Analysis of the articles and book on the topic Time of Troubles

Analysis of the articles and book on the topic Time of Troubles

The Time of Troubles was a period of political and social upheaval in Russia from 1598 to 1613. During this time Russia faced a crisis of succession, famine, invasion by foreign powers, and widespread breakdown of law and order. The end of the Time of Troubles was marked by the emergence of the Romanov dynasty and the strengthening of a strong centralized state in Russia. I would like to note that the Time of Troubles is an important period in Russian history, its relation to modern Russia is not necessarily direct. However, the lessons that can be learned from this period may still be relevant today. One of the lessons that can be learned from the Time of Troubles is the importance of strong and effective leadership in times of crisis. This period was marked by a lack of effective leadership, which contributed to the country's instability. This underscores the importance of having competent and decisive leaders capable of dealing with difficult and complex challenges. The troubled time also emphasizes the importance of social stability and the rule of law. Violations of law and order during this period led to widespread violence, corruption, and abuse of power. Finally, the Time of Troubles serves as a reminder of the importance of national unity and resilience.

The main challenge for me in this paper has been to identify the key events, personalities, and factors that contributed to the crisis, as well as to develop critical thinking and analytical skills, drawing on a variety of sources and perspectives.

Main part: 

When analyzing S.F. Platonov's book "The Time of Troubles", it becomes clear that the Troubles can be divided into 3 main periods/stages: dynastic Troubles, time of social struggle and time of struggle for nationality.

But in order to go deeper into the Time of Troubles, it is necessary to understand the main reasons for its emergence. Modern scholars identify five types of causes of the Troubles:

• Dynastic
• Political
• Social
• Economic
• Foreign policy

Dynastic reason. In 1598 the childless tsar Fyodor dies. He was the last of the three sons of Ivan the Terrible. And for the first time in many years the country is left without a supreme ruler. The scholar V.O. Kluchevsky noted that one of the main causes of the Troubles was that with the termination of the dynasty, the state was no one's. "There was no one to obey - so it is necessary to revolt."

Political reason. The death of the last direct Rurikovich caused an aggravation of the political struggle between separate boyar factions. Some scholars assess this struggle as a struggle with the tsarist power for the preservation of their privileges. Ways are being sought to resolve the problem that arose. So for the first time in the country, on February 17 (27), 1598, the Zemsky Sobor issued the tsardom of Boris Fedorovich Godunov. He failed to overcome the resistance of part of the boyar aristocracy and form a new dynasty. Consequently, the country again remains without a ruler, which, in turn, provides the ground for the emergence of impostors, splitting society for political reasons.

The social reason. In the context of the political and economic crisis, there is growing social discontent in the country. The behavior of the government, increasing terror, hunger and uncertain prospects for the future of the state lead to a growing social crisis that affects all segments of society. The peasants find themselves in deep ruin, and the boyars demand the entrenchment of the peasants in order to preserve their property. The existing system provokes the negative reaction of the masses of fugitive peasants, serfs, impoverished posadtsy population, Cossacks and servicemen. The consequences of oprichnina undermine the authority of the tsarist power. The boyars, unable to feed their peasants and servants, are forced to drive people out into the streets. The mass relocation of people to Moscow, where the state distributes money and bread, aggravates the economic and economic disorganization in society. Left without means of subsistence, people turn to robbery and robbery, exacerbating the general chaos.

Economic Cause. The economy of the country in the second half of the XVI century is in deep crisis. The country has experienced a series of devastating wars, invasions of the Tatars, and internal terror. The situation was catastrophically worsened by the "Great Famine" of 1601-1603 which left thousands of households destitute.

Foreign policy reason. Using Russia's internal difficulties, neighboring states such as Sweden and Poland laid their claims to both the Russian throne and the country's territories. Sweden claimed Novgorod and the Baltic lands, while Poland claimed Smolensk and the Russian throne. Because of internal problems and the wars that Ivan the Terrible waged, Russia was weakened and could not fully resist the interventionists.

So, analyzing the book by S.F. Platonov "The Time of Troubles", it becomes clear that the open distemper in the Moscow state began with the death of childless Tsar Fedor Ivanovich (1598). And it is commonly thought that it ended with the accession to the throne of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich (1613). During this period of time Moscow life was full of struggle of various social and political forces. Looking closely at the course of this struggle, it can be seen that at first its subject was the throne of Moscow. As I have mentioned before, after the death of Feodor in 1598, the Assembly of the Land elected Godunov Tsar. Boris Godunov was an energetic and intelligent statesman. In the conditions of economic ruin and difficult international situation he promised solemnly on the day of his crowning "that there would be no poor man in his state, and he is ready to share the last shirt with everyone". The elected tsar did not have the same authority and advantage as the hereditary monarch, which may have caused doubts about his legitimate right to the throne. Godunov's government reduced taxes and exempted merchants and landowners from paying duties and taxes for a certain period. The tsar was actively engaged in building and developing education in the country. The patriarchate was established, which raised the status and reputation of the Russian church. Foreign policy was also successful, the development of Siberia, the southern regions and the strengthening of Russian positions in the Caucasus continued. However, the internal situation of the country under Boris Godunov remained difficult. In a large-scale crop failure and famine in the period 1601-1603, the economy collapsed, hundreds of thousands of people died of hunger, and bread prices rose a hundredfold. The government took measures that further worsened the situation of the peasantry, causing protests from the masses, who directly attributed their worsening situation to Boris Godunov. Thus, we can conclude that the heated internal political situation led to the fall of Boris Godunov's prestige not only in the masses of the people, but also among the nobility. The greatest threat to Godunov's power was the emergence of an impostor in Poland, who had declared himself the son of Ivan the Terrible. His political opponents ascribed to Godunov the organization of his murder for the purpose of seizing power because in 1591, under unclear circumstances Dmitriy, the last of the direct heirs to the throne, died in Uglich, supposedly having stabbed himself during a fit of epilepsy. That is how False Dmitry appeared. He was able to attract to his side a huge mass of the Russian population, also the Polish magnates, his forces were rapidly growing, cities opened their gates to him, peasants and country people joined his cohorts. In 1605, after the death of Boris Godunov to the side of False Dmitri started to go and voivodes, in early June, he sided with Moscow. According to Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky, the impostor "was baked in a Polish furnace, but hatched in a boyar environment. June 20 False Dmitry solemnly entered Moscow. To consolidate his position, False Demetrius confirmed the serf legislation, which caused discontent among the peasants. The tsar did not meet the expectations of the nobility, because he acted too independently. On May 17, 1606, the boyars led the people to the Kremlin with cries of "Poles beat the boyars and the sovereign", and eventually False Dmitry was killed. Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky ascended the throne. He swore "not to do anything without a council," and it was the first experience of building a state order on the basis of a formal restriction of the supreme power.