Bush says Cold War captivity one of great wrongs

RIGA (Reuters) - President Bush denounced Soviet Cold War rule of eastern Europe as ``one of the greatest wrongs of history'' on Saturday in a jab at Moscow two days before celebrations of the 1945 victory over Hitler.

Bush, visiting Latvia before the ceremonies in Moscow marking 60 years since the end of World War II in Europe, also held up the three Baltic states as examples of democratic reform since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

He said the end of the war brought liberty from fascism for many in Germany but meant the ``iron rule of another empire'' for the Baltic states -- Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia -- and nations from Poland to Romania.

Bush admitted the United States shared some responsibility for the Cold War division of Europe after the 1945 Yalta accord between Russia, the United States and Britain.

``Once again, when powerful governments negotiated, the freedom of small nations was somehow expendable,'' he said. ``Yet this attempt to sacrifice freedom for the sake of stability left a continent divided and unstable.

``The captivity of millions in central and eastern Europe will be remembered as one of the greatest wrongs of history,'' he said in a speech at Riga's guildhall.

Bush's visit to Riga has angered Russia by reviving tensions about the Soviet occupation when Moscow is focusing on celebrating the end of World War II, a conflict that cost 27 million Soviet lives.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed calls by the Baltic states for an apology for Soviet rule and accused them on Saturday of trying to cover up past Nazi collaboration.

The differing versions of history may make for frictions when Bush meets Putin in Moscow on Sunday and Monday.

Putin insists the Red Army was a liberator, not an oppressor, of Eastern Europe.

``Our people not only defended their homeland, they liberated 11 European countries,'' Putin said on Saturday after laying a wreath at a monument to Russia's war dead.

In a recent state of the nation speech he bemoaned the demise of the Soviet Union as ``the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.'' He has also said Washington should not try to export its own brand of democracy.

``In the long run it is the strength of Russian democracy that will determine the greatness of Russia and I believe the Russian people value their freedom and will settle for no less,'' he said.

``As we mark a victory of six decades ago, we are mindful of a paradox. For much of Germany, defeat led to freedom. For much of Eastern and Central Europe, victory brought the iron rule of another empire.''

He also held up the Baltics as examples of successful shifts to democracy, a theme he stressed for nations including Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Belarus.

``These are extraordinary times that we're living in and the three Baltic countries are capable of helping Russia and other countries in this part of the world see the benefits of what it means to live in a free society,'' Bush told a news conference.

But Bush did not back pleas by the Baltic countries for an apology from Russia. ``My hope is that we are able to move on,'' he said.

The presidents of Lithuania and Estonia will boycott the May 9 ceremonies in Moscow. Georgia's president will also stay away, but Latvia's president will attend.

All three Baltic nations, whose combined population is now about 6 million, were occupied by the Soviet Union in June 1940 after a pact between Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia which divided up spheres of influence in East Europe.

In 1941, German troops occupied the Baltics and remained there until the end of the war when Soviet troops returned and ruled with an iron fist. The collapse of communism enabled the Baltic states to win their independence in 1991.

Bush also urged free elections in Belarus, which shares borders with Lithuania and Latvia, and ruled out any secret U.S deal with Moscow allowing President Alexander Lukashenko to remain in power. ``We don't make secret deals,'' he said.

Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga wrote in the Washington Post on Saturday: ``Russia would gain immensely by ... expressing its genuine regret for the crimes of the Soviet regime.

``Until Russia does so ... its relations with its immediate neighbors will remain uneasy at best.''

But writing in the French daily Le Figaro, Putin dismissed calls for an apology and accused the Baltic countries of trying to justify their own government's ``discriminatory and reprehensible policy'' toward their Russian-speaking populations.

Police detained about 20 protesters from Latvia's big Russian minority after they hurled smoke bombs in a demonstration against Bush.

``Bush is a horror,'' said protest leader Beness Aija. Posters in another demonstration said: ``Stop the war in Iraq.''

But many Latvians welcome Bush. ``It's important to recognize the struggle that our fathers had against communists and the Soviet Union,'' said Ugis Senbergs, a 50-year-old architect.

