IVAN III THE GREAT AND VASILII III THE ADEQUATE SET RUSSIA UP FOR SUCCESS BY ESTABLISHING THE TSARDOM OF RUSSIA.
VASILII’S SON, IVAN IV THE TERRIBLE, BEGAN AS A REFORMER BY FIXING SOME OF THE ILLS OF SOCIETY BY CHECKING THE POWER OF THE BOYAR NOBILITY.
IVAN IV THE TERRIBLE QUICKLY FELL INTO MEGALOMANIA AND BEGAN A REIGN OF TERROR KNOWN AS THE OPRICHNINA.
FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF IVAN IV’S ONLY SURVIVING HEIR, FEODOR THE BELLRINGER; RUSSIA BECAME A MESS LEADING TO THE TIME OF TROUBLES THAT LASTED FROM 1598-1613.
RUSSIA EMERGED OUT OF THE TIME OF TROUBLES (WHICH INCLUDED MULTIPLE TSARS AND PRINCES CLAIMING POWER) BY ELECTING MICHAEL ROMANOV TO RULE RUSSIA, BEGINNING THE 300 YEAR REIGN OF THE ROMANOVS.