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Polity that includes all territories militarly occupied by Russia that are not part of a specific military territory.
Establishment
January 1548: Russian military campaign in Kazan and the Volga River region in 1547-48.
February 1548: End of the Russian military campaign in Kazan and the Volga River region of 1547-48.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Was a series of wars fought between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Khanate of Kazan from 1439, until Kazan was finally conquered by the Tsardom of Russia under Ivan the Terrible in 1552.
1.1.Wars of Ivan IV
A Russian military campaign agains the Khanate of Kazan, which was was finally conquered by Russia.
January 1550: Russian invasion of the Volga River region and siege of Kazan.
February 1550: The Russian forces leave the Volga River region.
August 1552: The final siege of the Tatar capital Kazan in 1552 was led by Tsar Ivan IV of Russia, also known as Ivan the Terrible. The military occupation of Kazan marked the end of the independent Khanate of Kazan and the incorporation of the territory into the Tsardom of Russia.
October 1552: In August 1552, forces of Ivan the Terrible, operating from the Russian castle of Sviyazhsk, laid siege to Kazan. The Russians defeated the Tatar inland troops, burnt Archa and some castles. On October 3, after two months of siege and destruction of the citadel walls, the Russians entered the city.
October 1552: The Siege of Kazan in 1552 was the final battle of the Russo-Kazan Wars and led to the fall of the Khanate of Kazan.
A series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe from the 16th to the 18th century.
2.1.Livonian War
Was a war fought over the control of Old Livonia. The Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of the Dano-Norwegian Realm, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Union (later Commonwealth) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland. Old Livonia was finally partitioned between Sweden, Poland-Lithuania and Denmark-Norway.
January 1576: In 1575, Ivan the Terrible of Russia ordered an attack on Poland, leading to the capture of Salacgrīva and Pärnu in Livonia. This marked a significant expansion of the Tsardom of Russia's territory through military occupation.
2.1.1.Russian invasion of Livonia
Was a Russian invasion of Livonia by Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible).
June 1558: Ivan IV of Russia regarded the Livonian Confederation's approach to the Polish-Lithuanian union for protection under the Treaty of Pozvol as casus belli. Ivan reacted with the invasion of Livonia. Russian troops took Dorpat in May.
August 1558: Russian forces start the siege of Reval (Tallinn).
August 1558: Narva conquered by russia.
September 1577: Magnus of Livonia besieged the the town of Wenden (Cesis) in August 1577.
December 1577: Polish forces re-captured the stronghold in Wenden (Cesis).
January 1578: Advancement of Russian forces by 1577.
June 1578: Advancement of Russian forces by mid 1578.
2.1.2.Livonian Counterattack
Were the Livonian operation against the Russian invasion.
January 1559: In 1558, Livonian forces, led by the Livonian Confederation (Poland-Lithuania) and supported by 1,200 landsknechte and 100 gunners from Germany, successfully retook Wesenberg (now Rakvere) and several other fortresses from the invading Russian forces during the Livonian War.
September 1560: The Russian Tsar's forces took important fortresses like Fellin, yet lacked the means to gain the major cities of Riga, Reval or Pernau.
2.1.3.Russian war with Lithuania
Was a Russian invasion of Lithuania by Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible).
January 1564: When the Russo-Lithuanian truce expired in 1562, Ivan IV of Russia rejected Sigismund's offer of an extension. The Tsar had used the period of the truce to build up his forces in Livonia, and he invaded Lithuania. His army raided Vitebsk and, after a series of border clashes, took Polotsk in 1563.
February 1564: In January and February Russian forces attacked Dubrowna, Orsha, Druchevsk, Borisov, Kopos, Shklow, Teterin, Mogilev, Radoml, Mstislavl, and Chachersk, reaching as far as the border of Vilnius and the Berezina River.
2.1.4.Polish and Swedish counterattack (Livonian War)
Were the military operations of Sweden and Poland-Lithuania against the Russian invasion.
March 1578: Swedish forces launched an offensive targeting key cities such as Pernau (Pärnu), Dorpat (Tartu), and Novgorod.
April 1578: The Swedish forces left the are of Pernau, Dorpat and Novgorod.
