Russian –Turkish War 18771878 Background • Eastern question as a salient issue for the Russian empire – Results of the Crimean war – Black Sea – Territories – French and British support of the Ottomans • Pan-Slavism Immediate Reasons • Riots in Bosnia And Herzegovina – summer 1875 • April Uprising in Bulgaria – April to May 1876 • Suppression and atrocities – 30 000 victims of bashibuzuks • Reaction of Europe – Public opinion in France and especially Britain was against the pro-Ottoman political line of the government • Failure to resolve the issue through diplomacy Public Opinion in Russia • Slavophiles vs. Westernizers (Zapadniki) • Slavophiles (Dostoevsky): the great mission of Russia, gathering of the Slavic Orthodox lands, siege of Constantinople • Zapadniki (Turgenev): war of liberation Major Battles • April 12, 1877 – Russia declares war – Time pressure • • • • • • • • • • May 1877 – Russian troops enter the lands of Romania June 21 – Russian troops cross the Danube river June 25 – Tarnovo End of July – Shipka pass August – October attempts to take Plevna Ottoman counter attack November 28 – Plevna December 23, 1877 – Sofia January 3-5 – Plovdiv January 15 – Osman-Bazar Results of the war • San-Stefano peace treaty February 19 • July 1 Treaty of Berlin • Bulgarian principality