How successfully did Great Britain secure its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878?
How successfully did Great Britain secure its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878? Britain had many aims that they strived to achieve in the Crimean war, in 1854, and the Near Eastern Crisis in 1878, that reflected their Foreign Policy. The most important aim for Britain was the maintenance of the Balance of Power in Europe. Preserving the Balance of Power was vital for Britain, as they were concerned about if Austria collapsed, this would reduce the effectiveness of Austria as a barrier towards Russia preventing them from expanding westwards into Central Europe. Britain was also concerned about the threat of the Ottoman Empire collapsing to the Russians, which would have resulted in increased Russian power in Eastern Europe that would affect Britain’s naval control in the Mediterranean and Trade routes to India. Britain also felt that it was essential to keep naval control over the Mediterranean Sea routes and the Suez Canal. This was vital to ensure that Trade and expansionist aims into Asia would be preserved. Moreover, Britain wanted to contain Russian’s expansion into Turkey and Asia as it could have threatened British naval power in the Mediterranean trade with India. Furthermore, Trade was also an imperative aim of Britain they strived to maintain. India was Britain’s largest colony and a premier place for British trade that was a trade hub for the whole of Asia. This essay will analyse and deduce how successfully Great Britain secured each of their aims in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878. Britain initially got involved in the Crimean War after Russia initially refused a negotiation to withdraw from the principalities after the event in July 1853 where Russia occupied the territories, Wallachia and Moldavia, in the Crimea that had previously been controlled by Turkey and the United Kingdom and France declared war. The most important interest of Britain during the Crimean War was the maintenance of the Balance of Power. This aim proved to be successfully achieved as Britain had successfully prevented Russia from expanding westwards into central Europe,
and the Turkish Empire. This was beneficial for Britain as it meant Turkey was able to preserve its independence and continue to act as a barrier against Russian expansion further into Eastern Europe and Asia. This ultimately preserved Britain’s naval control in the Mediterranean and their trade routes to India. Therefore, this portrays that Britain did successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.Moreover, Britain also successfully achieved its interest of containing Russia during the Crimean War as they prevented Russia from expanding westwards into Central Europe and the Turkish Empire. After Austria joined the Allies against Russia, ...
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and the Turkish Empire. This was beneficial for Britain as it meant Turkey was able to preserve its independence and continue to act as a barrier against Russian expansion further into Eastern Europe and Asia. This ultimately preserved Britain’s naval control in the Mediterranean and their trade routes to India. Therefore, this portrays that Britain did successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.Moreover, Britain also successfully achieved its interest of containing Russia during the Crimean War as they prevented Russia from expanding westwards into Central Europe and the Turkish Empire. After Austria joined the Allies against Russia, Russia agreed to talks for settling the dispute, after realising that they were not able to win the war. This consequently validates that Britain did successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.Britain also usefully achieved the aim of maintaining naval supremacy over the Mediterranean Sea routes and the Suez Canal. This was achieved through the Straits Convention agreed at the Treaty of Paris in 1856, which prevented Russia or Turkey having a fleet in the Black Sea and the Straits of Dardanelles, ultimately making it impossible for Russia to move fleets into the Mediterranean. Therefore, this depicts that Britain did successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.In addition, another interest of Britain during the Crimean War was the preservation of Trade with Asia. This aim proved to be successfully achieved as Britain was able to contain Russia and prevent them taking control of the Straits of Dardanelles and the Mediterranean Sea, hence Britain’s trade routes through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal to India weren’t affected. This was due to the regulations put into place at the Treaty of Paris. It imposed that Russia would not be allowed to have a fleet in the Black Sea. This subsequently confirms that Britain did successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.However, Britain’s interests can also be seen as failing during the Crimean War. Although Britain did initially achieve its’ aim of maintaining the Balance of Power in Europe, it provoked Russia to take a more aggressive approach towards the rest of Europe. Also, by keeping the Turkish Empire intact, it was under even more threat after the Crimean War, as the Holy Alliance between Russia and Austrian broke, that marked the beginning of the collapse of the Concert of Europe. In 1856 after the signing of the Paris Treaty, Russia was prepared to allow Prussia to adopt a more aggressive role in central Europe as they were very agitated and became determined to remove the restrictions imposed at Paris. This consequently led to the Balance of Power coming under even more threat and putting more pressure on Britain to preserve it. Therefore, this failure