August 1579: Polish-Lithuanian troops advanced on Polotsk. The siege began 11 August, and the city surrendered on the 29th of that month.
October 1579: The Polish army also captured all 8 Russian castles in Polotsk - Rossony region (Sokol, Nescherda, Susha, Krasnae, Turovlia, Sitna, Kaz'jany, Usviaty).
September 1580: The forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth besieged Velikiye Luki on 29 August and took it on 5 September.
October 1580: Polish forces captured Velizh and Nevel.
January 1581: The towns of Kexholm and Padise were taken by Swedish forces led by King John III of Sweden in 1580. This military occupation was part of the Livonian War, a conflict between Sweden, Russia, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth over control of the Baltic region.
January 1581: The fall of Narva, Ivangorod, Jama, and Koporye in 1580 marked Sweden's military occupation of these territories in Livonia. This expansion was part of King Charles IX's efforts to strengthen Sweden's influence in the region.
January 1582: During the Livonian War, Sweden, under the leadership of King John III, captured the strategic city of Narva in 1581. This military occupation allowed Sweden to gain control over important trade routes in the region and expand its influence in the Baltic Sea.
2.1.4.1.Treaty of Yam-Zapolsky
The Truce or Treaty of Yam-Zapolsky (Ям-Запольский) or Jam Zapolski, signed on 15 January 1582 between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia, was one of the treaties that ended the Livonian War.
January 1582: The Truce or Treaty of Yam-Zapolsky, signed on 15 January 1582 between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia, was one of the treaties that ended the Livonian War. In the terms of the treaty, Russia renounced its claims to Livonia and Polotsk but conceded no core Russian territories as Batory and returned the territories his armies had been occupying.
2.1.4.2.Truce of Plussa
Was a Truce concluded between Sweden and Russia that ended the Livonian War.
August 1583: The war of Sweden with Russia ended when the Tsar concluded the Truce of Plussa (Plyussa, Pljussa, Plusa) with Sweden on 10 August 1583. Russia relinquished most of Ingria, leaving Narva and Ivangorod under Swedish control. Russia kept a narrow passage to the Baltic Sea at the estuary of the Neva River, between the Strelka and Sestra Rivers.
2.2.Great Northern War
Was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.
2.2.1.Phase 1: Swedish Dominance
Was the first phase of the Great Northern War, characterized by Swedish victories.
2.2.1.1.Livonian-Estonian Frontier of the Great Northern War
Was the Livonian-Estonian theatre of war in the first phase of the Great Northern War.
January 1702: On December 30, 1701, Russian forces defeated the Swedish Livonian army in the Battle of Erastfer.
January 1702: After the victorious Russians had plundered Erastfer and nearby regions, they withdrew again as they feared an attack by Swedish forces.
July 1702: Battle at Hummelshof.
August 1702: Since the remaining Swedish forces were too weak to oppose the Russians in open battle, Wolmar and Marienburg as well as the rural areas of Livonia fell into Russian hands in August.
December 1702: The Russian army retreated to Pskov without occupying the territory conquered in Livonia.
June 1704: In early June 1704, Dorpat (Tartu) was surrounded by Russian forces.
June 1704: Battle of Wesenberg.
June 1704: Siege of Narva (1704).
July 1704: On July 14, 1704, the city of Tartu fell into Russian hands.
August 1704: Russian forces captured Narva.
August 1705: Mitau is besieged by the Tsardom of Russia.
September 1705: Mitau is besieged by the Tsardom of Russia.
2.2.1.2.War against Augustus II
Was a military campaign initiated by Sweden during the Great Northern war. The goal of the campaign was the overthrow of Augustus II the Strong, who was at the same the Elector fo Saxony and the King of Poland-Lithuania.
December 1704: In 1704, during the Great Northern War, Tsar Peter the Great of Russia led a large army into Belarus, capturing key cities like Vilnius, Minsk, and Grodno. This military occupation marked a significant expansion of Russian influence in the region.
January 1707: Moreover, in 1706 a Russian army had invaded and occupied western Poland.
2.2.1.3.Ingrian Front of the Great Northern War
Was the Ingrian theatre of war in the first phase of the Great Northern War.
October 1702: Siege of Nöteborg.
