In 1538, the vassalization of Moscowy was cancelled, and war began. Ryazan quickly decimated the armies of Moscowy, and ended up with a new province to call their own in 1539, Tver, which had been annexed by Moscowy after the 78 Years War.
Another fact from 1538, very little known, is that Hungary did win a war versus Austria which had been declared by Poland, and brought three provinces back into it's domain, Presburg, Banat, and Croatia.
However, the reason it is little known is that, as everyone knows, Hungary was annexed by Austria in 1540.
Vladimir: Well, that's one way to get Hungary out of our alliance.
Ivan: Well done!
Vladimir: Yes, it was all due to my concerted efforts that this has happened, and not some random death event.
Ivan: Suuure.
The time was ripe again, and it was not too late for Tula. Ryazan armies stormed through Lithuania, as they are known to do, with infantry besieging Welikia, Vorones, Tula, and Bogutjar with cavalry storming past to Kursk, Smolensk, and Bolgorod, and Poland sieging Prussia. Fronted with cavalry, the rear sieges, which were all uncontested, proceeded easily. Lithuania would soon find themselves losing a two-front war, with no chance of recovery. Apparently, they had spent all their census tax earnings on women's clothing and not infantry.
Some troops did arise in the next year of war, but they were easily dispacted by combined Poland-Ryazan forces.
With Prusssia controlled by Poland, and a half-dozen provinces controlled by Ryazan, a peace treaty was signed, granting Prussia to Poland and Tula to Ryazan. Despite the greed of Vladimir, who also wanted Bogutjar, Ivan vetoed this portion of the treaty, giving two reasons - one, it would be difficult to get Prussia and Bogutjar, and two, he could not pronounce Bogutjar. As Vladimir was unable to pronounce it either, therefore not able to add it to the peace agreement being dictated, it was left out all together from negotiations.
The war ended July 1542, just eight years before July 1550.
In April 1544, the war with Georgia ended. After a long siege of Azov by Poland and a short siege of Georgia by Ryazan, Ryazan made a treaty with Georgia for Azov to Poland. Strangely enough, the war with Georgia was to have been fought just by troops from the Lithuanian war, just like the previous Hungarian wars. However, it was found that Ryazan armies could get around the Lithuanian borders through Ufa into Lugansk and down into Azov and the rest of Georgia. This passage carried the armies of Ryazan over and back, leaving Ivan without any additional wives.
While away from Ryazan on war-duty, Kazan was overrun by the Golden Horde, and annexed.
This meant war. Also, Moscowy's continued existence was a blight on the face of Ryazan, which also meant war. Ryazan declared war on both Moscowy and the Golden Horde, with no alliance support.
Moscowy was sieged originally, and Kazan. Ufa was sieged by the Golden Horde. This siege proved hard to break, requiring cavalry. Moscowy's armies also were a match for Ryazan's, which led to the conscription of more troops. Eventually Moscow was sieged, the siege on Ufa lifted.
Moscowy Front:
Golden Horde Front:
The war continued with Golden Horde as the siege in Moscow went on, battling against the Uzbek Kaganate, Sibir and the Golden Horde. Samara was sieged by Ryazan, and then Kazan fell. As the war continued, revolts began popping up in Karelia, Kazan, and even Nizhgorod. It was time to end it. Ryazan accepted peace for mere ducats, leaving the revolting Kazan to the Golden Horde, and went to clean up Nizhgorod.
With the annexation of Moscow complete, Ryazan's reputation was tarnished.
Ryazan was no longer just Ryazan anymore. Ryazan had become something more. Something bigger. Something Russian.
By October 1546, The magnificent behemoth of Russia had formed.
