On The Influence Of Cossacks On Russian History In The Period Of "Chaos"

Cossack, as an important part of Russian history, had great influence on Russian history since it appeared on the prairie of southern Russian in 15 th century. Determined by their living conditions, Cossack gradually developed the characteristics of pursuing freedom and interests. And they also craved for “good tsar” during their interaction with the Czars in Moscow.“The Time of Troubles”(1598-1613) was a special period in Russian history, which began with the end of Rurik Dynasty and ended with the start of Romanov Dynasty. It is a transition period of Russian history when the imperial power changed frequently and political situation was in a mess and at the same time this period confronted with the invasion of polish people. Cossacks were strong military forces in Russian at that time. Owing to the characteristic of longing for interests and being “good tsar”, they were the major participants of various military activities in Russian during that period. Their military actions had great effects on Russia’s political situations.This paper, based on the new historical materials, seeks to reorganize Cossacks’ military activities and the results during “the time of Troubles” so as to further analyze the influence that Cossacks exert to the development of Russian history.