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Moscow Civil War during Vasily II (1430s)

Type Event Region Eastern Europe Time 1433–1447

After Grand Prince Vasily I died in 1425, a long civil war erupted between his son Vasily II and his uncle Yuri Dmitriyevich and sons over the grand …

Timeline

  1. 1433–1434Galich · RussiaYuri Dmitriyevich seized Moscow twice, in 1433 and 1434, and died in Moscow in 1434; his sons (Vasily Koso, Dmitry Shemyaka, and others) continued to contest the grand princely throne with Vasily II, with fighting around Galich and Zvenigorod.
  2. 1436Galich · RussiaIn 1436, Yuri's eldest son Vasily Koso was defeated and captured in a military conflict over the grand princely throne and had both eyes gouged out (earning the name "Squinting Vasily"), temporarily ending the direct confrontation between Yuri's line and Vasily II.
  3. 1445–1447Moscow · RussiaIn 1445 Vasily II was defeated by Kazan Tatars at Suzdal and captured; his prestige suffered after being ransomed for a large sum. In 1446 Shemyaka seized Moscow, captured Vasily II and gouged out his eyes, exiling him to Uglich; in 1447 Vasily II returned to Moscow with supporters' aid and was restored, while Shemyaka fled (dying at Novgorod in 1453).

Sources