Annales Moskovskoye.
The Birth of a Nation.
1492-1524.
The Grand Duchy of Moscow, by 1492, was little more than a backward medieval state, hugging the north eastern reaches of the European continent, suckling onto it's wealth and technological advances. To the west of Muscovy lay the advanced, obnoxious European nations. To the south, the heretics and barbarians. To the east and beyond, the steppes, barren wastelands, sleet and snow and vast emptiness. At a first glance, one might assume that the Muscovite state were a cruel inheritence for any Prince. But beyond the naked eye, and the serfdom and harsh climate, lay a rough diamond. There was potential.
What Muscovy needed was a bold and amibitious Prince. A man who was fearless and bold enough to expand ruthlessly. A man cultured enough to seize European intuitions, while retaining his peoples customs. A man with a huge cock. That man was NOTSwifty.
What Muscovy lacked with agricultural output, it had in abundance with sheer manpower. NOTSwifty could call on great swathes of men to do his bidding. The Muscovite monster was to be born. Generals Kholmski and Mihail Glinski served with particular distinction as Muscovy rapidly expanded in all directions. The Khanate was crushed in two swift wars, the Teutonic Order fell soon thereafter and then, seizing the initiative, NOTSwifty ordered the invasion of Lithuania, vassal of Poland, to expand the Muscovite core. Lithuania soon capitulated as 70,000 men swept across the steppes. After witnessing such glorious undertakings, Pksov, bowing to the might of the Duchy, was annexed.
The growth of Muscovy was extraordinary. But the titles that existed to demonstrate Muscovite power would not be able to live up to the grandeur of what the state had now become. To be on par and an equal with the other grand states, NOTSwifty decided another step needed to be undertaken to stand shoulder to shoulder with the others on the European stage. In accordance with Byzantine tradition and custom, he adopted the title Czar of All Rus. The Tsardom of Russia was born.
As 1524 draws to a close, Czar NOTSwifty sits on his ivory throne in Moscow, contemplating his next move. To the east he looks upon the unexplored wastelands with intrigue. To the west lay more riches. Can he undertake more risky expansion? And what should be done of the sneaky Swedes? Their movements in the baltic must be closely watched. They've already burrowed into Russian-claimed while his back was turned once already.
