Edward of Portugal vs Vasili III

Edward succeeded his father John I as King of Portugal. He inherited a prosperous kingdom but faced challenges including the ongoing exploration efforts sponsored by his brother Henry the Navigator and tensions with the nobility.

Edward authorized a disastrous expedition to capture Tangier in Morocco, led by his brother Henry the Navigator. The Portuguese forces were defeated, and Edward's younger brother Ferdinand was taken hostage, leading to a national crisis.

Edward wrote the 'Leal Conselheiro' (Loyal Counselor), a philosophical and moral treatise for the nobility. This work reflects his humanist education and established him as a philosopher-king, influencing Portuguese literature and political thought.

Edward died of the plague at age 47, leaving his young son Afonso V as king. His death triggered a regency crisis, as his widow Eleanor of Aragon and his brother Pedro disputed control, leading to political instability in Portugal.

Vasili III annexed the Pskov Republic, abolishing its veche and deporting leading families to central Russia. This completed the absorption of the last independent Russian city-state into Moscow.

Vasili III captured Smolensk from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania after a long siege. The city remained under Russian control despite a failed Lithuanian counterattack later that year.

Vasili III annexed the Grand Principality of Ryazan, the last semi-independent Russian principality. The Ryazan prince Ivan Ivanovich was forced to flee to Lithuania, ending Ryazan's autonomy.

Vasili III divorced his barren wife Solomonia Saburova and married Elena Glinskaya. This marriage produced Ivan IV, but the divorce caused controversy with the Orthodox Church and some clergy.