Correspondence between John III and Ivan IV

This is a series of letters exchanged between King John III of Sweden and Tsar Ivan IV of Russia in 1572 and 1573, known in Swedish as Skällebreven, or the scolding letters. The correspondence arose from disputes over the treatment of diplomatic delegations and rival claims to territory in Livonia, and its tone was openly hostile, with each ruler questioning the other's legitimacy and royal status. Rather than opening a path to peace, the exchange hardened both sides' positions and helped prolong the Russian campaigns of the period, later called the Twenty Five Years' War, and intensified the violence that came with it. The letters are part of a broader pattern in which Ivan IV conducted insulting correspondence with several European rulers, including Elizabeth I of England, whom he mocked over her age and sex. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/