denmark had ended. The Border with Rus had never been clear. Area was sparsely populated and there wasn't a long time where there still was pagan tribes living. Now when both Kievan Pontus and Rus had centralizing their power there was need better border between them. Biggest issue in this was land of Moskva. Moskva and its local area belonged to Rus but the surrounding area belonged mostly to Kievan Pontus. Mithridatir IX was annoyed and irritated by that and he started to consider himself as legitimate to Moskva. Conquest of Moskva was started in 1451 and Kievan armies marched against Rus.
Morcant Laodic, first Legatus of Kievan Pontus
Like in war against Denmark, Mithridatir IX gave command of armies to Morcant Laodic, who was from small noble house. Laodic was Mithridatir IX's loyal general and friend. Mithridatir IX was very pleased to his actions and achievements so that he promote him to be first Legatus of Kievan Pontus, title which Mithridatir IX founded for him. In later use title Legatus was given by King to his chosen military commander and Legatus was usually very powerful figure in Kiovan Pontus.
Kievan armies were able to defeat Rus armies forcing it to surrender in 1452. Rus ceded Moskva and Tikhvin to Kievan Pontus. After both wars, Denmark and Rus began to ally with other neigbouring realms to securing their realm from new wars of Kievan Pontus.
During this time Mithridatir IX's reasoning had started to become more deranged and he had hard time to rule efficiently and, with his advisors' request, Mithridatir IX allowed to appoint more administrators to governance. With their help Mithridatir IX was able to diplomatically vassalize Bulgaria and Artois.
Kiovan Pontus and Roman Empire had been allies in the past but now their relations were bad. Rivalry of two realms had worsen their relations and war between them had become more likely. Even worse, Kiovan Pontus had allied with Ilkhanate which was long-term enemy of Roman Empire. These two empires finally launched war against each other in 1459 and Kiovan Pontus had joined to help Ilkhanate. This ruined finally relations between Kiovan Pontus and Roman Empire.
Battle between Romans and Kievans
Romans' plan was to launch fast attacks against both Kiovan Pontus and Ilkhanate. Even though attacks were at first successful against Ilkhanate, they didn't work against Kievan Pontus. Kievans were invading Alania and Romans underestimated their manpower. When Roman armies attacked Kievan armies commanded by Laodic used maneuver tactics to defeat them. After failed attack in Alania, Romans decided to launch attack from western side of Black Sea and started to invade Bulgaria. Kievan armies were send to help Bulgarians and finally Romans were pushed back. Romans' situation got worse when their armies were defeated and forced to retreat in Persia. Armies of Ilkhanate started to invade to Roman lands. Roman armies were defeated and finally Emperor was forced to surrender in 1464. Romans were forced to pay war reparations and grant independence to Gazikumukh. Kievan Pontus accepted these conditions because it started to have its own internal problems.
Due to centralizing power local privileges had been restricted and this had increased unhappiness. Eventually this led to rebellion which demanded to its leader, Diomedes Gueruel, to become new King. Rebels took Kaluga as their stronghold and from there they launched attacks against the Crown. Rebellion was in operation only two months when finally Kievan army with superior numbers defeated rebel army and forced the revolt to end. Diomedes Gueruel fled to Pomerania from which he continued his escape to to Western Europe.
Even though rebellion was defeated there was still dissatisfaction among the Kievan nobility. They were concern about the fact that they had lost all control of Kievan army which was fully controlled by the Crown. Also they were not pleased about the fact that their privileges were stripped-down. There was loud demand that old privileges would be given back but Mithridatir IX was not eager to do that and ignored all demands. Nobility had no other choices than accept it because they had seen what happened to those who had risen to revolt.
Teutonic Order was eastern neighbour of Kievan Pontus. The influence of Military Orders had decreased in the course of time but Teutonic Order, which owned a large land area, had still some power. However it was militarily weak and its neighbours knew that. Rus, Bolghar and Burtasy had made alliance against Kievan Pontus and they saw the possibility to increase their power and conquer land from the Teutonic Order. Alliance attacked against Teutonic Order whose army was outdated and, excluding the Teutonic Knights, very poorly trained. Due to these facts Teutonic Order was defeated and it lost most of its territory in war.
Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order surrenders to Mithridatir IX
Mithridatir IX didn't like the fact that this alliance could increase their power and because of that offered protection to Teutonic Order. Teutonic Order refused to submit to Mithridatir IX and declined his offer. However Mithridatir IX could not tolerate this and declared war against Teutonic Order. Teutonic Order had not chance against Kievan Pontus. Teutons had only 3000 soldiers which was very small compared to Kievan army. After Kievan armies marched to its capital, Teutonic Order surrendered. Order was forced to become Kievan vassal like Mithridatir IX had offered before. Vassalization was radical change to Teutonic Order which lost its religious purpose and become more secular. Henceforth, main purpose of Teutonic Order was to be royal guard of King of Kievan Pontus.
Relations between Teutonic Order and Kievan Pontus were improved after war and soon Kievan Pontus launched war against Alliance of three in order to obtain lost land of Teutonic Order back in August 1477. However suddenly two months after the declaration of war 70 years old Mithridatir IX died natural death. Because his heir, his grandson Davyd Pontian, was still underage, the rule was given to Mithridatir IX's wife, Vseslava de Dantabria.