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Subsequently, Muscovy entered a period of continuous chaos. The Time of Troubles included a civil war in which a struggle over the throne was complicated by the machinations of rival boyar factions, the intervention of regional powers Poland and Sweden, and intense popular discontent. The first False Dmitriy and his Polish garrison were overthrown, and a boyar, Vasiliy Shuyskiy, was proclaimed tsar in 1606. In his attempt to retain the throne, Shuyskiy allied himself with the Swedes. A second False Dmitriy, allied with the Poles, appeared. In 1610 that heir apparent was proclaimed tsar, and the Poles occupied Moscow. The Polish presence led to a patriotic revival among the Russians, and a new army, financed by northern merchants and blessed by the Orthodox Church, drove the Poles out. In 1613 a new zemskiy sobor proclaimed the boyar Mikhail Romanov as tsar, beginning the 300-year reign of the Romanov family

1607 AD Crimean Tatars renew campaigns against Moscow now that Ottoman war in Poland has ended. Poland signs treaty with Great Nogai and Crimean Tatars against Moscow from south as he invades western Russia - Tsar Vasilii Shuiski busy with Bolotnikov rebellion.

1609 AD Battle on Zhabni river near Kalyhazin. Polish detachment defeats troops of M. Skopin-Shuiskii.

1609 AD Crimean Tatar campaign to Orlov in coordination with Polish army offensive. In June 40- 80,000 Tatars cross Oka at Serpukhov.

1610 AD Vasilii Shuiski deposed, Tatar attacks coincide with Polish siege of Kremlin, but they also oppose the 2nd False Dmitri's forces - Nogai attack Riazan.

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1601 False Dmitry Appears

1601--The First False Dmitry. Ivan IV's youngest son, Dmitry, had died of an epileptic fit in 1591 when he was ten years old. However, some opponents to Godunov accused him of having the young Dmitry murdered for his own political gain.

In 1601, an ex-monk named Grishka (Hrycko) Otrepyev came forward claiming to be Dmitry Rurik; he said he had escaped Godunov's plot to kill him and declared himself the rightful heir to the throne.

The False Dmitry found support from Poland-Lithuania; the King Sigismund III refused to recognize him but several Polish-Lithuanian nobles backed him, namely George Mniszech, whose daughter Maryna he engaged. (See more on Sigismund III.)

However, his opponents claimed he would try to convert Russia from Orthodox to Roman Catholicism. In his marriage contract with Maryna Mniszech, he admits: "I have sworn myself, and given a vow according to the holy order: as also that I shall bring all the Russe people to the Latin Religion."

1604 False Dmitry Invades

1604 (October)--The False Dmitry Invades. In 1604, the False Dmitry had formed an army of supporters, with financial backing from Poland-Lithuania. He invaded Russia with his army of 6,000.

Some fortresses gave their allegiance to Dmitry; others used the chaos as an opportunity to rebel against Godunov. The tsar sent out his army, with Vasili* Shuiski as general.

(See gallery of Vasili Shuiski.)

1604 (December 21)--Battle of Novgorod. Dmitry's troops clashed with Russians at Novgorod. The troops fighting for Godunov were mainly composed of foreign mercenaries and soon surrendered to the pretender.

1605 (April 13)--Godunov Dies. Godunov was already in poor health before the conflict started. In 1605, in the middle of the chaos, he died. Once again, rumors of poisoning were batted about.

Dmitry gained support from the peasants and some of the boyars. Vasili Shuiski was out-spoken against him, pressing for Godunov's son Fyodor to take the throne; Shuiski even went as far as to have his uncle proclaim he had buried the true Dmitry himself.

However, Godunov had been an unpopular and tyrannical ruler, and thus his atrocities were blamed, more or less, on his son. Further, Dmitry and his invading army were growing closer. The army who had fought under Shuiski revolted and pledged their allegiance, in the name of the entire Russian army, to the False Dmitry.

1608 Second False Dmitry Appears

1608--Second False Dmitry. Perhaps the displeased supporters of Shuiski were on the look-out a new tsar; perhaps it was the inspiration of the success of the first False Dmitry. Whatever the case, a second man surfaced claiming to be the the same first False Dmitry, that he had evaded Shuiski's assassination.

