Russian-Turkish wars - the genesis of confrontation from the middle of the XVII to the second half of the XIX century

The Russo-Turkish wars are a series of conflicts between the respective states. The causes of these armed clashes naturally stemmed from the neighboring geographic location and mutually exclusive interests of the two powerful states. The Russo-Turkish wars in the 17th and 19th centuries were conducted mainly for domination in the Black Sea basin and adjacent areas of land. However, this protracted series of wars changed its character over the centuries due to
Changes in the geopolitical situation in the region. Thus, the Russo-Turkish wars in the 17th and 18th centuries were a consequence of the aggression of the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate, vassally dependent on it, in the Northern Black Sea Region. On the part of Russia, these conflicts promised in the event of a successful outcome the accession of new coastal territories and, of course, access to the Black Sea.

However, already from the second half of the eighteenth century, the Russian state is increasingly confidently advancing to the south. The Russian-Turkish wars of this period acquire an aggressive character already from the side of the northern state. And if, in the middle of the 17th century, the Turks instigated fear throughout Europe, they besieged Vienna, then a century later they are increasingly behind in the military-tactical plan from Europe, which is going through a scientific and technological revolution. Europeans from this period are gradually beginning to subjugate the once powerful Iran and Turkey. Which, say, running ahead of time, by the beginning of the XX century become semi-colonial possessions of the states of the Old World. The Russian-Turkish wars in the 18th and especially the 19th century become part of the resolution of the so-called Eastern question (which was to share the weakened Iran and Turkey among themselves)

Conflict of 1676-1681 years

For example, the war of the mid-17th century, in 1676-1681, was the result of the Turkish-Tatar aggression in the Ukrainian lands, the capture of Podolia (formerly owned by the Poles) and the claim to the whole of the Right-Bank Ukraine. As a result of the Treaty of Bakhchisarai, signed in 1681, the Russian-Turkish border was established along the Dnieper from its rapids, to the territories just south of Kiev. It is interesting that just 50 years before that, the Osmanli people really threatened the existence of the Polish state. It was then rescued only by Zaporozhye Cossacks in 1621.

The Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774

This conflict has become one of the key in the history of military clashes. Turkey, as before, had views on the expansion of possessions in the Black Sea and the Caucasus. Russia successful outcome promised at last capture of Crimea and the coast nearest to ports. During the fighting, brilliant generalship talents were demonstrated by generals Alexander Suvorov, Peter Rumyantsev and admirals Alexei Orlov and Grigory Spiridonov, who defeated the Turkish troops and fleet in a number of battles. In 1774, in the Bulgarian village of Kyuchuk-Kainarji, a peace treaty was signed , according to which the Crimean Khanate passed under the protectorate of Russia. The last one left several important ports on the Black Sea coast.

The Russo-Turkish War of 1877

This clash was the result of the national liberation struggle of the Christian peoples of the Balkans, who for centuries remained under the oppression of Muslim Turkey. This movement was used by the Russian Empire in its favor. Having come to the aid of the Serbs, Bulgarians and Greeks, Russia again inflicted a number of painful defeats on the Ottomans. This time, they were almost completely and finally forced out of the European continent, having managed to leave behind only a scrap on which Constantinople was located. The liberated lands were restored to Bulgarian independence. A number of territories were acquired by Russia, Austria-Hungary, Serbia and Romania.