Ivan the Terrible : free to reward & free to punish / Charles J. Halperin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Halperin, Charles J., author.

Series:

Russian and East European studies

Russian and East European Studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ivan IV, Czar of Russia, 1530-1584.

Ivan.

Russia. Oprichnina.

Russia.

History.

Russia--History--16th century.

Russia (Federation).

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xii, 365 pages, 6 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Other Title:

Free to reward and free to punish

Place of Publication:

Pittsburgh, Pa. : University of Pittsburgh Press, [2019]

Summary:

Ivan the Terrible is infamous as a sadistic despot responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people, particularly during the years of the oprichnina, his state-within-a-state. Ivan was the first ruler in Russian history to use mass terror as a political instrument. However, Ivan's actions cannot be dismissed by attributing the behavior to insanity. Ivan interacted with Muscovite society as both he and Muscovy changed. This interaction needs to be understood in order properly to analyze his motives, achievements, and failures.Ivan the Terrible: Free to Reward and Free to Punish provides an up-to-date comprehensive analysis of all aspects of Ivan's reign. It presents a new interpretation not only of Ivan's behavior and ideology, but also of Muscovite social and economic history. Charles Halperin shatters the myths surrounding Ivan and reveals a complex ruler who had much in common with his European contemporaries, including Henry the Eighth.

Contents:

Part I. Muscovy in the sixteenth century

Part II. Ivan's life from his accession to the oprichnina

Part III. Muscovy from Ivan's accession to the oprichnina

Part IV. Ivan and Muscovy during and after the oprichnina.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780822945918

0822945916

OCLC:

1089289567