1612: facts, events, consequences

The events that celebrated 1612, went down in history as the end of the Time of Troubles and the beginning of the liberation of the country from the Polish military presence. This year became the main one for the coming events, laid the foundation for the final expulsion of the Poles. It is currently believed that it is in honor of this event that the holiday of national unity is celebrated in November. The history of 1612 can not be considered without an analysis of previous events. This is logical, since in many ways this time is the final period of a certain stage in the development of the state. Like all key years in history, the 1612 was not easy.

1612: how it all began

Despite the fact that the times of the Troubles in many textbooks are designated 1605-1612, the seeds of the problem were sown immediately after the death of Ivan the Terrible, the last representative of the Rurik dynasty.

After the death of a strong leader, who did not leave behind the same strong successor, the country began to suffer under the oppression of feuds among boyars and frequent raids of numerous neighbors. Heirs of Ivan the Terrible were, but they died, so the power passed to Godunov. It was a difficult time, because at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries there was a famine that was accompanied by gangs and high mortality among ordinary people. In combination with permanent Lithuanian and Polish invasions, this makes the times of Troubles a really dark time in the history of Russia. Against this background, the circle of boyars was overthrown from the throne of Godunov, declaring that he had seized power illegally, and that his rule was contrary to the will of God. After this, the allegedly saved and surviving descendants of Grozny - False Dmitry, appeared twice, but they did not reign for long. On a wave of unstable political situation, Russia became an easy prey for foreign invaders. Poland did not miss the opportunity to seize power in a weakened country without a ruler.

Liberation of the spirit of liberation

A few years before the events of 1612, the liberation revolts against foreigners began. To ensure military support, Shuisky bought the Swedish army at the price of the Karelian Uyezd.

This united army was defeated in large part because of the betrayal of the German mercenaries and their transfer to the side of the enemy. This opened the way to Moscow.

Heroes of the people - Minin and Pozharsky

Minin was elected to the role of senior on the organization of the militia of Nizhny Novgorod. He collected for the needs of the army a large sum - each farm had to contribute about 20% of its value. Pozharsky became a military leader. He was not connected with foreign interventionists, so people rallied around him. Perhaps, this decided what will be the year 1612 in history. The leaders sent out letters calling to join the insurrection. The people responded to the call. From all parts of the country, people began to come to Yaroslavl to prepare for the march. The militia stood there until the end of the summer. Pozharsky was engaged in military affairs, and Minin took over the economic management. The army launched a campaign against Moscow in the second half of August.

Siege of Moscow

Despite the fact that the siege of the militia began in August, it ended only in October in the old style. So, the Poles settled in the city. For them, 1612 was far from the best - the provision was ending, and the arrival of the carts was long to wait. The next day after the approach of the insurgents, a long-awaited convoy arrived. Contrary to expectations, in this battle the militia defeated. In many respects, they owe their victory to Minin, who acted like a brave warrior and a competent strategist. The remnants of the broken train had retreated, and the Russians had got at their disposal provisions, so necessary for the starving Poles and boyars behind the Kremlin walls.

The total lack of food caused not only high mortality, but also numerous cases of cannibalism in the garrison.

Storming Moscow

The assault on the weakened garrison began on October 22, and the Poles were knocked out of the China-city. The Russians joined the Kremlin on October 24. It was November 1612, namely - the 4 th in the new style. This date is today celebrated as a holiday of national unity in Russia.

Zemsky Sobor

1612 laid the foundation for further events. After the siege, Minin and Pozharsky summoned the Zemsky Sobor, the purpose of which was to choose a new king. According to the decision, in the Cathedral, besides the clergy, people of different estates from different cities will participate. The decision on the choice of the tsar was to be taken unanimously, and the date of the election itself was determined on February 21, 1613. According to the results of the Council, Mikhail Romanov became the tsar , who highly appreciated the merits of Pozharsky and Minin. So, the first was granted the boyar title, and the second was elevated to the rank of Duma boyars.

Minin in the new post collected taxes until his death, and Pozharsky continued to lead the troops in the liberation campaigns against the Poles. In 1612, for them and for the whole state became fatal. Thus ended the Time of Troubles, which brought a lot of suffering to the Russian land.