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Byzantine–Kievan Rus' War
Between 968 and 971, Grand Prince Sviatoslav I expanded southward, seizing Bulgaria and threatening Byzantine Balkan and Black Sea interests;…
Timeline
- 968–969Preslav · BulgariaAt Byzantine request, Sviatoslav I campaigned north against Bulgaria, quickly occupying its heartland and establishing his capital at Preslav, posing a direct threat to Byzantium.
- 970–971Silistra · BulgariaJohn Tzimiskes led his army across the Danube, defeated the Rus' forces in the siege of Silistra, recovered the old Bulgarian capital, and forced Sviatoslav to agree to withdraw.
- 971Danube Rapids · DanubeSviatoslav was killed in an ambush by the Pechenegs, Byzantine allies, during his retreat; Rus' power withdrew from the Balkans, and Byzantium regained control of Bulgaria and established hegemony over the lower Danube.
Sources
- The Primary Chronicle — Nestor (attrib.)
- A History of the Byzantine State and Society — Warren Treadgold (1997)