Livonian War The Livonian War ( 1558 – 1583 ) was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present - day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark – Norway , the Kingdom of Sweden , the Union ( later Commonwealth ) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland . During the period 1558 – 1578 , Russia dominated the region with early military successes at Dorpat ( Tartu ) and Narva . Russian dissolution of the Livonian Confederation brought Poland – Lithuania into the conflict while Sweden and Denmark both intervened between 1559 and 1561 . Swedish Estonia was established despite constant invasion from Russia and Frederick II of Denmark bought the old Bishopric of Ösel – Wiek , which he placed under the control of his brother Magnus of Holstein . Magnus attempted to expand his Livonian holdings to establish the Russian vassal state Kingdom of Livonia , which nominally existed until Magnus ' defection in 1576 . In 1576 , Stefan Batory became King of Poland as well as Grand Duke of Lithuania and turned the tide of the war with his successes between 1578 and 1581 , including the joint Swedish – Polish – Lithuanian offensive at the Battle of Wenden . This was followed by an extended campaign through Russia culminating in the long and difficult siege of Pskov . Under the 1582 Truce of Jam Zapolski , which ended the war between Russia and Poland – Lithuania , Russia lost all its former holdings in Livonia and Polotsk to Poland – Lithuania . The following year , Sweden and Russia signed the Truce of Plussa with Sweden gaining most of Ingria and northern Livonia while retaining the Duchy of Estonia . Prelude . Pre - war Livonia . By the mid - 16th century , economically prosperous Old Livonia had become a region organised into the decentralised and religiously divided Livonian Confederation . Its territories consisted of the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order , the prince - bishopric s of Dorpat , Ösel – Wiek , as well as Courland , the Archbishopric of Riga and the city of Riga . Together with Riga , the cities of Dorpat and Reval ( Tallinn ) , along with the knightly estates , enjoyed privileges enabling them to act almost independently . The only common institutions of the Livonian estates were the regularly held common assemblies known as " landtag s " . As well as a divided political administration , there were also persistent rivalries between the archbishop of Riga and the " landmeister " of the Order for hegemony . A schism had existed within the Order since the Reformation had spread to Livonia in the 1520s , although the transformation of the country into a Lutheran region was a gradual process , resisted by part of the Order which to a varying degree remained sympathetic to Roman Catholicism . As war approached , Livonia had a weak administration subject to internal rivalries , lacked any powerful defences or outside support , and was surrounded by monarchies pursuing expansionist policies . Robert I . Frost notes of the volatile region : " Racked with internal bickering and threatened by the political machinations of its neighbours , Livonia was in no state to resist an attack . " The Order ' s " landmeister " and " gebietiger " , as well as the owners of Livonian estates , were all lesser nobles who guarded their privileges and influence by preventing the creation of a higher , more powerful noble class . Only the archbishopric of Riga successfully overcame resistance of the lesser nobles . Wilhelm von Brandenburg was appointed as archbishop of Riga and Christoph von Mecklenburg as his coadjutor , with the help of his brother Albert ( Albrecht ) of Brandenburg – Ansbach , the former Prussian " hochmeister " who had secularised the southern Teutonic Order state and in 1525 established himself as duke in Prussia . Wilhelm and Christoph were to pursue Albert ' s interests in Livonia , among which was the establishment of a hereditary Livonian duchy styled after the Prussian model . At the same time the Order agitated for its re - establishment ( " " Rekuperation " " ) in Prussia , opposed secularization and creation of a hereditary duchy . Aspirations of Livonia ' s neighbours . By the time the Livonian War broke out , the Hanseatic League had already lost its monopoly on the profitable and prosperous Baltic Sea trade . While still involved and with increasing sales , it now shared the market with European mercenary fleets , most notably from the Dutch Seventeen Provinces and France . The Hanseatic vessels were no match for contemporary warships , and since the league was unable to