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ЗОЛОТООРДЫНСКОЕ ОБОЗРЕНИЕ. 2017. Т. 5, № 1
VENETIAN DIPLOMACY AND THE GREAT HORDE IN THE 1470’S
V.P. Gulevich
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Kyiv 01008, Ukraine
E-mail: gulevych_v@ukr.net
Objective: To investigate Republic of San Marco’s attempts to engage the Great
Horde Tatars in war against the Ottoman Empire and find out their consequences.
Research materials: The research based on archive documents published in Venice,
the Annals of Jan Długosz, the chronicles
of the Northeast Russia, as well as Turkish-Horde
diplomatic correspondence materials.
Results and scientific novelty: After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the trading
posts of Venice, in the Black and Azov seas were under the greatest threat. They had not
enough forces in Venice for the war with the Ottomans. The Venetian Senate was
constant-
ly searching for allies to create an anti-Ottoman coalition. In addition to European coun-
tries, Venice saw the Ak-Koyunlu and the Great Horde among them. Drawing the Polish
Kingdom into the war failed, and the Ak-Koynulu was defeated by the Turks.
In this con-
nection, the Venetian Senate paid particular attention to the Great Horde. But many objec-
tive factors prevented the successful implementation of Venetian plans, such as: the dis-
tance from the Great Horde to Venice and the Balkans, the reluctance of the
Polish king
Casimir IV giving a way to the Great Horde Tatars through his land, suspicion of the Mos-
cow ruler Ivan III, and the Venetians erroneous assessment of Ahmad Khan’s desires and
possibilities. The situation was complicated for the Venetians by the rapidly changing set-
ting in the northern Black Sea region due to the Ottoman wars in the mid–1470’s against
the Moldavian principality, their seizure of southern coast of the Crimea and the subordina-
tion of the Crimean Khanate. Ahmad Khan’s ambassadors’ arrival in Venice was unable to
accelerate the implementation of the Venetian Senate plans. Furthermore, in the 1470’s,
Ottoman diplomacy did not leave without attention the northern
Black Sea region and after
a long break regained embassies exchange with the Great Horde. Venetian diplomats’ rein-
forced efforts were unable to overcome the resistance of Casimir IV, and Venice was forced
to abandon its plans.
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