The many causes of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) led to the outbreak of armed conflict between the two empires on the Balkan Peninsula. It had important consequences for the Slavic peoples of this region.
Many years of confrontation
Considering the causes of the Russo-Turkish war (1877–1878), it should be said that the conflict between the two powers was so long and deep that every next armed conflict became a logical continuation of the centuries-old rivalry between the tsar and the Sultan. From the moment these states received a common border in the 17th century, they constantly fought for land and resources.
In this rivalry, Turkey suffered defeats over and over again, giving the Romanovs new provinces - the Ukrainian steppes, Moldavian principalities, etc. The exception was the Crimean War in 1853–1856, when the Ottoman Empire was openly supported by Western European powers, frightened by Russia's excessive strengthening . Nicholas I prematurely died in many respects from the emotional turmoil associated with the defeats of his army.
The son of the deceased tsar, Alexander II, was able to end that war with enormous diplomatic efforts, making serious concessions to the enemy coalition. But even the peace treaty of 1856 did not guarantee that the bloodshed would not begin again. The reasons for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) forced Alexander, after many years, to again confront the Ottoman Empire.
Oppression of the Balkan Slavs
After the end of the Crimean War, in one of the clauses of the Paris Peace Treaty, Turkey guaranteed the equal rights of the Muslim and Christian population of its country. This was one of the most acute contradictions between the Ottoman Empire and the rest of Europe.
The Turks were Muslims, but the Slavic majority lived in the Balkan territories of their state - Serbs, Croats, Montenegrins, as well as Bulgarians. All these peoples professed Christianity. Thus, the conflict between them and the titular nation was not only national, but also confessional.
The reasons for the Russo-Turkish war (1877–1878) were precisely in the unequal position of the Bulgarians. All Balkan Slavic peoples looked at the Tsar from St. Petersburg as a defender of their interests and regularly asked him for help.
This is not to say that the sultan or his government was behind the violence against Christians. However, the state looked at such conflicts inside the country through the fingers and did not prevent Muslims from oppressing Bulgarians or other ethnic minorities.
At the beginning of the XIX century, Greece "broke away" from Turkey. The country gained independence after many years of bloody war. But in the following decades, the Ottoman Empire continued to control some of the regions where the Greeks still lived.
Because of this, a liberation uprising took place on the island of Crete in the 1860s, which was brutally crushed. Thus, the causes of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. consisted precisely in the fact that the Ottoman Empire could not exist within its former borders, while not respecting the rights of numerous Balkan peoples.
Gorchakov’s diplomacy
Alexander II became king when Russia already lost the Crimean War. He had to go to a disadvantageous world. Although the country did not lose territories, the Black Sea Fleet was destroyed and banned according to the agreement. For St. Petersburg, this state of affairs was humiliating. The new emperor appointed an experienced diplomat Alexander Gorchakov to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Many historians consider him the “gray cardinal” of Russian foreign policy of that era.
The tsar and Gorchakov began to prepare for the inevitable aggravation of relations with the Ottoman Empire and the impending war. In peacetime, many reforms took place in Russia: the abandonment of serfdom, changes in the army and the economy. All of these measures, among others, were supposed to help modernize the domestic armed forces.
Union with Prussia
After the European powers openly supported Turkey in the Crimean War, former diplomatic relations with them became impossible. Berlin became the only ally of St. Petersburg. At this time, the Prussian king quickly united Germany, wanting to create a single national empire. Austria became his opponent. The Habsburg dynasty, which ruled in Vienna, also claimed to unite Germany under its rule, but was defeated in the fight against the Hohenzollerns.
In 1870, Prussia defeated France in the war for Alsace and Lorraine. This success allowed the Prussian king to announce the creation of the German Empire, which also included numerous small German principalities. France was one of the guarantors of the integrity of the Ottoman Empire. Russia and Germany came forward as a united diplomatic front, trying to force Paris to abandon its obligations towards the Sultan. This plan really worked. In addition, Russia again received the right to build ships in the Black Sea.
Bulgarian uprising
Soon, domestic diplomats received carte blanche for a conflict with the Ottoman Empire. The prerequisites, the causes of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), as well as the agreements of the European powers, had their effect. At this time, a national liberation uprising began in Bulgaria.
Janissaries brutally cracked down not only with the militias, but also with the civilian population. This was the reason for the Russo-Turkish war (1877–1878). The results of the suppression of the uprising affected very quickly. Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire, supporting the Orthodox Bulgarians who turned to the tsar for help. For two years on the banks of the Danube there was a bloody confrontation between the armies of these countries.
Conflict Results
Knowing what are the causes of the Russo-Turkish war (1877–1878), one can easily guess how it ended. The army of Alexander II defeated the Muslims and already threatened Istanbul. The Sultan had to resort to diplomacy.
In 1878, the San Stefano Peace Treaty was signed. According to him, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro became independent states. Bulgarians received wide autonomy. Soon, de facto, they also came out of the jurisdiction of Istanbul. Russia annexed Bessarabia and the Kara region in Transcaucasia.