Question

Ivan IV's foreign policy in the South focused on:

A) Expanding his empire into Central Asia
B) Establishing trade routes with the Ottoman Empire
C) Strengthening alliances with European powers
D) Confronting the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire

Answer 1

Ivan IV's foreign policy in the South was focused on confronting the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire, aiming to secure and expand Russian territory. Option D is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible, focused his foreign policy in the south on confronting the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire. His reign saw the expansion of the Russian Empire into new territories, such as the annexation of the khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia.

The ultimate ambition behind his southern campaigns was to secure and expand the Russian territory at the expense of the Crimean and Ottoman dominance. The military conflicts and strategic maneuvers in these regions underscored the intense rivalry and the Russian desire for access to warm-water ports on the Black Sea, which were under the control of the Crimean Khanate and later the Ottomans.