Let’s begin with the breakdown崩潰 of the “Concert of Europe”. Though the Treaty of Paris 1856 reaffirmed再肯定 the principle of “collective security集體安全”, yet the 1848 Revolutions and the Crimean War had weakened respectively the Great Powers’ commitments信守 to the territorial arrangements of 1815. Except Austria, almost all the powers tended to be “revisionist修正主義” in foreign affairs.
France once gain emerged崛起 as the strongest land power. Paris became the diplomatic centre of Europe. In 1856-66 Napoleon III became “the arbiter仲裁者 of Europe”, says B.D. Gooch. His victory over Russia buttressed支撐 his leadership at home. He thus embarked邁向 on a more aggressive foreign policy to earn more personal prestige. He intervened in China, Mexico, New Caledonia and so on. His military support for Piedmont against Austria in 1858-59 showed that he wanted a thorough徹底 revision of the 1815 Vienna Settlement. A. Cobban described the Crimean War as “a triumph of Napoleon III”. His successes abroad made his rule more repressive抑壓性 and dictatorial at home. He refused to carry out liberal reforms for French people until the 1860s.
The British prestige lowered. Europe doubted the capability of the British army because of its poor performance in the Crimean War. The heavy casualties死傷 and loss of properties made Britain afraid. In 1857 there was the Indian Mutiny兵變 as the sepoys印度僱傭兵 no longer considered the British army formidable可怕. Though it was suppressed, Britain became stick緊守 again to “Splendid Isolation光榮孤立”. For example, she lent only indirect help (diplomatic support) to Piedmont during the Italian plebiscites全民表決 in 1859-60. Neither did Britain intervene in Bismarck’s俾斯麥 wars in 1865-70.
Russia lost her ascendancy優勢 in Europe. Czar Alexander II signed the Treaty of Paris reluctantly. Russia changed from the firmest supporter of the status quo現狀 of Europe to a revisionist power who would miss no chance to revise the map of Europe. Russia hated the Black Sea Clause especially. In 1870 Russia kept neutral in the Franco-Prussian War since Bismarck had promised to help her repudiate廢除 this clause. To let Russia recover from the war defeat, Alexander II reached entente和解 with France to make a peaceful atmosphere. At home, he carried out a broad reform programme, covering the Emancipation of Serfs解放農奴, establishment of zemstva地方議會 and so on. The temporary Russian withdrawal from European affairs did really facilitate both the Italian and German unification movements. On the other hand, Russia expanded to the Far East and Central Asia instead. She still wanted ice-free ports. In 1860 Russia got from China the vast Maritime Provinces濱海地區.
Cavour加富爾 led Piedmont to join the Crimean War in 1855. As a victor, he was entitled有權 to seat in the Congress of Paris 1856 despite Austria’s opposition. Piedmont gained publicity公開宣傳 for the Italian cause主張. He highlighted突出 the Italian grievances苦況 under the ruthless無情的 Austrian rule, and secured獲得 promises of British and French help for the Risorgimento意大利統一運動.
B.D. Gooch says, “In the long run, Austria was the main loser” of the Crimean War. She had kept neutral in the war. Alexander II felt angry since Austria made no reward報答 for Russia’s help in the suppression of the Hungarian revolt in 1849. The Austro-Russian relations worsened. On the other side, during the war both Britain and France doubted Austria’s ambitions in the Danubian principalities多瑙河侯國. The increasing Austria’s isolation in Europe facilitated the rise of Piedmont and Prussia respectively. Nobody helped her during both the Italian and German unification movements. Thus A.J.P. Taylor泰勒 says, “Cavour and Bismarck were the real victors of the Crimean War.”
During the war, Florence Nightingale’s南丁格爾 indiscriminate rescue無分彼此的拯救 of wounded soldiers was propagated大肆宣傳 by the mass media of Europe. It aroused humanitarianism人道主義 among the public. The International Red Cross was formed in 1861 under such circumstances.
Though some historians may consider the Crimean War the most thoughtless輕率 war in history, in conclusion, it had many significant repercussions on Europe. L.C.B. Seamen concludes, “Not 1848, but the Peace和約 of Paris, ends the Metternich era梅特涅時代, for only with the Crimean War do those political upheavals巨變 become possible which Metternich had so long hoped to postpone推遲.”
