The White Steppe- a Russia/Muscovy AAR

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The Northen war

Once Ivan III assumed the throne, He went to work parparing for his war. He wanted Novgorod, Ivan didn't care about the rest of their allies that might be brought up to fight him. When He declaired war, Luthiania who had agreed to a pact early with them around the time vasily II died decided that they didn't want to be in this war. Ivan's vassle Ryzan fearing that if they didn't follow his word that there city could be burned to the ground.

Ivan's first attation was to capture the city of Novgorod. The garrison that was in Novgorod numbered over 40 thousand or around there. the city was heavily fortified. Ivan considered many opitions of taking the city, should he starve them, assault the city, burn the city somehow were some of the choices he thought of. months and years and Ivan's patiantnce would go by the time the city fell. Ivan was relived that the city fell on March 3, 1464.

The armies that took Novgorod then decided to get rid of the portion of the land that belong to the Danish empire. The Danes lead this alliance and kept wanting peace to make sure that Novgord wont fall. Ivan had other plans. Ivan took the lands that belonged to Denmark and then did something that was insane...
Kremlin 1464,
"I have a way to get Norway out of the war." Ivan spoke in his booming voice.
"How are we going to do that?" a court member said.
"Ah, glad you ask we going to attack from the north!" Ivan spoke out to every one's suprise.
"The north!" whispers of suprise went around the room.
"The north is where we go, this will end Norway's involment in the war!" Ivan again spoke out.


Indeed Ivan was right for the north was undefended by the Norwegians. Ivan's army marched in without a fight. They took city after city then Ivan made a white peace. Novgorod by this was all but dead, and now hope for a victory for them was gone for Ivan made a peace with one of the Dane's eupean allies. this only hastened the hopelessness feeling in Novgorod. Ivan then after years finialy got anxantion of Novgorod. This ended it the war to Ivan was over. But the Dane's coutinued to fight on. After about a year Ivan made a "white peace". Ryzan got something out of this "white peace" the two provinces that Denmark had that was claimed by Muscovy. but now that war is over What are Ivan next goals?

The lands owned by Muscovy after the war.

 

[Duke of Wellington]

Novgorod is good to have a nice rich province and now you are well on the way to becoming Russia.

 

[VILenin]

Nice AAR Bismarck1, I look forward to see how you unify Russia and kick out the horde.

 

[Leumatiello]

Yes, Ivan is really the way I thought.
Now the rich novgorod merchants will work for you.

 

[stnylan]

I would very seriously start looking east myself. Time to profit from the Golden Horde's collapse.

 

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Duke of Wellington- yay that is why I took but doesnt it have to be after 1520 for me to form russia?
VILenin thanks
Leumatiello- well aperently a few of them know magic as they can disspaper.
stnylan- I shall proffit from them the golden horde shall fall and I will help them with that.

 

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The Fall of an empire

After the war, Ivan made the Korostyn treaty which gave all lands that belonged to Novgorod to Muscovy, Muscovy basicly anxexed Novgorod due to this treaty. Ivan III was still worried that there would be uprising due to what happend to his father. So Ivan depported many citizens of novgorod. This reduced the population by alot. Ivan decide that the Novogordian church should be replaced with his russian orthodox church. Ivan got rid of all the leaders of the Novgorodian church and put in there place the leaders from the russian othodox church. Ivan came up with the idea of giving his cavalrymen land taken from the people of Novgorod. the Boyars lands were taken up and given to the army. this helped him bolster his power. This created loyalty in his ranks. This offiocialy announced that Novgorod was dead and was just a part of history.

after the reforms that Ivan introduced, Muscovy was once agian bankrupt. Ivan had kept up a war tax which he could no longer infornce and many loans to people. These loans were all due around the same time. After the war Ivan lost the abiltiy to tax his people even higher then normal to pay for the war. This plus low funds promted Ivan into bankruptcy. At first his soliders were strong and still loyal to Ivan. That all changed when one of Ivan's greatest generals died. Obolenski-Striga, commonly called just STriga by his troops was a great general. during the war with Novgorod, Striga was the commanding general who helped take the city. and after that with very few men He was able to take what was left of the Novgorod lands in the war. After the war He along with many other generals in the war decide to go back to there lives they had before the war. In 1469 He died at his home in Moscow. almost all the soliders how surived under him that were still alive came to his funural. Without Striga's leadership in the army, Ivan's troops started to loose focuse and confindece in him.

