Планы военного сотрудничества Тевтонского ордена и России в 1517−1522 гг

ENThe article examines the background and process of organization of the alliance between Russia and the Teutonic order in 1517–1522 on the basis of diplomatic documents of Moscow and Königsberg. A mutual rapprochement of Königsberg and Mosсow started in 1515 when the project of joint offensive alliance of the Empire, the Order and Russia was first generally outlined. After the Empire had quitted the coalition the only war ally for Russia was the Teutonic Order, but its weakness was evident. In 1517 first real steps to form the Russian- Teutonic alliance had been made. By 1517 the Grand Master ensured starting military activity against the Polish king in case of material and financial support from Russia. In exchange the Russian side promised to support the Grand Master and to defend his land. The head of the Order Albrecht of Brandenburg ratified all the points of the Moscow agreements. In 1519–1522 a charge of silver estimated about 37 000 guldens was delivered from Pskov to Prussia. Although the Teutonic Order had been defeated the short-lived Russian-Teutonic alliance was useful for Russia. This alliance, even fragile, had forced Poland to keep the troops on its territory in case of a war with the Teutonic Order and because of that after 1518 Poland could not help Grand Duchy of Lithuania with neither mercenaries, nor volunteers. In 1518–1520 Russian troops entered within the borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania not once, rarely being opposed. And as a final result the Smolensk region stayed Russian after the truce.