The man best fitted to be Grand Prince was Izyaslav, then ruling in Volynia. He was the eldest son of Mystislav the Great, who was the eldest son of Monomach. But Izyaslav was barred from action by his three living uncles, the younger brothers of his father. He could not win Kief without them, and they would neither yield to him, nor help him. The house of Monomach was thus divided. Vsevolod saw clearly that, thanks to this division, he could seize the capital, and hold it. Hence he hastened to win over Izyaslav with the following message: “At thy father’s death, Kief should have been thine, but thy uncles would not suffer thee to take it; they expelled thee and thy brothers from every place, and had I not assisted, ye would to-day have no land in Russia. I want Kief. Thou and thy brothers will be as my own blood to me. Ye will get the choicest places, and at my death Kief will fall to thee, Izyaslav, but thou and they must not help thy uncles to oppose me.” These words pleased Izyaslav; he and Vsevolod made a pact and kissed the cross to keep it. Owing to this pact, Vsevolod appeared in Kief with slender forces and found few men opposing, though Kief might have resisted very easily. Once in power, Vsevolod became expectant; he waited to see what would happen. The Monomach party, both uncles and nephews, met promptly for counsel. Izyaslav went to Smolensk to confer with Rostislav, to whom Dolgoruki went also. Rostislav could not act with both nephews and uncles. To Dolgoruki he had been respectful at all times, and now Dolgoruki’s talks with him were successful. Vsevolod learned of this, and was ready for action immediately. He made proposals to Izyaslav, whom he invited to Kief. Izyaslav would not go; he had lost all faith in Vsevolod; he would have nothing further to do with him. Izyaslav and his friends now began preparations for an attack on the usurper. Vsevolod resolved to forestall his enemies; to meet each separately, take his land and give it to his brothers as he had promised. Against Vyacheslav, whom he had driven out of Kief, and Izyaslav, his cousin, he sent Izyaslav, son of David, with Vladimirko and Rostislav, the Galitch princes, grandsons of Rostislav. Vsevolod himself marched against Andrei, son of Monomach, in Pereyaslavl, taking with him his own brother Sviatoslav, for whom he intended this city. While on the road he sent Andrei a message containing the sentence: “Go thou to Kursk!” “I will die rather than leave my inheritance,” retorted Andrei. “My father ruled here, not in Kursk. If there is not sufficient land for thee elsewhere in Russia, and thou must have this place, slay me and take it. While I live, I will not leave what belongs to me.”