then in word arived that alarmed Ivan. Ivan who in 1470 married the Zoe Paleologus, neice of the Byzentian emporoer. Constantionple was attacked and seiged by the ottoman empire in a burtal assult. this shocked all of europe not just the russian lands. for Constantiople was the last bulwark of christanity against the growing ottoman empire. But now in 1471 the ottomans under the command of Mehemd II, on tuesday january 7, 1471 assulted the walls of the great city. they city would fall for on feburay 14, 1471 The byzantine empire was left to history for the ottomans took the city.
the kremilin in moscow, around the time of the fall of Constantianople
"My grand prince I have news from the Byzantine empire!" a messenger said breathing heavily from running.
"What is it?" Ivan said not to intreasted in news from the byzantine emprire.
"Constatiople has fallen, My grand prince." The messenger repiled to Ivan.
"What!" Ivan said shocked and awaked by this news.
"Yes, I was supriesed when I heared it too." the messenger said.
"How did these damn turks take the city?" IVan demanded.
"They attacked it like a normal city and they landed on the other side of the city." the messengber spoke again.
"How did they land on the other side of the city for the byzantine navy could of stoped them." ivan said still angry.
"they took there ships on land and dragged them till they could sail without fear of their navy." the messenger said.
"Damn the turks." Ivan spoke agian.
"They have supposedly replaced the cross in the hagia spophia with the ottoman standard!" the messenger replied.
"Damn them!" Ivan shouted and left the room in anger.

Mehmet II commanding the ships at The fall of Constantople

 

[Duke of Wellington]

Always a shame to see the Byzantines fall but of course it offers you a nice chance at glory for the Orthodox faith.

 

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We can only hope that the kings of Russia can reclaim the greek holdings for the orthodox faith.

 

[stnylan]

A shame to see Constantinople fall, but now the stage is set for Moscow to rise to take command of the Orthodox world.

 

[VILenin]

Time for Russia to step into the void left after the fall of Constantinople and assume the mantle of Rome. Hopefully you'll teach the Turks to fear the Orthodox east.

 

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Duke of Wellington-yea it is a shame but I shall take there void.
SunZyl- If I am lucky
stnylan- I agree
VILenin- the turks shall fear us indeed any turkish people shall fear russia.

 

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Third Rome

a few years after the fall of Constantonople, Ivan came up with a brillent way to pay off the bankruptcy. Ivan taken likeing to this new drink called Vodka. Vodka was a drink that the people just discovered to make. Bread wine as it was called would become Vodka. Vodka around this time was relitively low on acholic content, not that helped if you drank a lot.
Kermilin, some time in the 1470s
"Ivan you called?" a messenger came to the grand prince.
"Yea, Yea, I called." Ivan said drunkly.
"Ivan are you drunk?" the messenger asked.
"I am not drunk, just need one more sip of the drink." Ivan said who was obviosly had a bit to much.
"You called me tax reasons you said?" the messenger said trying to ignore Ivan's drunkness.
"Yes, We shall tax Vodka and make Nizhny Novgorod the capital of Vodka making." Ivan spoke a little bit sober but still drunk.
"Brillent idea, my grand prince." The messenger said.

Ivan would latter issue an order to all the word hear. This order was that Muscovy was the Third Rome and that Russia was united under him and no claim his throne. Ivan could make this claim due to the fact he married Sophia, a niece of Constantine XI. The west was upset by this news for the HRE was supporsed to be the succusorer to the roman empire and Ivan made the claim that he was heir to rome's legacy. Ivan declaired, "I am grand prince of all the russia's!" This order scared the tartars. The kahn of the golden horde had the nerve to ask Ivan that he should help in a war with Kazan.
Kremilin, 1480
"We demand that you decliar war on the tartars!" A tartar messenger said.
"No! Russia is ruled by me and no one else!" Ivan shouted.
"We demanded it!" The messenger shouted back at him.
"Let me see his demands!" Ivan demand the messnger gave him the messege from the kahn.
"This Is what I think of your messege!" Ivan shouted and tore the Khan's letter to pieces.
"You damn bastard, You shall be punished!" the messenger said and then left in fear propble of inraging the russians to the point of bloodshed.

Ivan then later meet the kahn Ahemed on the steeps. Ivan then with the help of his bishop was able to take to the feild to end the yoke of the tartars once and for all!. The autamen skirmishes were long but didnt cause a lot of destruction. The Tartars started to lose morale and on 11th of november Ahmed gave this up and returend the steeps. This ment that russia was now free from the domionion of the Horde!

Ivan III tearing the khan's letter to pieces

 

[stnylan]

Good show by Ivan. Time for the Tartars to learn who is the boss of the Steppes

 

[Duke of Wellington]

Time to get those Tatars. Lets hope the drink doesn't ruin any plans for them.

 

[Leumatiello]

The russians now have vodka, and the tartars haven't. That's the difference.

 

[VILenin]

With Vodka on their side, and the huge revenue from its taxation, how can they lose?

 

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stnylan - they shall soon feel the wrath of the horde.
Duke of Wellington- lets hope.
Leumatiello - good difference I say.
VILenin- doing something really stupied could make us lose.

 

[Leumatiello]

Just a question: What is your inflation?

 

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Ivan really have good taste on clothes. Bah, who do those freaky mongols think they are?