The second False Dmitry had been resurrected almost solely by supporters of the first False Dmitry, mainly by some of Polish-Lithuanian nobility. Even though he "in no way (except that he was a man) resembled the first" [Zolkewski], Maryna Mniszech even declared it was her husband.

(See gallery of Maryna Mnizcech.)

He is often viewed as a pawn of foreign, mainly Polish interest, unlike the first False Dmitry who acted mainly of his own volition. Some Russian boyars, who wanted Shuiski gone, came to Poland-Lithuania to swear their allegiance to the new False Dmitry; among them was Ivan Zarutsky.

The second False Dmitry took Tushino; as his real name was never known, he became called "the Robber of Tushino." From there, he blockaded Moscow.

At this time, the Poland-Lithuania was having its own problems, with a rebellion against their king. (See more on the rebellion against Sigismund III.)

The same nobles who were revolting against King of Poland-Lithuania Sigismund III supported the second False Dmitry (namely Alexander Zborowski), and so Sigismund III was hoping to encourage his rebellious nobles to turn their attention from him and to politically-weak Russia. (See more on Zborowski.)

Further, boyars who were opposed to Vasili Shuiski again asked for Sigismund III to help depose their tsar and install his son Ladislaus on the Russian throne. This time, Sigismund III's advisors pressed him to act.

1608--Dmitry and Poles Invade Russia. The second False Dmitry and his Polish-Lithuanian supporters attempted to take the Russian throne, and this time King Sigismund III also invaded Russia.

1609 P-L Sieges Smolensk

Polish Occupation 1609-1618 1609--Poland-Lithuania Invades Russia. Tsar Vasili Shuiski was unpopular and weak in Russia. Sigismund III ordered troops to invade in 1609.

1609 (September 26)--Siege of Smolensk. The first target was the "key city" Smolensk that Russia had captured from Lithuania in 1514.

(See gallery of Smolensk.)

Grand Hetman Stanislaus Zolkiewski led 12,000 troops to Smolensk, which was manned by less than 1,000 Russian men. A previous tsar, Boris Godunov, had fortified the city with a massive fortress completed just in 1602.

(See gallery of Zolkiewski in the Military Commander gallery.)

The Poles found it impenetrable; they settled into a long siege, firing artillery into the city, attempting to tunnel under the moat, and building earthen ramparts, remnants of which can still be seen today.

"The guns could not make the necessary breach in the wall, there was no hope at all that the tunneling would have any effect, since the enemy was well-prepared against it; for it was already known, through one who had come over from the castle, that the enemy had set up listening-posts round the wall on the field side along the actual foundations under the earth, so that he was already safeguarded against that danger....[The King] advised rather, since we had such a large army, (for at about this time [reinforcements] had also arrived) that after ringing Smolensk with forts, we should make straight for the capital, to the head." [Zolkiewski].

Future Grand Field Hetman, Stanislaus Koniecpolski and his older brother fought at Smolensk. In 1610, the brothers were fighting side by side, when a wall collapsed during the siege and fell on the older Koniecpolski, killing him.

(See more pictures of Koniecpolski in the Military Commander gallery.)

The siege lasted 20 months, until June 1611.

More Polish-Lithuanian troops, with Cossack recruits, marched for Moscow. As the Poles-Lithuanians pressed in, however, many supporters of False Dmitry turned back to Shuisky, because of the ravages of the foreign army. Further, the Poles-Lithuanians were not unified, as some preferred to stay under Dmitry's rule than the Hetmans'.

1610 (July 4)--Battle of Klushino.* Russia, allied with Sweden, sent in 40,000 troops as reinforcements for Smolensk, but they were met by 5,000 Polish-Lithuanian soldiers and Hussars at Klushino. The mighty Polish Hussars defeated Russian and Swedish forces. (See more on Hussars.)

1610-1612 Polish Rule in Moscow

Zolkiewski came into conflict with King Sigismund III over the battle plans for taking Russia. Zolkiewski advocated for a peaceful and voluntary union, offering Russian boyars protected rights and religious freedom, envisioning an association much like that with Lithuania; to that end, Moscow should not touched, out of respect. Sigismund III, however, did not want to make political dealings but to take Moscow by force, establish his rule with might. Following the king's wishes, Zolkiewski marched on Moscow.

