Ivan III led the Russians to the independence from the Mongols by refusing to pay the Mongol rulers any further tributes and taxes. The Russian and Mongol armies then went to war with each other. They faced each other, but neither side started the battle. Both armies turned around and went home. By this stage, the Mongol empire was in a decline so the Mongol armies did not have the strength to respond. The end result was a bloodless coup and the Russians were freed from Mongol rule