Editing Stephen Báthory (section)

==War with Muscovy==
[[File:StefanBatory.jpg|thumb|Polish coin with likeness of Báthory]]
Before Báthory's election to the throne of the Commonwealth, [[Ivan the Terrible]] of Russia had begun encroaching on its sphere of interest in the northeast, eventually invading the Commonwealth borderlands in [[Livonia]]; the conflict would grow to involve a number of nearby powers (outside Russia and Poland-Lithuania, also [[Sweden]], the [[Kingdom of Livonia]] and [[Denmark-Norway]]). Each of them was vying for control of Livonia, and the resulting conflict, lasting for several years, became known as the [[Livonian War]].<ref name="Stone2006"/> By 1577, Ivan was in control of most of the disputed territory, but his conquest was short-lived.<ref name="Stone2006"/> In 1578, Commonwealth forces scored a number of victories in Liviona and began pushing Ivan's forces back; this marked the turning point in [[Livonian campaign of Stephen Báthory|the war]].<ref name=psb120/> Báthory, together with his chancellor Zamoyski, led the army of the Commonwealth in a series of decisive campaigns taking [[siege of Polotsk (1579)|Polotsk]] in 1579 and [[siege of Velikiye Luki|Velikiye Luki]] in 1580.<ref name=psb120/>

In 1581, Stephen penetrated once again into [[Tsardom of Russia|Russia]] and, on 22 August, [[Siege of Pskov|laid siege to the city of Pskov]]. While the city held, on 13 December 1581 Ivan the Terrible began negotiations that concluded with the [[Truce of Jam Zapolski]] on 15 January 1582.<ref name="psb121"/> The treaty was favorable to the Commonwealth, as Ivan ceded [[Polatsk]], [[Velizh|Veliz]] and most of the [[Duchy of Livonia]] in exchange for regaining [[Velikiye Luki]] and [[Nevel (town)|Nevel]].<ref name=psb121/><!-- where Báthory revoked the noble privileges granted in the [[Treaty of Vilnius (1561)]] and initiated [[counter-reformation]].-->