maintain a large navy because of a declining share of trade , its Livonian members Riga , Reval and trading partner Narva were left without suitable protection . The Danish navy , the most powerful in the Baltic Sea , controlled the entrance to the Baltic Sea , collected requisite tolls and held the strategically important Baltic Sea islands of Bornholm and Gotland . A long bar of Danish territories in the south and her lack of sufficient year - round ice - free ports severely limited Sweden ' s access to the Baltic trade . Nevertheless , the country prospered due to exports of timber , iron and most notably copper , coupled with the advantages of a growing navy and proximity to the Livonian ports across the narrow Gulf of Finland . Before the Livonian war , Sweden had sought expansion into Livonia , but the intervention of the Russian Tsar temporarily stalled these efforts through the Russo - Swedish War of 1554 – 1557 , which culminated in the 1557 Treaty of Novgorod . Through its absorption of the principalities of Novgorod ( 1478 ) and Pskov ( 1510 ) , the Tsardom of Russia had become Livonia ' s eastern neighbour and grown stronger after annexing the khanate s of Kazan ( 1552 ) and Astrakhan ( 1556 ) . The conflict between Russia and the Western powers was exacerbated by Russia ' s isolation from sea trade . The new Ivangorod port built by Tsar Ivan on the eastern shore of the Narva River in 1550 was considered unsatisfactory on account of its shallow waters . Thereafter the Tsar demanded that the Livonian Confederation pay about 6 , 000 mark s to keep the Bishopric of Dorpat , based on the claim that every adult male had paid Pskov one mark when it had been an independent state . The Livonians eventually promised to pay this sum to Ivan by 1557 , but were sent from Moscow when they failed to do so , ending negotiations . Ivan continued to point out that the existence of the Order required passive Russian support , and was quick to threaten use of military force if necessary . He aimed to establish a corridor between the Baltic and the new territories on the Caspian Sea because if Russia were to engage in open conflict with major western powers , it would need imports of more sophisticated weaponry . The Polish King and Lithuanian Grand Duke Sigismund II Augustus was wary of Russian expansionist aspirations . Expansion of Russia into Livonia would have meant not only a stronger political rival but also loss of lucrative trade routes . Therefore Sigismund supported his cousin Wilhelm von Brandenburg , archbishop of Riga , in his conflicts with Wilhelm von Fürstenberg , the Livonian Order ' s " landmeister " . Sigismund hoped that Livonia , just like the Duchy of Prussia under Duke Albert , would become a vassal state of Poland – Lithuania . With weak support in Livonia , von Brandenburg had to largely rely on external allies . Among his few Livonian supporters was " landmarschall " Jasper von Munster , with whom he planned an April 1556 attack on his opponents that would involve military aid from both Sigismund and Albert . However , Sigismund hesitated over participation in the action , fearing that it would leave the Kiev Voivodeship exposed to a pending Russian attack . When von Fürstenberg learned of the plan , he led a force into the archbishopric of Riga and in June 1556 captured the main strongholds of Kokenhusen and Ronneburg . Jasper von Munster fled to Lithuania , but von Brandenburg and Christoph von Mecklenburg were captured and detained at Adsel and Treiden . This resulted in a diplomatic mission to petition for their release being dispatched by the Pomeranian dukes , the Danish King , Emperor Ferdinand I and the estates of the Holy Roman Empire . A cross - party meeting in Lübeck to resolve the conflict was scheduled for 1 April 1557 , but was cancelled due to quarrels between Sigismund and the Danish envoys . Sigismund used the killing of his envoy Lancki by the " landmeister ' s " son as an excuse to invade the southern portion of Livonia with an army of around 80 , 000 . He forced the competing parties in Livonia to reconcile at his camp in Pozvol in September 1557 . There they signed the Treaty of Pozvol , which created a mutual defensive and offensive alliance , with its primary target Russia , and provoked the Livonian War . 