Which ruler is credited with expanding Muscovy's borders by annexing the Novgorod Republic?

Which ruler is credited with expanding Muscovy's borders by annexing the Novgorod Republic?

• A. Ivan IV
• B. Peter the Great
• C. Ivan III
• D. Catherine the Great

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how Moscow centralized power and expanded its borders by absorbing neighboring lands. Ivan III, known as Ivan the Great, is the ruler who brought the Novgorod Republic under Muscovite control. By asserting authority over Novgorod and ending its independence, he helped unify many Russian lands under one state and strengthened the authority of the Moscow-based rulers. This annexation, completed in the late 15th century, set the stage for a centralized Russian state. The other rulers mentioned expanded Russia in different ways and at other times, but they are not tied to the annexation of Novgorod.

The main idea here is how Moscow centralized power and expanded its borders by absorbing neighboring lands. Ivan III, known as Ivan the Great, is the ruler who brought the Novgorod Republic under Muscovite control. By asserting authority over Novgorod and ending its independence, he helped unify many Russian lands under one state and strengthened the authority of the Moscow-based rulers. This annexation, completed in the late 15th century, set the stage for a centralized Russian state. The other rulers mentioned expanded Russia in different ways and at other times, but they are not tied to the annexation of Novgorod.