I'm going to go. He's a suaras, yes,

a ras, it yes shawras. Welcome to the Russian rulers podcast episode 21, Ivan the fourth. Oh my God, what have I done?

Last week we recounted the reign of terror Ivan unleashed in the name of the Upper Taina, which greatly weakened

the country, making them ripe for invasion. The Lithuanian Polish menace on the Western

borders was there, but the main threat came not from them but from the Crimean

Tartars. It was early September 1570 when panic began to spread throughout Moscow because of a rumored

army of Tartars heading their way.

Ivan gathered his opportunique army and headed the threat because the presumed number of the

soldiers in the totality of the Tartar Army was a mere 6,000

according to scouts.

Ivan felt secure in the knowledge that the threat was minor, so he headed back to his hunting

lodge and let the Zemsachina Army battle the invaders.

What the Tsar didn't know was the 6,000 Tartars were just probing

the Russian defenses in advance of a massive attack force of 120,000 led by Khan Devlet

Gire.

On April 5th, 1571, the Khan began his march on Moscow.

On the way, the army came upon a number of Boerrs who were fleeing the terror of the Uprich Nina and they told

the Khan that Moscow was ripe for the taking as it was in the grips of a famine and that the

Tsar's army was small too small to provide any real opposition.

Not fully trusting the boyars, the Khan was wary

until one Kudriya Tishnikov promised that if the Tartar army failed to reach Moscow they would impale him.

On they went.

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