The wars of Turkey are one of the most relevant and interesting topics not only in historical science, but also in modern political science. For several centuries, this country, which was the core of the Ottoman Empire, waged wars in various directions, including in Europe. Studying this problem allows us to understand many realities of the current life of this state.
The fight for the southern borders
The result of the confrontation between our country and the empire was the first war with Turkey, which occurred in the 1568-1570s. Then the sultan tried to capture Astrakhan, which belonged to the Moscow state. At the same time, the construction of a canal between the Volga and the Don began. However, this attempt by the Turkish side to consolidate its position at the mouth of the first river ended in failure: a Russian detachment sent from the capital forced the enemy to lift the siege, and his fleet died in a storm.
The second war with Turkey occurred in 1672-1681. Then the ruler of the empire tried to strengthen his position in Right-Bank Ukraine. Hetman was proclaimed vassal of the Sultan, after some time both began a war against Poland. Then the Moscow Tsar declared war to defend his position in Left-Bank Ukraine. The main struggle unfolded over the capital of the hetman Chigirin, who alternately changed hands. In the end, Russian troops were forced out, but Moscow retained its former position, while the sultan strengthened in the hetman.
The struggle for access to the sea
The wars of Turkey with European states were fought in 1686-1700. At this time, the Holy League was formed on the continent for a joint struggle. Our country joined this union, and in 1686 and 1689, Russian troops under the command of V. Golitsyn made campaigns in the Crimea, which, however, ended unsuccessfully. Nevertheless, six years later, Peter I captured Azov, which was annexed to the territory of our country.
The wars of Turkey with Russia were mainly associated with the desire of the latter to obtain the right to keep its fleet on the south coast. This was a task of paramount importance for the imperial government, which in 1735 sent Russian troops under the command of B. Minikh to the Crimea. At first, the army acted successfully, it managed to capture a number of fortresses, but due to the outbreak of the plague, it was forced to retreat. Events on the front where Austria was an ally of our country, which failed to squeeze the Turks out of their positions, developed unsuccessfully. As a result, Russia did not achieve its goal, although it retained Azov.
Catherine’s time
The wars of Turkey in the second half of the 18th century were not so successful for this country. It was during two successful companies that Russia gained access to the Black Sea and strengthened on its coast, having received the right to keep its navy here. It was a great success, which consolidated the position of the young empire in the southern region. The conflict began due to the Sultan's claim that the Russian troops crossed the borders of his state. At first, Russian troops did not act very well and were pushed back. However, in 1770 they managed to reach the Danube, and the Russian fleet won a number of victories at sea. The biggest victory was the transition of Crimea under the protectorate of Russia. In addition, a number of territories between the rivers moved to our country.
Thirteen years later, a new war broke out between the states, the results of which consolidated the victories and new territorial acquisitions of our country. According to the Iasi Treaty, the peninsula was finally assigned to the empire, and a number of Danubian principalities also left it. These two wars strengthened the status of our country as a sea power. Since then, she gained the right to keep her fleet at sea, significantly expanded her territory in the south.
19th Century Conflicts
The twelve wars of Russia and Turkey were associated with the confrontation for the possession of the southern regions and the coast, which was strategically important for both powers. At the beginning of the century, the reason for a new confrontation was the intervention of the Turkish side in the internal affairs of the Danubian principalities, whose rulers were removed from power without agreement with the Allies. This step was taken at the instigation of the French government, which hoped to pull the forces of the Russian army from the European theater of operations. As a result of long conflicts that lasted for six years, the Turkish side abandoned Bessarabia, and the Danube principalities received autonomy.
In 1828-1829, a new war broke out between the states. This time, the direct cause was the Greek struggle for independence. Russia joined the convention of France and England. The powers declared Greece autonomy, and the eastern coast of the Black Sea receded to our country.
Mid-Century Fight
The wars of Russia with Turkey continued in the second half of the 19th century. The most serious confrontation occurred in the years 1853-1856. Nicholas I sought the liberation of the Balkan states from Ottoman domination, and therefore, despite the possibility of creating an anti-Russian alliance of the leading European powers, he sent troops to the Danubian principalities, in response the sultan declared war on our country.
At first, the domestic fleet won, but the following year England and France intervened in the conflict, after which the Russian forces began to lose. Despite the heroic siege of Sevastopol, the Turks prevailed. The peculiarity of this struggle was that military operations took place both on the Black Sea coast, and on the Pacific Ocean, and on the White Sea. As a result of the defeat, Russia lost the right to keep the fleet on the Black Sea coast, and also lost a number of its possessions.
Recent Campaigns
The wars of Russia with Turkey affected the interests of not only these states, but also other powers. The next conflict occurred during the reign of Alexander II. This time the Russian troops won a number of high-profile victories, as a result of which our country regained the right to keep a fleet in the Black Sea, moreover, some territories populated by Armenians and Georgians moved to our country. The last confrontation occurred during the First World War. Despite the fact that the Russian army won a number of victories and advanced deep into the territory, nevertheless, these territories were not annexed to Soviet Russia. The main outcome of this struggle should be considered the collapse of both empires.
Independence movement
The war of independence of Turkey lasted from 1919-1923. It was led by Mustafa Kemal, who joined forces against the invaders, who captured a significant part of the country. This state, as an ally of Germany, ended up in the camp of the losers and was forced to accept the terms of the armistice, according to which the Entente countries occupied its regions. The events began with the occupation of the city of Izmir by the Greek troops. Following this, French forces also landed on the peninsula. This caused the rise of the national liberation movement, which was led by Kemal Atatürk.
Events on the Eastern and Western Fronts
The Turkish wars, whose history is closely connected with Russia, continued into the 20th century. The new government intended primarily to protect itself from Armenia. The Turks managed to win and sign an friendship treaty with the Soviet government. This was a very important event for both states, as they were in political isolation in the international arena. After that, Kemal concentrated all his forces on the liberation of Constantinople, which was occupied by the Allies. The latter tried to form a new government, but they did not succeed, because the bulk of the Turks went over to the Ataturk national liberation front.
War with france
In 1916-1921, Turkish forces opposed the French army, which settled in Cilicia. The struggle went on with varying success, and only after the Greeks were stopped, Kemal switched to active action. However, success was largely consolidated through diplomatic negotiations, during which both sides managed to reach an agreement. This became possible due to the fact that French finances were invested in the Turkish economy, and both countries were interested in normalizing relations. The main result of the struggle for independence was the abolition of the Sultan and the transformation of the state into an independent secular republic.
Current situation
The socio-political situation in the country these days has been extremely tense. One of the most acute problems is the question of the Kurdish population, which for several decades has been fighting for the creation of its own state. Based on recent events, many political scientists and analysts claim that there is a real civil war in Turkey. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in the country, which is a secular state, the position of Islam is still quite strong, and this causes a number of contradictions between the official course and the mood of some part of the population.
Summing up the above, it can be noted that the most interesting fact in the above events is the fact that after the beginning of the 20th century there were no armed conflicts between our country and the Turkish state. Nowadays, the internal situation in the country is worrying, which gives reason to some experts to say that there is a civil war in Turkey.