October 1702: Russian conquest of Nöteborg (actual Shlisselburg) after a siege.
April 1703: Siege of Nyenschanz.
May 1703: Siege of Nyenschanz.
May 1703: Naval battle at the mouth of the Neva. the Neva was now fully controlled by Russian forces.
July 1703: The rest of Ingermanland including Jaama and Koporje could also be occupied by the Russians within a few weeks after taking Nyenschantz by a Russian infantry command under Major General Nikolai von Werdin.
October 1706: Russian forces started besieged the city of Vyborg.
November 1706: Russian forces ended the siege of Vyborg and left the area.
July 1708: Sack of Porvoo by Russian forces.
August 1708: The Russians leave Porvoo.
September 1708: Battle of the Neva.
October 1708: Battle of Koporje.
2.2.1.4.Russian Campaign of Charles XII
Was the Swedish invasion of the Tsardom of Russia during the first phase of the Great Northern War.
October 1707: On September 7, 1707, it crossed the Polish border near Steinau an der Oder. Menshikov's army avoided battle and withdrew from the western part of Poland.
January 1708: In mid-January 1708, King Charles XII of Sweden led his army out of Masuria and arrived in Grodno on January 28, 1708. The Swedish military occupation of Grodno was part of their campaign during the Great Northern War against the Russian Empire.
March 1708: Tsar Peter, who met with Menshikov not far from the city, considered the strength of the Russian army too weak to be able to stop the Swedish army there and ordered a further retreat to the Lithuanian-Russian border […] The Swedish advance lasted until the beginning February until the army of Charles XII. moved into winter camp near the Lithuanian town of Smorgon.
June 1708: After the start of the summer campaign on June 1st, the Swedish army crossed the Berezina on June 18th. The Russian forces were able to elude an attempted evasion by the Swedes and withdrew behind the next river barrier, the Drut.
September 1708: Swedish General Lewenhaupt reached the Dnieper River. The crossing took a week, allowing the Russian forces to close in and eventually chase the Swedes.
July 1709: The Swedish force was decisively defeated by Peter the Great of Russia at Poltava near the River Dnieper. Charles XII of Sweden fled to Turkish Moldavia.
July 1709: The troops around King Karl of Sweden reached the Bug River on July 17, 1709. The pasha gave Ochakov permission to enter the Ottoman Empire, ending Charles XII's Russian campaign in a catastrophic defeat against Tsar Peter the Great of Russia.
2.2.2.Phase 2: Sweden Defending itself
Was the second phase of the Great Northern War. It consisted in the counterattack of all the countries that Sweden had invaded during the first phase of the war.
2.2.2.1.North German Front of the Great Northern War
Was the theatre of war of northern Germany in the second phase of the Great Northern War.
February 1710: Russian storming of Elbing (today: Elbląg).
2.2.2.2.Russian Offensive in the East
Was a Russian military campaign against the territories occupied by Sweden in eastern Europe and the Baltic during the Great Northern War.
March 1710: Siege of Vyborg.
June 1710: Siege of Vyborg.
July 1710: Siege of Riga (1709).
July 1710: Siege of Kexholm.
July 1710: Siege of Pernau.
August 1710: Siege of Pernau.
August 1710: Reval (today Tallinn) is besieged and taken by the Tsardom of Russia, along with Livonia and Estonia as all the Swedish forts had been conquered.
September 1710: Siege of Kexholm.
October 1710: Reval (today Tallinn) is besieged and taken by the Tsardom of Russia, along with Livonia and Estonia as all the Swedish forts had been conquered.
January 1711: Capitulation of Arensburg (now Kuressaare) in present-day Estonia to the Tsardom of Russia.
January 1711: Conquest of the island of Ösel by the Russians.
2.2.2.3.Russian Offensive in the Ottoman Empire
Was a Russian military campaign against the Ottoman Empire during the Great Northern War.
July 1711: Siege of Brăila.
July 1711: Battle of Stănileşti: the joint Moldavian and Russian troops, the former under the command of Cantemir and the latter under Peter the Great and Boris Sheremetev, were surrounded and forced to surrender (on 22 July) to the larger Ottoman army.
