The Oprichnina This essay is about the oprichnina in Russian during Ivan the terrible's reign. It goes over what they did and why they were created

During the reign of Tsar Ivan IV, he created a special force of men known as the Oprichnina, loyal directly to him. Although they looked like monks wearing black and riding black horses, they were violent and are similar to modern day gangsters. In a final count, the Oprichnina numbered 6,000. An Oprichnik, one of the members, had a dog's head and a broom drawn onto his saddle, which meant they sniff out treason like dogs …

…was trying to create a central government in which Moscow was the capital and he was the all-powerful ruler. By destroying all other rivals, he was able to maintain his own power. Another reason may be that he was a manic and crazy he thought that everyone was plotting against him. Therefore, by killing everyone he was able to feel safe. The third and more logical reason was that he needed a personal security force.