Ivan Ivanovich, son of Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible, had a good relationship with his father, and even once slayed an assassin who was about to attack his father, thereby saving the tsar’s life. Their relationship began to grow sour when the younger started questioning the tsar’s military strategy during the Livonian War. The tsar struck down Ivanovich’s pregnant wife at this time for wearing light clothing, causing a miscarriage. When Ivanovich confronted his father about it, the tsar struck him down with a scepter. The blow proved fatal. The tsar is reported to have cried out “May I be damned! I’ve killed my son! I’ve killed my son!”