1558 – 1562 : Dissolution of the Livonian Order . Russian invasion of Livonia . Ivan IV regarded the Livonian Confederation ' s approach to the Polish – Lithuanian union for protection under the Treaty of Pozvol as " casus belli " . - in 1554 Livonia and Russia had signed a fifteen - year truce in which Livonia agreed not to enter into an alliance with Poland – Lithuania . In January 1558 , Ivan reacted with the invasion of Livonia . The Russians were seen by local peasants as liberators from the German control of Livonia . Many Livonian fortresses surrendered without resistance while Russian troops took Dorpat in May , Narva in July , and laid siege to Reval . Reinforced by 1 , 200 " landsknecht e " , 100 gunners and ammunition from Germany , Livonian forces successfully retook Wesenberg ( Rakvere ) along with a number of other fortresses . Although the Germans raided Russian territory , Dorpat , Narva and many lesser fortresses remained in Russian hands . The initial Russian advance was led by the Khan of Kasimov , with two other Tartar princes at the head of a force that included Russian boiar s , Tartar and pomest ' e cavalry as well as cossacks , who at that time were mostly armed foot soldiers . Ivan gained further ground in campaigns during the years 1559 and 1560 . In January 1559 , Russian forces again invaded Livonia . A six - month truce covering May to November was signed between Russia and Livonia while Russia fought in the Russo - Crimean Wars . Prompted by the Russian invasion , Livonia first unsuccessfully sought help from Emperor Ferdinand I , then turned to Poland – Lithuania . " Landmeister " von Fürstenburg fled to Poland – Lithuania to be replaced by Gotthard Kettler . In June 1559 , the estates of Livonia came under Polish – Lithuanian protection through the first Treaty of Vilnius ( Vilna ) . The Polish " sejm " refused to agree to the treaty , believing it to be a matter affecting only the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . In January 1560 , Sigismund sent ambassador Martin Volodkov to the court of Ivan in Moscow in an attempt to stop the Russian cavalry rampaging through rural Livonia . Russian successes followed similar patterns featuring a multitude of small campaigns , with sieges where musketmen played a key role in destroying wooden defences with effective artillery support . The Tsar ' s forces took important fortresses like Fellin ( Viljandi ) , yet lacked the means to gain the major cities of Riga , Reval or Pernau . The Livonian knights suffered a disastrous defeat by the Russians at the Battle of Ērģeme in August 1560 . Some historians believe the Russian nobility were split over the timing of the invasion of Livonia . Eric XIV , the new King of Sweden , turned down Kettler ' s requests for assistance , along with a similar request from Poland . Kettler turned to Sigismund for help . The weakened Livonian Order was dissolved by the second Treaty of Vilnius in 1561 . Its lands were secularised as the Duchy of Livonia and Duchy of Courland and Semigallia and assigned to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . Kettler became the first Duke of Courland , in doing so converting to Lutheranism . Included in the treaty was the " Privilegium Sigismundi Augusti " by which Sigismund guaranteed the Livonian estates privileges including religious freedom with respect to the Augsburg Confession , the " Indygenat " , and continuation of the traditional German administration . The terms regarding religious freedom forbade any regulation of the Protestant order by religious or secular authorities . Some members of the Lithuanian nobility opposed growing Polish – Lithuanian union , and offered the Lithuanian crown to Ivan IV . The Tsar publicly advertised this option , either because he took the offer seriously , or because he needed time to strengthen his Livonian troops . Throughout 1561 , a Russo - Lithuanian truce ( with a scheduled expiration date of 1562 ) was respected by both sides . Danish and Swedish interventions . In return for a loan and a guarantee of Danish protection , Bishop Johann von Münchhausen signed a treaty on 26 September 1559 giving Frederick II of Denmark the right to nominate the bishop of Ösel – Wiek , an act which amounted to the sale of these territories for 30 , 000 thaler s . Frederick II nominated his brother , Duke Magnus of Holstein as bishop , who then took possession in April 1560 . Lest Danish efforts create more insecurity for Sweden , Denmark made another attempt to mediate a peace in the region . Magnus at once pursued his own interests , purchasing the Bishopric of Courland without Frederick ' s consent and trying to expand into Harrien – Wierland ( Harju and Virumaa ) . This brought him into direct conflict with Eric . In 1561 , Swedish forces arrived and the noble corporations of Harrien – Wierland and Jerwen ( Järva ) yielded to Sweden