The Last Will of Ivan III.

Initially, Ivan III proclaimed his first wife's son, Ivan the Young, his successor and co-ruler. But in 1490 he died, leaving a 6-year-old son Dmitry. As a result there were two pretenders to the throne - Dmitry and 10-year-old Vasily, a son of Ivan III and Sofia Paleolog.

Afterwards, this situation was called the Dynastic Crisis: Ivan III proclaimed now his son now his grand-son the successor according to the development of the court intrigues until in the spring of 1502 Dmitry Ivanovich together with his mother were imprisoned. Vasily Ivanovich was finally proclaimed the successor of the Grand Duke of Moscow.

In the last will Ivan III summed up his more than 40-years reign. He handed down to Vasily more than 60 cities while all his other sons altogether got 30 cities. Younger brothers of Vasily had no right to mint own coin, try criminal cases; escheated lands also passed to Vasily. The brothers swore to obey Vasily in everything, and in case of his death submit to his elder son - their nepnep.

On this theme:


• Ivan III Reign.
  
• Strengthening of Political System in Reign of Ivan III.
  
• The Foreign Policy of Ivan III. Overthrow of the Golden Horde Rule.
  
• Annexation of Novgorod's Lands to Moscow
  
• Vasily III
  
• The Church and Heresies in the second half of XV century.
  
• Muscovy
  
• Internal Policy
  
• Chronology
  
• The Reign of Peter III (December 25, 1761 - June 28, 1762)
  
• Vladychnaya (Granovitaya) Palata
  
• Foregn Policy
  
• Vasily IV Ivanovich Shuysky
  
• Kirov
  
• XIII-XV centuries