The Eastern Question

The "Eastern Question" as a concept arose at the end of the 18th century, but as a diplomatic term it began to be used from the 30s of the 19th century. He owes his birth to three factors at once: the decline of the once powerful Ottoman state, the growth of the liberation movement directed against Turkish enslavement, and the aggravation of the contradictions between the countries of Europe for domination in the Middle East.

In the "Eastern Question", in addition to the great European powers, Egypt, Syria, part of Transcaucasia, etc. were involved.

At the end of the 18th century, the empire of the Ottoman Turks, once leading to all the horror, fell into decay. Most of all this was beneficial to Austria, which managed to penetrate Hungary through Hungary to the Balkans, and Russia, which expanded its borders to the Black Sea in the hope of reaching the Mediterranean shores.

And it all began with the revolt of the Greeks in the 20s of the 19 th century. It was this event that made the West act. After the Turkish sultan refused to accept the Hellenic independence, an alliance of Russian, British and French troops destroyed the Turkish and Egyptian naval flotillas. As a result, Greece freed itself from the Turkish yoke, while Moldavia, Serbia and Wallachia - the Balkan provinces of the Ottoman Empire - gained autonomy, although in its composition.

In the 30s of the same century, all the Middle Eastern possessions of the Ottoman Turkey were already involved in the already mature "Eastern question": Egypt reconquered Syria from its suzerain, and only England's intervention helped restore it.

At the same time, another problem arose: it was the right to cross the straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosporus, which were controlled by the Turks. According to the Convention, no military ship of another state had the right to pass through these narrow passages, if Turkey was in a state of peace.

This was contrary to the interests of Russia. The "Eastern Question" in the 19th century adopted a different turn for Russia after it acted as an ally of the Turks in the war against the Egyptian Pasha. Against the backdrop of the defeat of the Ottoman army, Tsar Nicholas the first introduced his squadron into the Bosporus and landed numerous troops allegedly for the protection of Istanbul.

As a result, an agreement was concluded, according to which only Russian warships could enter the Turkish straits.

Ten years later, at the beginning of the forties, the "eastern question" became acute. Porta, who promised to improve the living conditions of the Christian part of her population, did nothing really. And for the Balkan peoples there was only one way out: to start an armed struggle against the Ottoman yoke. And then the Russian Tsar demanded from the Sultan the right to patronize Orthodox subjects, but the Sultan refused. As a result, the Russian-Turkish war began, which ended in the defeat of the tsarist troops.

Despite the fact that Russia lost, the Russo-Turkish war became one of the decisive stages in the solution of the "Eastern question". The process of liberation of the South Slavic nationalities began. Turkish rule in the Balkans received a fatal blow.

The "Eastern Question", which plays an important role in Russia's foreign policy , had for it two main directions: the Caucasus and the Balkans.

Trying to expand his possessions in the Caucasus, the Russian Tsar tried to ensure a secure connection with all newly captured territories.

At the same time, in the Balkans, the local population sought to help Russian soldiers, to whom the Ottoman troops resisted stubbornly.

With the help of Serbian and Bulgarian volunteers, the tsarist troops took the city of Andrianople, thereby putting an end to the war.

A significant part of western Armenia was liberated in the Kara direction , which became a significant event in the military company.

As a result, a treaty was signed, which says that Russia gets a large enough territory from the Black Sea part of the Caucasus, as well as many Armenian regions. The issue of Greek autonomy was also resolved.

Thus, Russia fulfilled its mission towards the Armenian and Greek peoples.