to form the Duchy of Estonia . Reval , similarly , accepted Swedish rule . Denmark dominated the Baltic , and Sweden wished to challenge this by gaining territory on the Eastern side of the Baltic . Doing so would help Sweden control the West ' s trade with Russia . This helped to precipitate the Northern Seven Years ' War since in 1561 , Frederick II had already protested against Swedish presence in Reval , claiming historical rights relating to Danish Estonia . When Erik XIV ' s forces seized Pernau in June 1562 , his diplomats tried to arrange Swedish protection for Riga which brought him into conflict with Sigismund . Sigismund maintained close relations with Erik XIV ' s brother , John , Duke of Finland ( later John III ) and in October 1562 , John married Sigismund ' s sister , Catherine , thereby preventing her marrying Ivan IV . While Erik XIV had approved the marriage , he was upset when John lent Sigismund 120 , 000 dalers and received seven Livonian castles as security . This incident led to John ' s capture and imprisonment in August 1563 on Erik XIV ' s behalf , whereupon Sigismund allied with Denmark and Lübeck against Erik XIV in October the same year . 1562 – 1570 . The intervention of Denmark , Sweden and Poland - Lithuania into Livonia began a period of struggle for control of the Baltic , known contemporaneously as the " dominium maris baltici " . While the initial war years were characterised by intensive fighting , a period of low - intensity warfare began in 1562 and lasted until 1570 when fighting once more intensified . Denmark , Sweden and to some extent Poland – Lithuania were occupied with the Nordic Seven Years ' War ( 1563 – 1570 ) taking place in the Western Baltic , but Livonia remained strategically important . In 1562 , Denmark and Russia concluded the Treaty of Mozhaysk , respecting each other ' s claims in Livonia and maintaining amicable relations . In 1564 , Sweden and Russia concluded a seven - years truce . Both Ivan IV and Eric XIV showed signs of mental disorder with Ivan IV and turning against part of the Tsardom ' s nobility and people with the " oprichina " that began in 1565 , leaving Russia in a state of political chaos and civil war . Russian war with Poland – Lithuania . When the Russo - Lithuanian truce expired in 1562 , Ivan IV rejected Sigismund ' s offer of an extension . The Tsar had used the period of the truce to build up his forces in Livonia , and invaded Lithuania . His army raided Vitebsk and , after a series of border clashes , took Polotsk in 1563 . Lithuanian victories came at the Battle of Ula in 1564 and at Czasniki ( Chashniki ) in 1567 , a period of intermittent conflict between the two sides . Ivan continued to gain ground among the towns and villages of central Livonia but was held at the coast by Lithuania . The defeats of Ula and Czasniki , along with the defection of Andrey Kurbsky , led Ivan IV to move his capital to the Alexandrov Kremlin while the perceived opposition against him was repressed by his " oprichniki " . A " grand " party of diplomats left Lithuania for Moscow in May 1566 . Lithuania was prepared to split Livonia with Russia , with a view to a joint offensive to drive Sweden from the area . However , this was seen as a sign of weakness by Russian diplomats , who instead suggested that Russia take the whole of Livonia , including Riga , through the ceding of Courland in southern Livonia and Polotsk on the Lithuanian – Russian border . The transfer of Riga , and the surrounding entrance to the River Dvina , troubled the Lithuanians , since much of their trade depended on safe passage through it and they had already built fortifications to protect it . Ivan expanded his demands in July , calling for Ösel in addition to Dorpat and Narva . No agreement was forthcoming and a ten - day break was taken in negotiations , during which time various Russian meetings were held ( including the " zemsky sobor " , the " Assembly of the Land " ) to discuss the issues at stake . Within the Assembly , the church ' s representative stressed the need to " keep " Riga ( it not yet having been conquered ) while the Boyars were less keen on an overall peace with Lithuania , noting the danger posed by a joint Polish - Lithuanian state . Talks were then halted and hostilities resumed upon the ambassadors ' return to Lithuania . In 1569 , the Treaty of Lublin unified Poland and Lithuania into the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth . The Duchy of Livonia , tied to Lithuania in real union since the Union of Grodno in 1566 , came under Polish – Lithuanian joint