Russo-Crimean Wars

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The Russo-Crimean Wars were fought between the forces of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the invading Tatars of the Crimean Khanate.

1 History
2 1570
3 1571
4 1572
5 After 1572
6 Source
7 External links

[edit] History

Muscovites at the southern border. Painting by Sergey Vasilievich Ivanov.

The Crimean Tatars invasions of Russia (Muscovy) began in 1507, after the death of Moscow's grand duke Ivan III, when the Crimean Khanate attacked on Russian towns of Belev and Kozelsk.

In 16th century the border of the Wild Steppes was near the old part of the city of Ryazan, near the Oka River, tributary of the Volga, and close to the Elets river, a tributary of the Don river, near Sosna. The Crimean Tatars, following a skilfully crafted attack plan, chose a path through the watersheds. The main way to Moscow was the "Muravski shliach", going from the Crimean Isthmus of Perekop up to Tula between the rivers of two basins, Dnieper and Severskiy Donets. Going deep, for about 100-200 kilometers, into the populated areas, the Tatars turned back after extensive looting and the capturing slaves. Captives were sent to Turkey, and even the European countries, to be sold. The Crimean city of Kafa was the setting of the main slave market, where people like the Genoese participated in the slave trade of Russians and Ukrainians.

Every year, in springtime, Moscow mobilized up to 65 thousand soldiers for boundary service. The defensive lines consisted of a circuit of fortresses and cities. Cossacks and young noblemen were set up in sentry and patrol services in charge of watching for Crimean Tatars and nomads of the Nogai Horde in the steppes.

To protect from invasions by the Nogai Horde in the region between the Volga and Irtysh rivers, the Volga cities of Samara, in 1586, Tsaritsyn, in 1589, and Saratov, in 1590, were founded.

Annually the Russian border population suffered from these invasions and tens of thousands of soldiers were deployed in the protection of the southern boundaries. A situation which hindered the social and economic development of the region.

Since the Crimean Tatars did not permit settlement of Russians to southern regions where soil were better and the farming season longer, Muscovy had to depend on poorer regions and labour intensive agriculture.

The most dangerous invasions occurred in 1517, 1521 (supported by Khan of Kazan), 1537 (supported by the Khanate of Kazan, the Lithuanians, and Turks), 1552, 1555, 1570-72 (supported by Sweden), 1589, 1593, 1640, 1666-67 (supported by Poland-Lithuania), 1671, and 1688.

[edit] 1570

In 1570 the Crimean Tatars horde terribly devastated the Ryazan borderland of Muscovy, meeting but a weak resistance.

[edit] 1571

Main article: Russo–Crimean War (1571)

In May, 1571 the 120-thousand strong Crimean Tatar horde, Big and Small Nogai hordes bypassed the Serpukhov defensive fortifications on the river Oka, crossed the river Ugra and flanked the 6-thousand Russian army. The Russians sentries were crushed by the Tatars, and the surprise attack forced the main Russian army to retreat to Moscow. The rural population also sought refuge in the capital. The Tatars devastated the unprotected towns and villages around Moscow, and proceeded to fire the capital's suburbs. Within three hours Moscow was completely burned to the ground. The Tatars enslaved 150 thousand Russians, while some contemporary chroniclers claim the Tatar invasion caused 800 thousand victims.

[edit] 1572

After the burning of Moscow, the Crimean khan, Devlet-Ghiray, supported by the Ottoman Empire, planned the full conquest of Russia. In 1572 the Tatars and the Turks again invades Russia, however, this time they were repelled in the Battle of Molodi. In July-August, the 120,000-strong horde of Devlet I Giray of Crimea was defeated by Russians led by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky.