Russo-Turkish war

Question 1

Long-term origins

Answer 1

1870S difficult for R/A to maintain peace because of Eastern question

Rise in Russian nationalism/pan slavism (e.g Slavonic Benevolent committee had 1000 committed members 1877= pressure on senior politicians to unite slavs through foreign policy)

Question 2

Why did Austria have interest in Balkans

Answer 2

Scared slav-nationalism would influence their own large slavic population

Question 3

Why did Russia have interest in Balkans

Answer 3

Religious reasons- wanted to protect orthodox christians in the region

Strategic importance of Black sea/Mediterranean

Question 4

Short-term origins

Answer 4

1875-6 Balkans rebel against Ottomans
-Russian plan to stop crisis escalating rejected by West
-Russian ppl/SBC/Orthodox church/military leaders (Tolstoy) pressure Tsar to be more belligerent and help slavs
-Ignatiev initiative
-1876 Serbs losing so R threaten to attack T= 6 weeks armistice but T become aggressive again after
=Alexander II declares war (mostly for public opinion)

Question 5

Ignatiev initiative

Answer 5

Russian ambassador said R would give military support to serbs if war intensified

Question 6

When did Russia declare war on Turkey

Answer 6

April 1877

Question 7

Who welcomed the war

Answer 7

Russian intellectuals as saw as opportunity to release fellow slavs from imperialistic oppressor

Question 8

Course of the war

Answer 8

R advanced despite thousands of casualties/difficult early stage
-Although some military weaknesses not fully eradicated (from CW), Engineer section shone (captured Plevna)/R navy (destroyed T fleet with steam-powered vessels)

=1878 T agreed to armistice

Question 9

Treaty of Stan Stefano (impact of war)

Answer 9

-R regain South Bessarabia
-R gain territory in Caucasus
-T pay war indemnity
-T agree to independence of Serbia/Montenegro/Romania, S/M gain territory also
-T to make reforms that benefit Herzegovina/Bosnia
-“Large” Bulgaria established

Question 10

When was the Treaty of Stan Stefano

Answer 10

March 1879

Question 11

Who did the Treaty of Stan Stefano offend (impact of war)

Answer 11

Austria-Hungary/Britain
-R feared would provoke another war so agreed to attend peace conference in Berlin (congress of Berlin)

Question 12

Congress of Berlin (impact of war)

Answer 12

-R kept South Bessarabia/gains in Caucasus
-A given right to govern Herzegovina/Bosnia
-B took over administration of Cyprus
-Bulgaria became smaller

Question 13

When was the congress of Berlin

Answer 13

mid-1878

Question 14

Reaction of Russian nationalists to congress of Berlin (impact of war)

Answer 14

Very unhappy
-Saw as loss of world status
=Unrest (some believe event responsible for assassination of Alexander II in 1884)