After Gedimin and Olgerd, Vitold was the third and last of those princes who united Lithuania and Western Russia. No matter how Vitold toiled to reach the goal of his ambition, the result of his toil went to Poland. While working against union with that country, and building a state to oppose it, he was really preparing for that union, since the Polish kingdom was the only power served by his activity. In founding a state east of Poland, Vitold dispossessed the Russian princes west of Moscow, and by doing this cleared a great field for the Polish Commonwealth. He had not power sufficient to build a new, independent, political structure. He [[421]]made agreements with Poland intending to break them, as he had broken those which he made with the Germans. But Vitold passed away without building his kingdom, and his agreements remained clearly written on paper. The Poles clung to those documents, and exhibited them as title-deeds to dominion, the Magna Charta of their Commonwealth.
One inheritance, however, was left to their ruin: the deposed and reduced princes of Western Russia, and the boyars who formed somewhat later that body of magnates which took to itself the political power of the Commonwealth, and reduced the crown to a plaything. And since there was no central force in the Commonwealth, that Commonwealth went to pieces. The struggle which for centuries had raged among Russian princes was repeated in Poland on a far broader scale, and with more destructive intensity.
We must now go back to events which took place in Russia during the last six years of Vitold’s life. Though the Mongol yoke weighed yet on Russia, and liberation seemed still at a distance, the weight of the yoke was not what it had been, even in the reign of Dmitri. In general, people began to look on the Mongols as neighbors whom they might, with gifts and flattery, keep in peace, and make endurable. They were no longer masters in the old sense. Their power had reached its greatest height and was declining. Wars and disturbances were unceasing among the various Horde fragments, hence a Moscow prince might favor one fragment in opposition to others, and thus in time bring it over to his side.
In 1424 the Grand Prince, Vassili, fell ill, and his illness continued half a year, till death came to him. In days preceding his illness, he had turned his main effort to securing the inheritance to his eldest son, also Vassili by name. He took every measure of prudence, and expressed so much confidence in Vitold, his father-in-law, that he made him chief guardian of this young Vassili. Vitold then took an oath to see that his grandson inherited the throne of his father. Of course the brothers of the Grand Prince knew of this oath. But Vassili did not think that active steps would be taken against his son by that son’s uncles. In his illness he turned to his brothers, Andrei and Yuri, and begged them not to oppose the will by which he had made his son Grand Prince. In commending Vassili to Vitold, one of the most powerful sovereigns [[422]]of Europe, he must have intended to threaten his brothers. Vassili was the only son of the Grand Prince; the other sons born to him had died earlier, so this was a favorable condition for inheritance by the eldest from his father. But the Grand Prince himself had brothers: Yuri, Andrei, Peter, and Constantine. The eldest would not recognize his nephew as senior. In his will, therefore, Vassili gave the guardianship of his heir to Vitold, and to his own brothers, Andrei, Peter and Constantine, taking no note of Yuri.
Vassili was only ten years of age when his father died. The metropolitan invited Yuri, then in Zvenigorod, to be present in Moscow at the installation of his nephew. But Yuri hastened off to his own land beyond the Volga to prepare for hostile action. Vassili’s mother, his uncles, and some boyars sent the metropolitan to bring Yuri to peaceful methods. Yuri would not listen and, angered by his refusal, the metropolitan left Galitch without blessing that city. Straightway the plague appeared in Galitch, as the chronicler informs us. The prince hurried after the prelate, and with difficulty brought him back to give his blessing. Yuri now sent two envoys to Moscow with this message: “I will not seek the principality with violence. Let the Khan say who shall have it.”
But no one visited Sarai, and quiet reigned in Russia for a season. Yuri’s yielding was caused not so much by the metropolitan, as by fear of Vitold, who had declared that he would permit no man to offend his grandson. Meanwhile the plague spread through Russia and brought devastation to Moscow, Tver, and Novgorod. “Suddenly and without warning the victim would feel a sharp pain in the chest, or between the shoulders as though struck with a dagger; blood would flow from the mouth, intense fever would be followed by intense cold; the entrails were as though consumed by fire; tumors appeared under the arms, on the neck or hips. Death was inevitable and swift, but terrible.” The scourge continued for more than two years, and caused the death of many members of the ruling house, among others four sons of Vladimir the Brave, as well as Andrei and Peter, two uncles of Vassili.
Vitold died, as we remember, in 1430, and Svidrigello, son of Olgerd, reigned in his stead. Svidrigello was a friend of Vassili’s uncle, Yuri, and Yuri laid claim at once to the Grand Principality. The following year, after various councils and discussions, Vassili [[423]]set out for the Horde; then Yuri went also to get the Khan’s judgment.
The rule of the Horde over Russia had weakened greatly, but it was strengthened anew by this quarrel. Both sides had friends at Sarai. Mindulat, an official who had looked after tribute in Moscow, was Vassili’s chief ally among the Mongols. On Yuri’s side was the Murza Tiginya, who took Yuri to the Crimea, boasting that he would make him Grand Prince in Russia. Among boyars attending Vassili, the first place was held by Ivan Vsevolojski, a man who had served Vassili’s father and grandfather. This shrewd boyar took advantage of Tiginya’s absence, and his boasting. “Tiginya says,” declared Ivan to the Mongols, “that the Khan yields to him in all things, that every Mongol magnate is his servant. If this be true, Yuri will succeed, for to him Tiginya has promised the Grand Principality.” Made indignant by these biting speeches, which were repeated to him, the Khan, Ulu Mohammed, promised to put Tiginya to death if he even tried to help Yuri. Then he began to show favor to Vassili. Of course gifts played a very large part in the question.
When Tiginya returned in the spring of 1432, and heard of the Khan’s threats, he dared not assist Yuri. The Khan appointed a day to decide the question. The Horde magnates and both princes were present. Vassili rested his claim on inheritance from his father and grandfather; Yuri on ancient custom, as proven by chronicles, and on the will of his father Dmitri. Then Vsevolojski stepped forth and began speaking: “O free Tsar, my sovereign,” said he, “grant a word to me, the servant of Vassili of Moscow, who seeks the Grand Principality by thy gift and patent. Prince Yuri seeks the same through the dead letter of ancient custom, and not, O free Sovereign, by thy document, through which our recent sovereign gave the Grand Principality to his son now reigning in Moscow by thy will, as thou, our lord, knowest.”
This speech pleased the Khan, who, well disposed toward Vassili, adjudged him the patent, and proposed that he mount a horse which Yuri was to lead by the bridle. But Vassili had no wish to humiliate his uncle.