Cool Moments in History: The False Dmitris, how 3 pretenders bluffed their way to power

TLDR: The post became a bit longer than I planned and with a lot of dates and names so it may scare people off, so let me tell you the reward, this is the unbelievable story of how 3 people one after the other all successfully claimed to be Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich the heir to the Russian Throne. Thats right the just spoofed their way to power. Well if that doesn't pique your interest I don't know what will, that or I have a strange opinion what people find interesting.

As I said this is the amazing story of Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich the son of Ivan the Terrible, the first Tzar of Russia. The amazing part is he died 4 times. Between his deaths he wore different faces, led armies and ruled countries. That or there were 3 pretenders claiming to be him.

St. George’s Hall (Grand Throne Room), Winter Palace, Russia source

Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich (The original)

Born the son of Ivan the Terrible heir to Russia, his story is tragically short as he died at aged 8 (1591) in mysterious circumstances, probably assassinated. The mystery around his death likely allowed the series of events, that you are about to read, to happen.

Dmitriy's half brother Fyodor I ruled after their father died in 1584. His reign, which was mostly ceremonial, as he was considered feeble minded, ended in 1598. With no surviving members of the Rurik dynasty the title of Tzar was awarded to Boris Godunov, Fyodor's brother in law and the person who had held the real power during Fyodor's reign. It was during his reign that we meet our first pretender.

False Dmitry I

Around 1601 in Moscow someone became known for claiming to be Dmitry and rightful heir to the throne. Obviously this claim did not sit well with the Tzar so with threat of banishment False Dmitry fled to Lithuania.

There instead of dying in obscurity he gathered the support of both Lithuanian and Polish nobles, as well as an army of Cossacks which he led in an invasion of Russia.

While defeated militarily in the fall of 1604, his campaign led to him gaining support in southern Russia. Then only months later the Tzar died suddenly leaving his infant son as heir. As tragically tends to happen to infant heirs, he was killed, and the army declared their allegiances for False Dmitry (although I doubt they called him that at the time)

Thus in 1605 False Dmitry became Tzar of Russia. Through his support for the Poles that helped him gain power and because of an unpopular attempt to involve Russia in a war against the Turks he lost his support in moscow and was assassinated, one year after gaining power (1606). He was replaced by Vasily Shuysky one of the conspirators against him. And if that was the end of the story it would likely be little more than a footnote in history.

False Dmitry II

The second False Dmitry while bearing no resemblance to the dead Tzar, and only one year after his death, managed to gather support from again the Lithuanians, Poles, Cossacks and much of the south of Russia (1607). But most amazingly he was also recognised as the living Tsar by False Dmitry the first's wife, Marina Mniszek. This only after he marched north with an army at his back.

With this support False Dmitry II welded the same power as the Tsar Vasily Shuysky. Despite military engagements between the competing Tzars, this situation would continue for the next two years. Until finally, with the help of the Swedes, Shuysky managed to drive False Dmitry II to a stronghold in the South, where he continued to contain for the throne for half a year until he was killed by one of his own men (1610).

False Dmitriy III

With two pretenders gaining such power it is no surprize that the trend continued. False Dmitriy III while not as successful as his predecessors he still managed to gain the support of an army Cossacks and the city of Pskov (1611).

Alas he did not survive long as the same year as he declared himself he was betrayed and later executed in Moscow.

And thus ended the reign of the False Dmitris. Allow I am sure there were a few more attempts to keep the tradition going, though none that made it into the history books.

Sources:

Britannica
Wikipedia

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@fiveboringgames