This history is old, it has been more than one and a half centuries old, but the geographical names and countries, the mention of which are inevitable in the presentation of its plot, evoke certain associations with modernity. Crimea, Turkey, Russia, France, Britain - these are the scenery for the dramatic events that developed in the middle of the XIX century. All wars end in peace, even the longest and bloodiest. Another question is to what extent its conditions are beneficial to some countries and humiliating to others. The Paris world was the result of the Crimean War, which was waged against Russia by the combined forces of France, Britain and Turkey.
Prewar situation
In the middle of the century, Europe was in a serious crisis. National movements within Austria and Prussia could lead to the collapse of these states, the movement of borders and the collapse of the ruling dynasties. To help the Austrian emperor, Russian Tsar Nicholas I sent an army that stabilized the situation. It seemed that peace would come for a long time, but it turned out differently.
Revolutionary movements arose in Wallachia and Moldova. After the Russian and Turkish troops entered these areas, a number of controversial issues arose regarding the borders of protectorates, the rights of religious communities and Holy places, which ultimately meant a conflict regarding the spheres of influence of the powers adjacent to the Black Sea basin. In addition to the directly interested main countries, other states that were unwilling to lose their geopolitical benefits, France, Britain and Prussia (quickly forgetting gratitude for the miraculous salvation of their monarch), were drawn into it. The Russian delegation, headed by Prince Menshikov did not show the necessary degree of diplomacy, put forward ultimatum requirements and, not having achieved a result, left Constantinople. In early June, the forty thousandth Russian corps invaded the Danube principalities. In the fall, the fleets of France and Britain led their warships through the Dardanelles, rendering military assistance to Turkey. On November 30, the squadron under the command of Ushakov dealt a preemptive strike on the Turkish naval forces in Sinop, and the Western powers had already directly intervened in the conflict, which came as a surprise to Nicholas I. Contrary to expectations, the Turkish army was well prepared. In 1854, the Crimean War began.
War
It seemed risky to wage a land war with Russia to the Western powers (the Napoleonic campaign was still fresh in my memory), and the strategic plan was to strike at the most vulnerable place - in the Crimea, using the advantage of the naval forces. The poorly developed transport infrastructure connecting the peninsula with the central provinces played into the hands of the Anglo-French-Turkish coalition, which made it difficult to supply troops and supply reinforcements. The landing site was Evpatoria, then there was a serious clash on the Alma River. It turned out that the Russian troops were not adequately prepared for the war both in terms of weapons and in terms of training. They had to retreat to Sevastopol, the siege of which lasted a year. Given the lack of ammunition, food and other resources, the Russian command managed to establish the city’s defense and build fortifications in a short time (there were almost none on land). Meanwhile, the forces of the Western Allies suffered from diseases and bold attacks of the defenders of Sevastopol. As the negotiators later noted, the signing of the Paris Peace took place with the invisible participation of Admiral Nakhimov, who died heroically during the defense of the city.
Peace terms
Ultimately, Russia in the Crimean War suffered a military defeat. In 1855, during the Sevastopol defense, Emperor Nicholas I died, and the throne was inherited by Alexander II. The new autocrat understood that the military operations, despite the brilliant successes in the Asian theater, were developing unfavorably for Russia. The death of Kornilov and Nakhimov actually beheaded the command, further retention of the city became problematic. In 1856, Sevastopol was occupied by the troops of the Western coalition. The leaders of Britain, France and Turkey drew up a four-point draft agreement, which was adopted by Alexander II. The treaty itself, dubbed the “Paris Peace”, was signed on March 30, 1856. It should be noted that the victorious countries, exhausted by a long military campaign, very costly and bloody, took care of the acceptability of its points for Russia. This was facilitated by the victorious actions of our army in the Asian theater, in particular the successful assault on the Kare fortress. The conditions of the Paris world primarily affected relations with Turkey, which was committed to ensuring the rights of the Christian population on its territory, the neutrality of the Black Sea, the departure in its favor of two hundred square miles of territory and the inviolability of its borders.
Peaceful Black Sea
At first glance, the just demand for the demilitarization of the Black Sea coast in order to avoid further conflicts between the countries in fact contributed to the strengthening of Turkey's position in the region, since the Ottoman Empire reserved the right to have fleets in the Mediterranean and Sea of Marmara. The Paris world also included an annex (convention) concerning straits through which foreign warships could not pass in peacetime.
The end of the Paris world
Any military defeat will limit the capabilities of the defeated side. The Paris world permanently changed the balance of power in Europe that developed after the signing of the Vienna Treaties (1815), and was not in Russia's favor. The war as a whole revealed many shortcomings and flaws in the organization of army and navy construction, which prompted the Russian leadership to carry out a number of reforms. After another, this time victorious Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), all restrictions on sovereignty and territorial losses were leveled. Thus ended the Paris world. The year 1878 was the date of the signing of the Berlin Treaty, which restored the regional dominance of Russia in the Black Sea.