What if the Mongols hadn't pillaged Eastern Europe?

My question to you all today is: What would be changed in Europe today if the Mongols hadn't pillaged Eastern Europe? Would it have led to a rise of a far more powerful Russia, or would there be little to no change compared to today?

Just for clarification, do you mean that the Mongol empire didn't exist? Or that they just chose to invade everywhere else from our timeline and decided Eastern Europe was not worth it and let it be?

Mr Trolldemort wrote:Just for clarification, do you mean that the Mongol empire didn't exist?  Or that they just chose to invade everywhere else from our timeline and decided Eastern Europe was not worth it and let it be?

They just didn't bother with Europe.

Well, with this scenario, I don't think that much would change

Kievan Rus would probably still dissolve, as it was still in decline decades before the mongols invaded. However, the Mongol's were able to capitalize on this by making the new nations springing up become vassals for them and giving them tribute, which made it hard for the areas to become strong enough to fight back till centuries later. With that being said, I see 2 possible scenarios happening in Russia

1. Most of the land in the west would become under the control of Poland and Lithuania. Since they also bore the brunt of the Mongol invasion as well, they would become much more powerful than in our timeline. By the 1500s, they might have been powerful enough to unite Russia. However, it wouldn't be under a Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, as both countries are now euqally strong, and would most likely be at war with themselves. Regardless, we wouldn't have a Russian empire appear till much later in history.

2. Russia is not invaded by Poland or Lithuania. In this case, a new power would rise up much sooner than in our timeline and possibly expand east much more easily, not having to deal with as many Khanates. It would lead to many wars against Lithuania and Poland, who would still be powerful in their own right.

Either timeline has one thing in common though. Russia would hardly be the most dominant power in Eastern Europe. The mongols devastated everywhere it went, so even though the Russia cities and minor nations would survive, their rivals also become more powerful as well.

If they simply didn't bother Europe at all, then Kievan Russ would remain in place, meaning Muscovy would never arise and Russia would fundamentally be different. Considering how weak the Kievan Rus were at the time, they might have simply fallen to Poland-Lithuania.