sovereignty . In June 1570 a three - year truce was signed with Russia . Sigimund II , the Commonwealth ' s first King , died in 1572 leaving the Polish throne with no clear successor for the first time since 1382 and thus began the first free election in Polish history . Some Lithuanian nobles , in an effort to retain Lithuanian autonomy , proposed a Russian candidate . Ivan , however , demanded the return of Kiev , an Orthodox coronation , and a hereditary monarchy in parallel to Russia ' s , with his son , Fedor , as King . The electorate rejected these demands and instead chose Henry of Valois ( " Henryk Walezy " ) , brother of King Charles IX of France . Russian war with Sweden . In 1564 , Sweden and Russia agreed the Treaty of Dorpat , whereby Russia recognised Sweden ' s right to Reval and other castles , and Sweden accepted Russia ' s patrimony over the rest of Livonia . A seven - year truce was signed between Russia and Sweden in 1565 . Eric XIV of Sweden was overthrown in 1568 after he killed several nobles in the Sture Murders ( " Sturemorden " ) of 1567 , and was replaced by his half - brother John III . Both Russia and Sweden had other problems , and were keen to avoid an expensive escalation of the war in Livonia . Ivan IV had requested the delivery of John ' s wife , the Polish - Lithuanian princess Catherine Jagellonica to Russia , since he had competed with John to marry into the Lithuanian - Polish royal family . In July 1569 John sent a party to Russia , led by Paul Juusten , Bishop of Åbo which arrived in Novgorod in September , following the arrival in Moscow of the ambassadors sent to Sweden in 1567 by Ivan to retrieve Catherine . Ivan refused to meet with the party himself , forcing them to negotiate instead with the Governor of Novgorod . The Tsar requested that Swedish envoys should greet the governor as ' the brother of their king ' , but Juusten refused to do so . The Governor then ordered an attack on the Swedish party and that their clothes and money be taken , they be deprived of food and drink and be paraded naked through the streets . Although the Swedes were also to be moved to Moscow , fortunately for them , this occurred at the same time Ivan and his " oprichniki " were on their way to an assault on Novgorod . On his return to Moscow in May 1570 , Ivan refused to meet the Swedish party , and with the signing of a three - year truce in June 1570 with the Commonwealth he no longer feared war with Poland – Lithuania . Russia considered the delivery of Catherine to be a precondition of any deal and the Swedes agreed to meet in Novgorod to discuss the matter . According to Juusten , at the meeting the Russians demanded they abandon their claim to Reval , provide two or three hundred cavalry when required , pay 10 , 000 thaler in direct compensation , surrender Finnish silver mines near the border with Russia and allow the Tsar to style himself " Lord of Sweden " . The Swedish party left following an ultimatum from Ivan that Sweden should cede its territory in Livonia or there would be war . Juusten was left behind while John rejected Ivan ' s demands , and war broke out anew . Impact of the Northern Seven Years ' War . Quarrels between Denmark and Sweden had led to the Northern Seven Years ' War in 1563 which ended in 1570 with the Treaty of Stettin . Primarily fought in western and southern Scandinavia , the war involved important naval battles fought in the Baltic . When Danish - held Varberg surrendered to Swedish forces in 1565 , 150 Danish mercenaries escaped the subsequent massacre of the garrison by defecting to Sweden . Among them was Pontus de la Gardie , who became an important Swedish commander in the Livonian War thereafter . Livonia was also affected by the naval campaign of Danish admiral Peter or Per Munck , who bombarded Swedish Reval from sea in July 1569 . Under the Treaty of Stettin , Denmark became the supreme and dominating power in Northern Europe , yet failed to restore the Kalmar Union . Unfavourable conditions for Sweden led to a series of conflicts that only ended with the Great Northern War in 1720 . Sweden agreed to turn over her possessions in Livonia in return for a payment by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II . However , Maximilian failed to pay the promised compensation , and thereby lost his influence on Baltic affairs . The terms of the treaty regarding Livonia were ignored , and thus the Livonian War continued . From Ivan ' s point of view , this merely enabled the powers involved to form an alliance against him , now that they were no longer fighting each other . 