2.2.2.4.Russian Campaign in Finnland
Was a Russian military campaign in Finland, at the time part of Sweden, during the Great Northern War.
May 1713: In 1713, during the Great Northern War, Tsar Peter the Great's Russian forces landed near Helsingfors (now Helsinki). The Swedish commander Georg Lybecker preemptively burned the city to prevent its capture, leading to its eventual occupation by the Tsardom of Russia.
May 1713: On the evening of May 22, 1713, Russian marines unopposed landed near the city of Borgå (modern-day Porvoo).
October 1713: Battle of Pälkäne.
March 1714: The Battle of Storkyro was a decisive victory for the Russian forces led by Tsar Peter the Great over the Swedish army in Finland. The defeat led to the complete occupation of Finland by the Tsardom of Russia in 1714.
August 1714: The whole of Åland was under Russian control.
2.2.2.5.Swedish-Norwegian Front in the Great Northern War
Was the theatre of war on the border between Sweden and Norway in the second phase of the Great Northern War.
December 1714: In the fall of 1714, Russian troops led by Tsar Peter the Great landed near Umeå, Sweden. The Swedish garrison quickly abandoned the city after a brief skirmish, marking the beginning of the Tsardom of Russia's military occupation of the territory.
2.2.2.6.Russian Invasion of Sweden
Was the Russian invasion of Sweden during the second phase of the Great Northern War.
2.2.3.Phase 3: Sweden on the defensive (1710-1721)
Was the second phase of the Great Northern War. It consisted in the counterattack of all the countries that Sweden had invaded during the first phase of the war.
2.2.4.Peace Treaties of the Great Northern War
Were the peace treaties that ended the Great Northern War.
2.2.4.1.Peace of Nystad
Was a treaty that ended the Great Northern War between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire.
September 1721: In the Nystad Peace Treaty (1721), Sweden ceded the areas of Ingria, Livonia, Estonia, the islands of Ösel and Dagö, and South Karelia to Russia.
September 1721: In 1721, Russia evacuated the military occupied territories in Livonia and Estonia at the end of the Great Northern War. The territories were returned to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the Treaty of Nystad, signed by Russian Tsar Peter the Great and Swedish King Frederick I.
September 1721: Russia evacuates the military occupied territories at the end of the war.
September 1721: This event occurred during the Great Northern War, a conflict between the Swedish Empire and the Tsardom of Russia. The territories in Finland were occupied by Russia but were later evacuated as part of the peace agreement, returning to the control of the Kingdom of Sweden.
Disestablishment
June 1721: Raid on Sundsvall.
July 1721: Raid on Sundsvall.
September 1721: In the Nystad Peace Treaty (1721), Sweden ceded the areas of Ingria, Livonia, Estonia, the islands of Ösel and Dagö, and South Karelia to Russia.
September 1721: In 1721, Russia evacuated the military occupied territories in Livonia and Estonia at the end of the Great Northern War. The territories were returned to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the Treaty of Nystad, signed by Russian Tsar Peter the Great and Swedish King Frederick I.
September 1721: Russia evacuates the military occupied territories at the end of the war.
September 1721: This event occurred during the Great Northern War, a conflict between the Swedish Empire and the Tsardom of Russia. The territories in Finland were occupied by Russia but were later evacuated as part of the peace agreement, returning to the control of the Kingdom of Sweden.
Selected Sources
Bradford, J.C. (2004): International Encyclopedia of Military History, Routledge, p. 554
Frost, R. I. (2000): The Northern Wars: War, State and Society in Northeastern Europe 1558-1721, London (UK), p. 25
Frost, R. I. (2000): The Northern Wars: War, State and Society in Northeastern Europe 1558-1721, London (UK), p. 26
Poten, B. (1879): Handwörterbuch der gesamten Militärwissenschaften, Velhagen & Klasing, p. 196
Poten, B. (1879): Handwörterbuch der gesamten Militärwissenschaften, Velhagen & Klasing, p. 197
Rambaud, A. (1890): Recueil des instructions données aux ambassadeurs et ministres de France depuis les traités de Westphalie jusqu'à la Révolution française, Ancienne Librairie Germer Baillière et Cie., p. 232.
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Tsardom of Russia (Military Occupation)