1610--Tsar Removed. The Polish-Lithuanian army, under Zolkiewski marched into Russia all the way to Moscow and forced Tsar Shuiski from the throne.

Zolkiewski was not without political skill and he began maneuvering for a Polish tsar, particularly the palatable 15-year old Prince Ladislaus* IV, the son of Sigismund III. Previously during the Time of Troubles, boyars had offered the throne to Ladislaus at least twice, in the hopes of having Poland-Lithuania end the despotic rule of their current tsars. Through the Zolkiweski's work, the boyars again said they would support Ladislaus for the throne, if he converted to Orthodox.

However, Poland-Lithuania protested the conversion and then the boyars drug their feet on supporting Ladislaus. Finally, they elected him, but he faced further opposition at home - Sigismund III wanted the Russian throne for himself. Ladislaus was never able to take real power.

(See gallery of Ladislaus IV.)

1610 (December)--Death of Second False Dmitry. The second False Dmitry was killed by supporters of Shuiski. Maryna Mniszech, though, was pregnant, with the new "heir" to the throne, Ivan Dmitriyevich.

1611 (March)--Poles Attacked in Moscow. The citizens of Moscow had participated freely in the coup in 1606, killing 500 Polish soldiers. Now, being ruled by them, they once again attacked. They took over the munitions store and burned the city. The Polish soldiers took refuge in the Moscow Kremlin and remained barricaded inside for an incredible 19 months.

Reportedly, the Poles had imprisoned the leader of the Orthodox church, Patriarch Germogen. When the Russians attacked Moscow, the Poles ordered him, as the man with the most authority with the Russians at the time, to sign a statement to call off the attack. Germogen refused, and was killed.

Sigismund III was criticized in Poland-Lithuania for not being able to hold onto Moscow, and also for neglecting the army. Many soldiers hadn't received pay and on return to Poland-Lithuania, began to pillage the countryside.

Further criticism on him came from the Ottoman Empire, because the Cossacks in the Ukraine had begun to make unsanctified raids into Turkish territory. The Poles-Lithuanians would get no support from the Ottoman Empire in holding onto Russia.

1611 (January)--Ivan Dmitriyevich Born. Maryna Mniszech gave birth to the second False Dmitry's son, Ivan Dmitriyevich, nine months after his death. She found support for her son's candidacy as heir to the Russian throne in Ivan Zarutsky, a man who had fought for the second False Dmitry. She soon married him. For the next three years, they garnered armed forces, to try to place the child as Tsar of Russia.

1611 (June 2)--Smolensk Falls to the Poles. After enduring 20 months of attack, two harsh winters and dwindling food supplies, the Russians in Smolensk finally retreated as the Polish-Lithuanian troops broke through the city gates.

The remaining Russian soldiers took refuge in a cathedral and blew themselves up with stores of dynamite to avoid death at the hands of the invaders. Although it was a blow to loose Smolensk, it freed up Russian troops to fight the Poles-Lithuanians in Moscow and the Russian commander at Smolensk, Shein, was considered a hero for holding out as long as he had. (See more on Shein & Smolensk.)

1611--More Foreign Tsars. The Russian Time of Great Troubles continued as other foreign tsars came to power. This included Duke Charles Philip from Sweden, the son of King Charles IX and brother to Gustav Adolph. He was tsar of Russia for a few months in 1611; he was ten years old. (See more on Charles IX.)

1612 (November 7)--Moscow Falls to the Russians. The siege of the Moscow Kremlin continued. A historian [Parker] writes vividly of the Polish soldiers: "First they ate grass and offal, then they ate each other, and the survivors finally surrendered. The Moscow Kremlin fell on 6 November 1612."

On November 7, the Polish soldiers withdrew from Moscow. November 7 became Russia's formal Independence Day in the 1990's because of this triumphant revolt and because November 7 coincided with the 1917 October Revolution - an all around auspicious date in Russian history. (See more on the October Revolution.)

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