1570 – 1577 : Russian dominance and the Kingdom of Livonia . During the early 1570s , King John III of Sweden , faced a Russian offensive on his positions in Estonia . Reval withstood a Russian siege in 1570 and 1571 , but several smaller towns were taken by Russian forces . The Russian advance concluded with the sacking of Weissenstein ( Paide ) in 1573 where , after its capture , the occupying forces roasted some of the leaders of the Swedish garrison alive , including the commander . This triggered a retaliatory campaign by John centred on Wesenberg , to which the army departed in November 1573 with Klas Åkesson Tott ( the Elder ) in overall command and Pontus de la Gardie as field commander . There were also Russian raids into Finland , including one as far as Helsingfors ( Helsinki ) in 1572 . A two - year truce on this front was signed in 1575 . John ' s counter - offensive stalled at the siege of Wesenberg in 1574 when German and Scottish units of the Swedish army turned against each other . This failure has also been blamed on the difficulties of fighting in the bitter winter conditions , particularly for the infantry . The war in Livonia was a great financial burden for Sweden and by the end of 1573 , Sweden ' s German mercenaries were owed 200 , 000 " daler " . John gave them the castles of Hapsal , Leal and Lode as security but when he failed to pay they were sold to Denmark . Meanwhile , efforts by Magnus to besiege Swedish - controlled Reval were faltering , with support from neither Ivan nor Magnus ' brother , Frederick II of Denmark forthcoming . Ivan ' s attention was focused elsewhere while Frederick ' s reluctance perhaps stemmed from a new spirit of Swedish – Danish unity which made him unwilling to invade Livonia on behalf of Magnus , whose state was a vassal of Russia . The siege was abandoned in March 1561 whereupon Swedish action in the Baltic escalated , with the passive backing of Sigismund , John ' s brother - in - law . At the same time Crimean Tatars devastated Russian territories and burned and looted Moscow during the Russo - Crimean Wars . Drought and epidemics had fatally affected the Russian economy while " oprichnina " had thoroughly disrupted the government . Following the defeat of Crimean and Nogai forces in 1572 , " oprichnina " was wound down and with it the way Russian armies were formed also changed . Ivan IV had introduced a new strategy whereby he relied on tens of thousands of native troops , cossacks and tartars instead of a few thousand skilled troops and mercenaries , as was the practice of his adversaries . Ivan ' s campaign reached its height in 1576 when another 30 , 000 Russian soldiers crossed into Livonia in 1577 and devastated Danish areas in retaliation for the Danish acquisition of Hapsal , Leal and Lode . Danish influence in Livonia ceased , as Frederick accepted deals with Sweden and Poland to end nominal Danish involvement . Swedish forces were besieged in Reval and central Livonia raided as far as Dünaburg ( Daugavpils ) , formally under Polish – Lithuanian control since the 1561 Treaty of Vilnius . The conquered territories submitted to Ivan or his vassal , Magnus , declared monarch of the Kingdom of Livonia in 1570 . Magnus defected from Ivan IV during the same year , having started to appropriate castles without consulting the Tsar . When Kokenhusen ( Koknese ) submitted to Magnus to avoid fighting Ivan IV ' s army , the Tsar sacked the town and executed its German commanders . The campaign then focussed on Wenden ( Cēsis , Võnnu ) , " the heart of Livonia " , which as the former capital of the Livonian Order was not only of strategic importance , but also symbolic of Livonia itself . 1577 – 1583 : Defeat of Russia . Swedish and Polish – Lithuanian alliance and counter - offensives . In 1576 , the Transylvanian prince Stefan Batory became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania after a contested election to the joint Polish – Lithuanian throne with the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian II . Both Batory ' s fiancèe Anna Jagiellon and Maximilian II had been proclaimed elected to the same throne in December 1575 , three days apart ; Maximilan ' s death in October 1576 prevented the conflict from escalating . Batory , ambitious to expel Ivan IV from Livonia , was constrained by the opposition of Danzig ( Gdansk ) , which resisted Batory ' s accession with Danish support . The ensuing Danzig War of 1577 ended when Batory conceded further autonomous rights to the city in return for a payment of 200 , 000 zloty . For a further 200 , 000 