The Ottoman Empire and the Russo-Turkish War

• Geography
  • The Ottoman Empire is the perpetual target of Russian Expansion (Crimean Motivations)
  • However, the West (Great Britain, France, and later Germany) want to prop up the Ottomans as a buffer/gate to Russian expansion
• Western Intervension
  • British and French capital begins to enter the Ottoman Empire via trade concessions, infrastructure, investments, military upgrades, and access to natural resources (particularly oil)
  • Moreover, the Sultan of the Ottoman empire is granted large personal loans by imperial powers
  • These loans become a lifestyle addiction. Abdul Aziz II famously had 600 women in his harem
  • Abdul Aziz nominally (only by name or appearance) seeks reform and issues the Hatt-i Humayun.
  • It eliminated powers of religion, civil/legal reforms, eventual constitutional government, public education, agricultural and industrial improvements.
  • Are the reforms genuine or a ploy to gain more western loot? Probably a little bit of greed and a little bit of Ottoman nationalist sentiment.
• Results
  • By 1875 the Ottomans are deep in debt. Abdul Aziz will repudiate half of the foreign debt
  • West is prevented from retaliation because of fear of Russia
  • Maneuver the internal overthrow of Sultan
• Russo Turkish War
  • Around 1875 the Ottomans are faced with Slavic Nationalist uprisings in Bulgaria and Bosnia with subsequent massacres of Slavic Christians (30k-100k killed)
  • The Russians (Panslavic and Orthodox) feel obligated to "protect Christians" and attack in 1877. This leads to the Russo Turkish War.
  • They are aided by nationalist from within the Ottoman Empire. They quickly advance and drive on Constantinople before the West can react
  • The Ottomans are forced to assign the Treaty of San Stefano. Bosnia and Bulgarian gain independence with an enlargement of other Balkan states as well as Russian gains in caucuses.
  • Bulgaria will gain access to the Aegean Sea, de facto WWP for Russia.
  • Britain and France threaten war over San Stefano, which coins the term jingoism.
  • Austria-Hungary also fear Russian expansion, since there are Slavs in Austria who might try join Russia
  • Bismarck steps in as the Peacemaker since they fear a general European conflict which would make Germany vulnerable to Revaunchsim.
• Results of the War
  • Congress of Berlin in 1878
    • Land Gains
      • Russian receives territory in the Caucasus
      • Bulgaria though reduced in size, gets semi-autonomous rights under the Ottomans
      • Bosnia becomes a protectorate of Austria (basically permission to be a imperialist nation)
      • Britain gets Cyprus to "cover" the Suez canal.
      • France is given a sphere of influence in Algeria
      • Italy gets eventual permission to imperialize Albania... later though
      • Germany gets nothing
        • Bismarck is the non-expansionist, "honest broker"
        • underscores the imperialism in Europe as first practiced upon the Ottomans
  • Within Turkey
    • The new Sultan Abdul Hamid II creates a constitution and gives power to liberal reformers.
    • Young Turks got "set up." Instead Hamid will suspend constitution and expel the Young Turks.
    • The Ottoman Empire returns to a reactionary absolute rule which retards Ottoman progress.
    • The Young Turks flee to Europe and plot to return and modernize the Empire in 1907.
  • The Ottomans are left with a really good feeling about Germany since they didn't take anything from them