The Crimean war

Question 1

Who was the Crimean war fought against

Answer 1

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)

Question 2

Long term origins

Answer 2

-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

Question 3

Akkermann Convention (October 1826)

Answer 3

Allowed Russian merchant shipping easier access through the straights

Question 4

Treaty of Adrianople (1829)

Answer 4

-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)

Question 5

Treaty of Unkiar Skelesi (1833)

Answer 5

-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

Question 6

Straights convention (1841)

Answer 6

-T ban all foreign warships entering straights in conflict
-R warships banned from Dardanelles/Bosporus

Weakened Russia’s arrangements with Turks

Question 7

Short-term origins

Answer 7

-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)

Question 8

When did Turkey declare war on Russia

Answer 8

October 1853

Question 9

When did France/Britain declare war on Russia

Answer 9

March 1854

Question 10

When did Nicholas withdraw troops from Moldavia/Wallachia

Answer 10

August 1854

Question 11

What we can tell about Nicholas I from the origins of the war

Answer 11

-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

Question 12

Nov 1853 (course of the war)

Answer 12

R destroys T fleet at Sinope after major T attack= 4000 Ts killed/protect from B and F

Question 13

Jan 1854 (course of the war)

Answer 13

B/F positioned in Black sea but British politicians wanted to avoid war

Question 14

Feb 1854 (course of the war)

Answer 14

B/F sent ultimatum to R to withdraw from principalities- ignored= B/F now felt obliged to commit to war

Question 15

March 1854 (course of the war)

Answer 15

B/F declare war/give support to T

Question 16

Aug 1854 (course of the war)

Answer 16

-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

Question 17

Sept 1854 (course of the war)

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Feb 1855 (course of the war)

Answer 18

Nicholas I dies, replaced by Alexander II

Question 19

Oct 1854-Sept 1855 (course of the war)

Answer 19

Siege of Sevastopol
-Russian casualties= 2000/day
-Surrender after severe artillery bombardments= major setback as port strategically important

Question 20

September 1855-Jan 1856 (course of the war)

Answer 20

War petered out
-A threatened to join so R agreed to peace talks

Question 21

March 1856

Answer 21

Treaty of Paris

Question 22

General impact of war

Answer 22

Ppl said Russia’s status as a great world power had been severely damaged

Question 23

Casualties/deaths (impact of war)

Answer 23

More than any other European war
-Deaths= 750,000
-B= 22,000
-F= 90,000
-T=150,000
-R= 450,000
(Mostly disease)

Question 24

Terms of Treaty of Paris (impact of war)

Answer 24

-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

Question 25

What does the treaty of Paris highlight

Answer 25

-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)

Question 26

When was the Treaty of Paris signed

Answer 26

March 1856

Question 27

Emancipation of the serfs (impact of war)

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Would emancipation have happened without the war (impact of war)

Answer 28

Likely no as Nicholas I had considered the idea but rejected as said would lead to “even more ruinous evil”

Question 29

Reform of local gov (impact of war)

Answer 29

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)

Question 30

Military reform (impact of war)

Answer 30

-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

Question 31

Who made the military reforms/when/using what model (impact of war)

Answer 31

Dmitrii Milyutin 1862-74 using Prussian model

Question 32

Problems with military before reform

Answer 32

-Mostly peasants
-Harsh discipline (e.g running of the gauntlet)
-Poor accommodation= diseases (=1 million deaths)
-Lack of decent clothing/equipment

=Low morale

Question 33

Other reforms (impact of war)

Answer 33

Expansion of railway system:
-2 billion roubles from foreign loans= 20km of track (1861-78)

Helped with logistical problems of expanding/protecting/maintaining empire