ABSTRACT
Moscow defeated all its nearby rivals, such as Tver and Novgorod; threw off the Mongol yoke forever; and seized much of the territory of the Lithuanian state, pushing it westward and into union with Poland. The Moscow princes had to fight against the dominant principle of post-Kievan Russian society, the appanage system. It is significant that the Latin root of this word gives it a basic meaning of providing “bread” or “nourishment.” In spite of its liabilities, Moscow also had a number of assets that help explain its rapid ascent to dominion over the Russian lands. Some of these were circumstances that benefited the Moscow princes but over which they had no control. Others resulted from the conscious actions and policies of the princes. The Moscow princes were also generally successful in avoiding civil war within the princely family. The princes of Moscow displayed remarkable ability in dealing with an array of foreign foes.
