Conrad Bussow

Conrad Bussow (1552 or 1553, Ilten, Hanover – 1617) was a German mercenary from Lower Saxony who lived in Riga in 1590s and in Muscovy in 1600–1611. In 1614–1617 Bussow compiled The Disturbed State of the Russian Realm, an eye-witness history of the Time of Troubles. An early manuscript of his book was plagiarized by Peter Petreius in his History of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy.

Conrad Bussow was born in the township of Ilten (part of present-day Sehnde near Hanover), in a family of a Lutheran pastor; his writing as a mature man suggests that he received a decent education at home, especially in Latin language and literature. He joined the military at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Details of his early service are unknown, but he eventually appeared in the troops of Stephen Báthory of Poland, engaged in the Livonian War. When Russia was forced out of this conflict, the Polish-Swedish coalition fell apart; Bussow changed sides and joined the Swedish service. In 1590s he lived in Riga; little is known of his family life except that two of his sons born in this period reached mature age and were alive in 1610s. His exact position in Swedish forces remains unclear; Bussow names himself Inspector and Intendant of the lands conquered in Livonia by Duke Karl of Södermanland.

Swedish hold of Livonia eroded in late 1590s, the Poles were preparing to take it over and in 1599 Bussow changed sides again, deserting the weakened Swedish force for Muscovy. According to the version of Bussow' , Swedish envoy Peter Petreius, in 1599 agents of Boris Godunov recruited Bussow in Narva; Bussow agreed to hand the city over to Russians and secure neutrality of the German troops in his command. The plot was discovered and Bussow fled to Muscovy.

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