The Crimean war Flashcards
Who was the Crimean war fought against
Russia vs Ottoman Turks (O supported by France/Britain)
-Dispute between Russia/France over Orthodox and catholic rights/duties in Holy lands (part of Ottoman empire)
Long term origins
-1827 R/B/F agreement with Turkey that Greece could rule themselves, Sultan didn’t stick to it= Battle of Navarino Bay
-After R/T made Akkermann convention deal, Sultan reneged on agreement= Russo-Turkish war, Russian victory= Treaty of Adrianpole
-War bothered Nicholas as went against concept of legitimism so supported T against Egyptian rebels (Mehmet Ali)= rewarded with Treaty of Unkiar Skelesi
-Further Mehmet Ali revolt= Signing of straights convention= aggrieved Nicholas but couldn’t go to war so used diplomacy to ensure preservation of Russia’s interests in East
Akkermann Convention (October 1826)
Allowed Russian merchant shipping easier access through the straights
Treaty of Adrianople (1829)
-Sultan had to honour Akkermann agreements
-Territory in Caucasus/mouth of Danube given to Russia
-Moldavia/Wallachia recognised as temporary Russian protectorates (states protected by other state)
Treaty of Unkiar Skelesi (1833)
-T agreed to close straights to foreign warships during conflict
-Implied Russian warships could enter Bosporus (heart of Ottoman empire)
-Russia to support Turkey if attacked
Straights convention (1841)
-T ban all foreign warships entering straights in conflict
-R warships banned from Dardanelles/Bosporus
Weakened Russia’s arrangements with Turks
Short-term origins
-R persuaded T to give privileges to Orthodox in HL
-Challenged in 1851 by Napoleon (said 1740 treaty= french moral obligation to be sole protectors of christians in HL)
-1852 T said catholics consulted over restoration of Holy Sepulchre/could access Nativity church
-Nicholas sent Prince Menshikov to confirm Russia’s superior rights in HL- Sultan refused
-July 1853 Nicholas sent troops to Moldavia/Wallachia
-T/B/F declared war on R
-B/F sent fleets to Dardanelles
-N withdrew forces but too late as Seige of Sevastopol in October (main port of Crimea)
When did Turkey declare war on Russia
October 1853
When did France/Britain declare war on Russia
March 1854
When did Nicholas withdraw troops from Moldavia/Wallachia
August 1854
What we can tell about Nicholas I from the origins of the war
-Was concerned to preserve Russia’s status as great power
-Had to stand up to B/F to maintain Russian ppl’s faith in Romanovs
-Not confident that Russia had right economic/social infrastructure to win conflict
Shows Russian gov would have to make radical changes
Nov 1853 (course of the war)
R destroys T fleet at Sinope after major T attack= 4000 Ts killed/protect from B and F
Jan 1854 (course of the war)
B/F positioned in Black sea but British politicians wanted to avoid war
Feb 1854 (course of the war)
B/F sent ultimatum to R to withdraw from principalities- ignored= B/F now felt obliged to commit to war
March 1854 (course of the war)
B/F declare war/give support to T
Aug 1854 (course of the war)
-R withdraw from principalities as scared A will join war
-A make peace proposals- Tsar no accept until November
-B want to prolong war to damage R/force Tsar to make + concessions over access to Black sea
Sept 1854 (course of the war)
B/F invade Crimea but slow so R forces regroup at port
-Battle of Alma= 6000 Rs dead/Rs used outdated weaponry
-Other battles at Inkerman/Balaclava but no forces achieve a breakthrough
Feb 1855 (course of the war)
Nicholas I dies, replaced by Alexander II
Oct 1854-Sept 1855 (course of the war)
Siege of Sevastopol
-Russian casualties= 2000/day
-Surrender after severe artillery bombardments= major setback as port strategically important
September 1855-Jan 1856 (course of the war)
War petered out
-A threatened to join so R agreed to peace talks
March 1856
Treaty of Paris
General impact of war
Ppl said Russia’s status as a great world power had been severely damaged
Casualties/deaths (impact of war)
More than any other European war
-Deaths= 750,000
-B= 22,000
-F= 90,000
-T=150,000
-R= 450,000
(Mostly disease)
Terms of Treaty of Paris (impact of war)
-Duty to protect Christians in OE given to European powers
-Russia no longer protector of principalities
-R gave big chunk of Bessarabia to Moldavia
-R prohibited from having fleet in Black sea- logistically important so humiliating
What does the treaty of Paris highlight
-Russian military weaknesses (now= revisionist power)
-Other European powers scared of Russia’s military threat and that military weaknesses might easily be remedied
-IN RUSSIAN GOV= catalyst for many significant economic/political/social reforms, e.g changes in how localities governed (linked to emancipation of the serfs)
When was the Treaty of Paris signed
March 1856
Emancipation of the serfs (impact of war)
War revealed R backwardness/underdeveloped- serfdom blamed for slower rate of industrialisation
-e.g slavophile Samarin said caused “stagnation of thought/depression of productive forces/rift between gov and ppl/disunity between social classes”
Abolition= change to way R governed as had previously underpinned societal structure
Economic impact as workers moved to factories= industrialisation
Would emancipation have happened without the war (impact of war)
Likely no as Nicholas I had considered the idea but rejected as said would lead to “even more ruinous evil”
Reform of local gov (impact of war)
Emancipation= Reduced political role of nobility, Zemstva instead
-Local gov elected (less democratic as property qualifications to vote BUT still indicated tsars may be lessening autocratic grip, HOWEVER zemstva repressed later on)
Military reform (impact of war)
-Service reduced to 15 years
-Modernised training
-Rigorous instruction for officers
=More professional army in line with Western rivals that could also help maintain order at home
Who made the military reforms/when/using what model (impact of war)
Dmitrii Milyutin 1862-74 using Prussian model
Problems with military before reform
-Mostly peasants
-Harsh discipline (e.g running of the gauntlet)
-Poor accommodation= diseases (=1 million deaths)
-Lack of decent clothing/equipment
=Low morale
Other reforms (impact of war)
Expansion of railway system:
-2 billion roubles from foreign loans= 20km of track (1861-78)
Helped with logistical problems of expanding/protecting/maintaining empire
