ABSTRACT
By the early 1500s, Moscow, which a hundred fifty years earlier was the smallest and least promising contender, had emerged as the dominant power. In five generations, Moscow defeated all its nearby rivals, such as Tver and Novgorod, threw off the Mongol yoke, and seized much of the territory of the Lithuanian state, pushing it westward and into an eventual union with Poland. Moscow's victory meant that the principle of obligatory service to the ruler, a policy that was key to Moscow's success, became a central tenet of local society from that time forward. The rise of Moscow meant that the region would have a strong Orthodox religious orientation. Moscow princes were generally skillful administrators and proprietors of their domain, probably abler in this regard than most of their rivals. Moscow princes displayed remarkable ability in dealing with an array of foreign foes. As a corollary to its location, Moscow developed as an important trading center.