clearly suggests that Britain didn’t successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.Britain’s success in achieving its interest of containing Russia can also be seen as limited during the Crimean War, as Russia, even though they were prevented from expanding, they were now much more aggressive and seen as a larger threat to the peace and stability of Europe. As a consequence of this, it is clear to say that Britain didn’t successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.Britain’s aim to preserve naval control over the Mediterranean Sea routes and the Suez Canal and trade with Asia also proved to be limited as the demilitarisation of the Black Sea came to an end in 1871, when at the height of the Franco-Prussian War; Russia declared that it was no longer bound by the Treaty of Paris of 1856, and at the International conference in London in 1871, the powers agreed to remilitarise the Black Sea. This, again, put more pressure on Britain, as it meant they had to be prepared to fight for naval control in the Mediterranean Sea as it was vital for Britain to prevent Russia gaining naval control as it may have affected Britain’s trade routes to India and expansionist aims in Asia. Therefore, this limitation in achieving their aim ultimately suggests that Britain didn’t successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.From the analysis above, of the success of Britain’s interests, it is clear to say that Britain’s interests were only achieved in the short term but seen a failures in the long term, mainly due to the retaliation and aggressiveness of Russia after being defeated at the Crimea. Britain had ultimately won the Crimean War but at the cost of threatening peace with Russia and Prussia.Due to the Crimean War being unable to resolve the disputes in Eastern Europe, involving Russia and the Turkish Empire, it was inevitable that a new crisis would occur. Eventually the Balkan Crisis occurred, when Russia declared war on Turkey in 1877 and revolts began to take place against Turkish rule in the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most important interest of Britain during the Balkans Crisis was also the maintenance of the Balance of Power, hence showing that ensuring the success of this interest was the main priority for Britain. This interest proved to be successfully achieved as Britain prevented the DKB from expanding westwards into central Europe, and the Turkish Empire by negotiating with Russia at the Berlin Conference in 1878. Therefore, this portrays that Britain did successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.Moreover, Britain also successfully achieved its interest of containing Russia during the Balkan Crisis by threatening war with Russia by sending troops 7000 troops to Malta and sending the Royal Navy to Constantinople where the Russian Army was, to assert their position within the dispute. This ultimately pressured Russia into renegotiating the terms of San Stefano at the Congress of Berlin, and Britain was able to prevent Russia expanding into the Turkish Empire. This consequently validates that Britain did successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.Britain also usefully achieved the aim of maintaining naval supremacy over the Mediterranean Sea routes, and preserved trade links with India. This was achieved as Turkey sold Cyprus to Britain, in return that Britain would defend Turkey against Russia, which enabled Britain to have a strategically vital base for a British fleet to be situated. This would have asserted Britain’s naval supremacy in the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal that would assure safety for the Trade routes to India. Therefore, this depicts that Britain did successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878. However, Britain’s interests can also be seen as failing during the Balkans Crisis. Although Britain did initially achieve its’ aim of maintaining the Balance of Power in Europe, instability and threat of peace was still an ever-present problem in Europe. Austria gained Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Berlin Conference, and Serbia, Montenegro and Romania were all made independent. This was a threat to the Balance of Power as Austria, already a very powerful empire, was gaining more territory that was also very close to Turkey, that could be seen as very threatening in the eyes of Britain and Turkey. Therefore, this failure clearly suggests that Britain didn’t successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878.Britain’s aim to preserve naval control over the Mediterranean Sea routes and Trade with Asia also could be seen as limited as the Straits of Dardanelles became an open waterway as a result of the Berlin Conference, that could have potentially threatened Britain’s naval control in the Mediterranean and trade with India if Russia was to take control of the Black Sea and the Straits. Therefore, this limitation in achieving their aim ultimately suggests that Britain didn’t successfully achieve its interests in the Eastern Question from 1854-1878 as they did not completely remove the risk of Russia moving their fleets into the Mediterranean. From the analysis above, of the success of Britain’s interests in both the Crimean War in 1854 and the Balkans Crisis in 1878, it is clear to say that Britain’s interests were only achieved in the short term but seen a failures in the long term, mainly due to the retaliation and aggressiveness of Russia, who was determined to expand its empire and increase its worldwide power. Britain had ultimately won the Crimean War and resolved the Balkans Crisis without the use of physical military force, but many issues were still not resolved, such as the Ottoman Empire that to this point, was still not secure.