Table of contents:
- How Ivan the Terrible hired a pirate
- Karsten Rohde's pirate activities and trophies and how he was hunted
- Both ours and yours - cooperation with Denmark
- How King Frederick II arrested the pirate, but Ivan the Terrible did not want to release
Video: Why Tsar Ivan the Terrible hired a pirate and why he was dissatisfied with his service
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Peter I created a powerful military fleet in Russia. Russia also tried to gain a foothold in the Gulf of Finland during the Livonian War, but Ivan the Terrible failed to do what Peter the Great did. Therefore, the king decided to hire the famous pirate Carsten Rode, who was called the thunderstorm of the Baltic. Read how a pirate captured ships, what attempts were made to catch him and how Frederick II locked a pirate in an ancient castle.
How Ivan the Terrible hired a pirate
Ivan the Terrible wanted to turn Narva into a Russian seaport. In 1558 Russian troops entered the city. The tsar pursued the goal of ridding Russia of the Hanseatic intermediaries in the implementation of trade operations with Europe. Attempts were made to build a merchant fleet, which consisted of seventeen ships. However, the corsairs from Poland and Sweden obstructed the tsarist plans, they, according to Ivan the Terrible, "beat our guests on the seas."
What was to be done? The king decided to hire a certain Karsten Rode, a Dane from the city of Dietmarschen, to serve. He was a talented person in his own way. Having reached the age of thirty, he acquired the fame of a dashing merchant and sailor who made voyages from Denmark to Lubeck. As a professional pirate, Rode was originally hired by King Frederick II of Denmark during a painful war between Denmark and Sweden. The attacks by Rohde's team on the German and Swedish ships were successful. To such an extent that in Hamburg Karsten was sentenced to death.
In 1570, the corsair visited the Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda and was introduced to Ivan the Terrible. He received the so-called "lucky letter" from the tsar. Now the pirate had the title of imperial order captain, as well as complete freedom to attack and destroy enemy ships. The following conditions were put forward: when seizing ships, every third pirate, together with prisoners and weapons, leaves the city of Narva in the port. The duties of the new captain also included the sale of trophies in Russian port cities, in addition, his duty was to contribute 1/10 of his income to the state treasury. In response, the Russian tsar promised to support Rode's crew, paying 6 thaler monthly for each sailor.
Karsten Rohde's pirate activities and trophies and how he was hunted
However, not only Ivan the Terrible was interested in the dashing Rode. The naval "carte blanche" was also given to him by Duke Magnus (at that time this man was the nominal king of Livonia and the ruler of the island of Ezel). Karsten Rode's first base was located in Ahrensburg Castle, on the Ösel coast. A small sailing ship was built, on board which there were many squeaks and cannons. The crew included 35 German sailors. Subsequently, the pirate began to hire mainly Russian Pomors, as well as residents of Denmark and Norway. Despite his profession, this man was distinguished by piety, therefore there was no place for blasphemers on his ship.
Gradually the number of ships increased to six, then the pirate decided that he could go hunting. The first victim was a one-mast buer, which carried large quantities of salt and herring from Emden. Then Rode attacked a war flute from Sweden and a second boer of traders. The captured courts were driven back to Copenhagen, the goods were sold, and weapons were bought with the funds received. The second base of the corsair was Bornholm, which many researchers of Russian literature consider the prototype of the fabulous island of Buyan.
Both ours and yours - cooperation with Denmark
Rode's crew continued their attacks, for example, in June 1570, they captured four ships carrying grain. This angered the representatives of the city council of the city of Danzig, in addition, the representatives of Poland appealed to the Germans, urging them to prevent Russian domination in the seas.
The summer has passed well for the pirate. The Danish authorities rendered every assistance to the pirate, and he continued to seize Danzig ships. The pirate flotilla already had 22 ships. Rode received income from the property, amounting to at least half a million talers in silver. This situation could not continue indefinitely, and squadrons of Poland and Sweden began to hunt for a pirate, a number of ships were repulsed by the Swedes near Bornholm.
How King Frederick II arrested the pirate, but Ivan the Terrible did not want to release
It is not known how long such a confrontation would have lasted if it had not been for a sudden blow from King Frederick II. In the fall of 1570, pirate ships entered Copenhagen, and the king gave the order to arrest Carsten and place him in the Gall castle, which was in Jutland. The accumulated wealth of Rode was confiscated, the sailors were disbanded, the most cruel pirates were given to the Swedes for trial.
Frederick II wrote to the Russian tsar, explaining his act: Rode was arrested because he attacked ships that were going to Copenhagen, heading through the Sound. As a result, Denmark lost income in the form of duties, and, accordingly, profits.
At the end of 1570, an international tribunal was assembled in the city of Stettin. Eight members of the pirate Rode's crew appeared before the court. But as a result, the process was turned into a farce, and the pirates are represented by strange and stupid people who, for some unknown reason, were favored by the governor of Bornholm.
When Ivan the Terrible received a letter from King Frederick, he was greatly surprised. The tsar put forward a proposal: the pirate should be taken to Moscow, where the investigation will be launched. On the other hand, Ivan the Terrible did not want to spoil relations with the king, besides, he was unhappy that Carsten violated the terms of the issued patent and sold property in foreign countries.
Carsten Rohde was given a separate, luxurious room by order of the Danish king. In 1573 he received a residence permit in the capital. The reason could have been Frederick's fears that the Russian Tsar Ivan would demand extradition to Rode. Yes, Ivan mentioned the corsair in state correspondence dated 1576. But there is no more information about the fate of the robber Rode, no data about him have been found in historical documents after 1573.
Piracy has not been completely eradicated today. And few people know why in the pirate state of Somalia many people know Russian, and which of the Somalis became famous throughout the world.
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