Ivan the Terrible Essay -- History

Ivan the Terrible I’m doing my report on Ivan the Terrible. Ivan Vasiljevich the Terrible was born in 1530 and died in 1584. He was the son of the Grand Duke Vasili III. His mother Helena Glinsky was the daughter of a Luthuanian refugee who had found asylum in Russia. She was young, vivacious, intelligent, and beautiful. Vasili had married her after he tried to have an heir for 20 years with his first wife Salome. Vasili was in his 50’s, and Helena was 20 when Ivan was born. Ivan had another brother Yuri born 18 months later. The day of Ivans birth, August 25, 1530, was a joyful one. The Grand Duke ordered prison doors opened and chains of thousands of prisoners were removed and the prisoners freed. Nobles who had fallen into disgrace were pardoned. Hermits and holymen were invited into the walls of the Kremlin, and seated as honored and guests. "The cloud under which his son Ivan was born, and under which he would have to live his life, was a dark one."(Koslow, Jules). In 1553, Vasili died after a long ailment. Ivan, whom was only 3 years old at the time of his fathers death. With out a ruler boyars (advisors) took over, only to have wars and suffrage in Russia. For the next several years, the struggle continued with out out mercy on either side. Tyranny prevailed. Prisons filled. relief Anarchy supplanted oligarchy. The boyars behaved like wild beasts. "Russia was rent by contending factions, bathed in blood and ruled by barbarity."(Koslow, Jules). But with in the mist of the struggles Ivan grew up behind the fortress of the Kremlin walls. Ivan was 8 years old when his mother died. Throughout his child years, he never had a fathers hand to guild him, or a mothers love tender love. Him being an orphan was a blow that shaped his entire life. It was marked with violence and indelibly stamped his character, and future actions and thoughts. He lived his earliest years in a struggle for power, with murder, imprisonment, and torture being common. Boyars killed boyar & henchmen marched them off to prisons at swords point. When Ivan was only 12, followers of Prince Ivan Shuisky, made a midnight raid upon the Metropolitan’s quarters. Breaking down Ivan’s door, he looked around only to see fierce, armored soldiers with swords, coming to murder him. The soldiers left with out harming him. But Ivan could never get the fear of coming close to ... ...ediately baptized Maria. In 1581, Ivan killed his son Ivan, the heir to the throne, in a fit of rage. Ivan's son had his father's temper. One day, Ivan IV walked into the apartment of Ivan (the son) and started criticizing Ivan's seven month pregnant wife about her dress. Ivan was so enraged by her unacceptable dress, that he started to hit her. His son heard her screaming and ran in. He tried to stop his father. Ivan IV was so enraged with his son's actions that he took his taff and struck his son on the head, killing him. Because of his kicks and blows, Ivan's daughter-in-law also lost her child. In one day, Ivan killed the future Czar and Czarvich of Russia. Ivan was instantly remorseful about his actions, but nothing could be done. With the death of Ivan IV and his son, Fedor, a half-witted man who liked the Church and ringing bells, ruled the country. (The first son, Dmitry had died.) Because of this tragedy, after Ivan's death in 1584, the country entered a time of troubles. He had left Russia without a strong ruler. Because of the troubles after Ivan's death, some people actually wished that Ivan was still there to rule them. This is my report on Ivan the Terrible.