Ivan The Terrible had one ultimate goal when it came to foreign policy and that was aiming to conquer all remaining independent regions and expand Russia’s territory to help move towards a more centralized government. He also introduced reformed tax collection, self-government in the rural regions of Russia as well as instituting church reform. Ivan’s grand armies in 1552-1556 defeated the Tartar …show more content…
khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan, furthermore extending Russian rule to the Ural mountain range in the east and Caspian Sea in the south, creating a “buffer zone” to protect them from the Mongols (the largest empire in human history, originating from Central Asia).
Following the death of his first wife his erratic/impulsive behavior began to run rampant after slipping into a deep depression.
He left Moscow threatening to relinquish his throne as tzar of Russia. Due to his very apparent paranoia he made it law that all law breakers and traitors with execution and seizure of property. 24 years following Ivan put in place what those call a “Reign of Terror”, that reign involved destroying the major boyar families in the Russian region furthermore earning himself the “Gronzy” translating to mean “sparking terror/fear” which is exactly what Ivan the Terrible was known for putting fear in people’s hearts. During that same time Ivan beat his daughter-in-law who was pregnant at the time, causing her to have a miscarriage; Ironically creating the Oprichniki thereafter, the first official secret Russian police
force.
Subsequently, due Ivan the Terrible’s constant paranoia he became obsessed with due, calling on “witches” and soothsayers to help encourage him, but to no avail Ivan the Terrible died due to heart failure in 1584. Following his death Russia was spun into an era of disarray known as the “Time of Troubles” leaving many deep political and social scars that wouldn’t be forgotten until the reign of Peter the Great more than a century later.