ABSTRACT
Ivan III (Ivan the Great; in full, Ivan Vasilyevich) vastly expanded the power of fifteenth-century Muscovy and established the political foundations of the Russian Empire. Ivan III's reign constituted the final stage of what historians traditionally call “the gathering of Rus.” Set in motion by earlier Muscovite rulers, this was a process of territorial expansion that culminated under Ivan with the integration of virtually all Russian-speaking lands occupying the eastern limits of Europe. Ivan III's territorial expansion influenced the course of history through two major developments: the elimination of all rival Russian states in eastern Europe and the formation of an autocratic system of government. Ivan III's symbolic marriage in 1472 elevated Muscovy in the eyes of the Orthodox church and in subsequent years some Russians would even claim that Russia represented the “Third Rome,” a Christian empire with a mission to protect the Orthodox faith throughout the world.