zloty payment , he appointed Hohenzollern George Frederick as administrator of Prussia and secured the latter ' s military support in the planned campaign against Russia . Batory received only few soldiers from his Polish vassals and was forced to recruit mercenaries , primarily Poles , Hungarians , Bohemians , Germans and Wallachians . A separate Szekler brigade fought in Livonia . Swedish King John III and Stefan Batory allied against Ivan IV in December 1577 , despite problems caused by the death of Sigimund which meant that the issue of the substantial inheritance due to John ' s wife , Catherine had not been resolved . Poland also claimed the whole of Livonia , without accepting Swedish rule of any part of it . The 120 , 000 " daler " lent in 1562 had still not been repaid , despite Sigismund ' s best intentions to settle it . By November , Lithuanian forces moving northward had captured Dünaburg while a Polish – Swedish force took the town and castle of Wenden in early 1578 . Russian forces failed to retake the town in February , an attack followed by a Swedish offensive , targeting Pernau ( Pärnu ) , Dorpat and Novgorod among others . In September , Ivan responded by sending in an army of 18 , 000 men , who recaptured Oberpahlen ( Põltsamaa ) from Sweden and then marched on Wenden . Upon their arrival at Wenden , the Russian army laid siege to the town , but was met by a relief force of around 6 , 000 German , Polish and Swedish soldiers . In the ensuing Battle of Wenden , Russian casualties were severe with armaments and horses captured , leaving Ivan IV with his first time serious defeat in Livonia . Batory accelerated the formation of the hussars , a new well - organised cavalry troop that replaced the feudal levy . Similarly , he improved an already effective artillery system and recruited cossacks . Batory gathered 56 , 000 troops , 30 , 000 of them from Lithuania , for his first assault on Russia at Polotsk , as part of a wider campaign . With Ivan ' s reserves in Pskov and Novgorod to guard against a possible Swedish invasion , the city fell on 30 August 1579 . Batory then appointed a close ally and powerful member of his court , Jan Zamoyski , to lead a force of 48 , 000 including 25 , 000 men from Lithuania , against the fortress of Velikie Luki which he went on to capture on 5 September 1580 . Without further significant resistance , garrisons such as Sokol , Velizh and Usvzat fell quickly . In 1581 , the force besieged Pskov , a well - fortified and heavily defended fortress . However , financial support from the Polish parliament was dropping , and Batory failed to lure Russian forces in Livonia out into open field before the onset of winter . Not realising that the Polish – Lithuanian advance was on the wane , Ivan signed the Truce of Jam Zapolski . The failure of the Swedish siege of Narva in 1579 led to Pontus de la Gardie ' s appointment as commander - in - chief . The towns of Kexholm and Padis were taken by Swedish forces in 1580 then in 1581 , concurrent with the fall of Wesenberg , a mercenary army hired by Sweden recaptured the strategic city of Narva . A target of John III ' s campaigns , since it could be attacked by both land and sea , the campaign made use of Sweden ' s considerable fleet but later arguments over formal control in the long term hampered any alliance with Poland . Following la Gardie ' s taking of the city , and in retaliation for previous Russian massacres , 7 , 000 Russians were killed according to Russow ' s contemporary chronicle . The fall of Narva was followed by those of Ivangorod , Jama and Koporye , leaving Sweden content with its gains in Livonia . Truces of Jam Zapolski and Plussa . Subsequent negotiations led by Jesuit papal legate Antonio Possevino resulted in the 1582 Truce of Jam Zapolski between Russia and the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth . This was a humiliation for the Tsar , in part because he requested the truce . Under the agreement Russia would surrender all areas in Livonia it still held and the city of Dorpat to the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth , while Polotsk would remain under Commonwealth control . Any captured Swedish territory — specifically Narva — could be retained by the Russians and Velike Luki would be returned from Batory ' s control to Russia . Possevino made a half - hearted attempt to get John III ' s wishes taken into consideration , but this was vetoed by the Tsar , probably in collusion with Batory . The armistice , which fell short of a full peace arrangement , was to last ten years and was renewed