Vladimir Monomakh's foreign policy as an example of a strategic genius

The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh had a tremendous impact on the formation and formation of the Russian statehood. In the article we will consider the main directions of Monomakh's foreign policy and the role of the prince in the history of the state of Kievan Rus. It is noteworthy that the way of Monomakh to the Grand Duke's throne was long. But we will discuss this further.

A long way to the throne

Vladimir Monomakh was the grandson of Prince Yaroslav, Vsevolod, and Byzantine princess, daughter of Constantine Monomakh. It was from his maternal grandfather that he inherited his nickname.

Vladimir was both prince of Chernigov, and Smolensk, and, finally, prince of Kiev. He went down in history not only as a good ruler, but also as a talented military leader. But he ascended to the throne only during the boyars' uprising after the death of Prince Svyatopolk. Being an intelligent and calculating person, Monomakh quickly established an exemplary order in the state system. This is not surprising, if we recall that he began to take part in the affairs of the state even during the life of Svyatopolk. That is, by the time of the ascension to the throne, Monomakh was already an experienced manager. Subsequently, he showed himself as a talented commander and strategist.

The struggle against the Polovtsians

The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh, briefly if one tried to describe it, boiled down not to the conclusion of dynastic marriages, like Yaroslav the Wise, but to protecting the borders of the state. The raids of the Polovtsians exhausted Kievan Rus. In 1107 the Polovtsian army besieged the city of Luben. But in the Pereyaslavka fortress there were troops called by Monomakh in case of activization of the Polovtsians. They hurried to the aid of the besieged and defeated the attackers, who were so discouraged by the impetuous offensive that they threw all the stolen goods.

By the order of Monomakh, the cavalry pursued the fleeing opponents, so that no one else would attack Russia. Do not underestimate the political significance of victory in this battle. Already in 1108, the hordes, wandering near the borders of the Kiev state, proposed to conclude a peace treaty, which was adopted by the prince.

Exile of the Polovtsians

One of the most significant battles with the Polovtsians occurred in 1111 on Don. Khan Bonyak sought to escape from direct confrontation with the Russians, who seemed simply invincible. It was decided to surround the princes' squads from the flanks and shoot them from the bows, exhausting the enemy. However, Monomakh, showing himself a talented strategist, himself launched an offensive. The Polovtsians did not expect this, because earlier the Russian princes waited for the attack, and only then they turned into a counterattack. Thus, the nomads were forced to play by the rules of the Russians and enter into a direct battle, which they so tried to avoid.

In this battle, the united army of the princes defeated the Polovtsians, thereby ensuring for a long time their relative peace to the state. But already in 1116 Monomakh and his retinue again went on a campaign against the Polovtsians, namely, against Khan Tugarhana, whose troops terrorized the southern borders of the principality. This Monomakh permanently secured the security of its lands in the south. In 1120, five years before his death, Monomakh was able to drive out the Pechenegs.

Strengthening ties with Byzantium

The Byzantine emperor, as a fire, feared the invasion of the Russian troops to his capital. That is why he agreed to marry his son John on the granddaughter of Monomakh - Dobronege. Since that time, the relations between the two states have become predictable and peaceful. Of course, Monomakh did not become a "father of Europe" like Yaroslav the Wise, but nevertheless, during the reign of the Russian princesses, they became rulers of European powers. The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh pursued the main goal of strengthening the international authority of Kievan Rus. That is why the Russian squads often took part in Byzantine internal affairs, in particular, they suppressed the insurrection in Chersonesos.

The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh, the description of which we gave in the article, was aimed at strengthening the authority of the state in the eyes of its neighbors. Of no small importance was the strengthening of external borders and their protection from the raids of nomadic tribes. We can say that it was the foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh that allowed Kievan Rus to become the largest European state of that time. Kievan Rus, moreover, was the main cultural, religious and state center of the Russian people. From this we can draw a logical conclusion that the great good for the people was the foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh. The table of the main clashes with the nomads is presented below.

In fact, remembering these key dates is not difficult. We gave a brief analysis of the activities of one of the most prominent personalities in history. The person who entered the annals as Vladimir Monomakh. Foreign policy (the table is presented in the article) of this prince was calibrated and thought out to trifles. This was the guarantee of the victory of the Russian troops.