 Before Báthory's election to the throne of the Commonwealth, Ivan the Terrible of Russia had begun encroaching on its sphere of interest in the northeast, eventually invading the Commonwealth borderlands in Livonia; the conflict would grow to involve a number of nearby powers (outside Russia and Poland-Lithuania, also Sweden, the Kingdom of Livonia and Denmark-Norway).Each of them was vying for control of Livonia, and the resulting conflict, lasting for several years, became known as the Livonian War.By 1577, Ivan was in control of most of the disputed territory, but his conquest was short-lived.