twice , in 1591 and 1601 . Batory failed in his attempts to pressure Sweden into relinquishing its gains in Livonia , particularly Narva . Following a decision by John , the war with Russia ended in 1583 when the Tsar concluded the Truce of Plussa ( " Plyussa , Pljussa , Plusa " ) with Sweden . Russia relinquished most of Ingria but left Narva and Ivangorod under Swedish control . Originally scheduled to last three years , the Russo - Swedish truce was later extended until 1590 . During the negotiations , Sweden made vast demands for Russian territory , including Novgorod . Whilst these conditions were probably only for the purposes of negotiation , they may have reflected Swedish aspirations of territory in the region . Aftermath . The post - war Duchy of Courland and Semigallia south of the Düna ( Daugava ) river experienced a period of political stability based on the 1561 Treaty of Vilnius , later modified by the 1617 " Formula regiminis " and " Statuta Curlandiæ " , which granted indigenous nobles additional rights at the duke ' s expense . North of the Düna , Batory reduced the privileges Sigismund had granted the Duchy of Livonia , regarding the regained territories as the spoils of war . Riga ' s privileges had already been reduced by the Treaty of Drohiczyn in 1581 . Polish gradually replaced German as the administrative language and the establishment of voivodeships reduced the Baltic German administration . The local clergy and the Jesuits in Livonia embraced the counter - reformation in a process assisted by Batory , who gave the Roman Catholic Church revenues and estates confiscated from Protestants as well as initiating a largely unsuccessful recruitment campaign for Catholic colonists . Despite these measures , the Livonian population did not convert " en masse " , while the Livonian estates in Poland – Lithuania were alienated . In 1590 , the Russo - Swedish truce of Plussa expired and fighting resumed while the ensuing Russo - Swedish War of 1590 – 5 ended with the Treaty of Teusina ( Tyavzino , Tyavzin ) , under which Sweden had to cede Ingria and Kexholm to Russia . The Swedish – Polish alliance began to crumble when the Polish King and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund III , who as son of John III of Sweden ( died 1592 ) and Catherine Jagellonica , was the successor to the Swedish throne , met with resistance from a faction led by his uncle , Charles of Södermanland ( later Charles IX ) , who claimed regency in Sweden for himself . Sweden descended into a civil war in 1597 , followed by the 1598 – 1599 war against Sigismund , which ended with the deposition of Sigismund by the Swedish " riksdag " . Local nobles turned to Charles for protection in 1600 when the conflict spread to Livonia , where Sigismund had tried to incorporate Swedish Estonia into the Duchy of Livonia . Charles then expelled the Polish forces from Estonia and invaded the Livonian duchy , starting a series of Polish – Swedish wars . At the same time , Russia was embroiled in civil war over the vacant Russian throne ( " Time of Troubles " ) when none of the many claimants had prevailed . This conflict became intertwined with the Livonian campaigns when Swedish and Polish – Lithuanian forces intervened on opposite sides , the latter starting the Polish – Muscovite War . Charles IX ' s forces were expelled from Livonia after major setbacks at the battles of Kircholm ( 1605 ) and Klushino ( 1610 ) . During the later Ingrian War , Charles ' successor Gustavus Adolphus retook Ingria and Kexholm which were formally ceded to Sweden under the 1617 Treaty of Stolbovo along with the bulk of the Duchy of Livonia . In 1617 , when Sweden had recovered from the Kalmar War with Denmark , several Livonian towns were captured , but only Pernau remained under Swedish control after a Polish – Lithuanian counter - offensive a second campaign that started with the capture of Riga in 1621 and expelled Polish – Lithuanian forces from most of Livonia , where the dominion of Swedish Livonia was created . Swedish forces then advanced through Royal Prussia and Poland – Lithuania accepted Swedish gains in Livonia in the 1629 Treaty of Altmark . The Danish province of Øsel was ceded to Sweden under the 1645 Treaty of Brömsebro , which ended the Torstenson War , one theatre of the Thirty Years ' War . It was retained after the Peace of Oliva and the Treaty of Copenhagen , both in 1660 . The situation remained unchanged until 1710 when Estonia and Livonia capitulated to Russia during the Great Northern War , an action formalised in the Treaty of Nystad ( 1721 ) .