SVIATOSLAV’S DANUBE CONQUESTS
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SVIATOSLAV’S DANUBE CONQUESTS
In 967 AD Prince Sviatoslav's policy, aimed at conquering Khazar kha-ganate, changed. Constantinople provided the Kyivan Prince with the
Stylized portrait of Sviatoslav Igorevich from Tsarine chronicle,17th century
benefits of conquering the Balkans. Byzantium suffered from military oriented Bulgaria and, therefore, it was in search of an ally to fight against it. That wish was in line with Sviatoslav's intentions, since the latter sought, according to M. Hrushevskyi, to conquer and embrace all Slavs thus becoming a powerful rival to Byzantium. The Tale of Bygone Years mentions that in 967 Sviatoslav organized his first campaign to Bulgaria, "In summer 6475 Sviatoslav set off to the Danube against Bulgarians.'The 30-thousand Bulgarian troops opposing Kyiv soldiers did not stand the pressure and retreated to the Danube fortress Dorostol. Having learnt about the defeat, the Bulgarian tsar Petro got ill and soon died. Then nearly the whole eastern Bulgaria was conquered by Sviatoslav. The primary chronicle says that Sviatoslav defeated Bulgarians. He took eighty towns along the Danube, and he got settled as a Prince there, in the town of Pereiaslavets, imposing charges on the Greeks.
In summer 968 Sviatoslav had to leave Pereyaslavets and rushed back home to Kyiv, which had been besieged by the Pechenegs. Having won the victory there, Sviatoslav began strengthening the power structure of Kyiv state. He made his senior son Yaropolk the Prince in Kyiv, Oleg — in Drevlianys lands, while Volodymyr was sent to rule in Novgorod. He himself announced of the plans to enter a treaty with German Emperor Otto and set up a powerful Slavic state on the lands lying between the Danube and the Black Sea.
During the second campaign to Bulgaria, in 969, Sviatoslav conquered the capital, Preslav, taking tsar Borys II as a prisoner. The Bulgarian ruler was deprived of his throne and royal power symbols. However, it became clear to Byzantium that they had to deal with a serious rival and took to looking for understanding with Bulgaria. On December 11,969, Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas was killed and the throne was taken by John I Tzi-miskes. Appeasing Kyivan Prince with presents and promises, Byzantines tried to persuade Sviatoslav to refuse from Bulgaria. Sviatoslav dismissed the offer of negotiations. Byzantine chronicler Lev Deacon renders Prince's words as follows, "I will leave this country only when I receive the money tribute and a ransom for all towns taken by me and for all prisoners. If the Romans are not willing to pay what I ask for, let them leave Europe, which they are not entitled to, and let them go to Asia" In response, Byzantium started preparations for war.
In spring 970 Sviatoslav conquered Macedonia, crossed the Balkans and, taking one town after another, he was steadily approaching Constantinople. Emperor John I Tzimiskes hastily moved ahead with a large army to meet the prince. He managed to take several settlements in Byzantia and Bulgaria. Nevertheless, clashes in Thrace did not show a winner.
In 971 the Byzantines gathered a fifty thousand army and attacked Preslav. On April 14, 971 Tzimiskes took the city and recognized prisoned Tsar Borys the ruler of Bulgaria, after which the united forces moved towards Dorostol. The siege of Dorostol lasted for three months.
After the general battle on July 24, 971, Prince Sviatoslav decided to renew negotiations with Byzantia. Their agreement cancelled Kyivan Rus claims for the Crimean lands belonging to Byzantia and Bulgaria. At the same time Sviatoslav army would be provided with required resources for campaigning and he would be given free access to the borders of Rus.
Miniature from the Vatican 14th century manuscript (Chronicles of 12th century by Constantine Manasses). At the top — Sviatoslav conquering Bulgaria, at the bottom — John I Tzimiskes’ campaign to Dorostol
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