Battle of the River Ugra

In 1476, Ivan III refused to pay tribute to Ahmed Khan bin Küchük of the Golden Horde. Ahmed gathered an enormous army and marched on Rus. The two sides met at the River Ugra, the source of the River Oka, in 1480. Both armies stood on opposite sides of the river, neither side daring to make the first move, remaining there throughout the autumn. Suffering losses from cold and hunger, the Tatars decided to retreat on 11 November. This event became known as the “great stand-off on the River Ugra.” In 1481, Prince Ivak of the Nogai Horde killed Ahmed Khan bin Küchük of the Great Horde and the hold of the Tatar-Mongol forces crumbled. Rus was finally free.