Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878

In 1877, the Ottoman Empire still maintained nominal control over Serbia as well as other Slavic lands and it continued the repression of Orthodox Christians within the empire. Russian support for the independence struggles of the Balkan states of the Ottoman Empire brought about another war. Embracing the influential perspective of the Russian Pan-Slavic movement, it declared war on the Ottoman Empire on April 24, 1877. About 50,000 Romanian troops and 10,000 Bulgarians joined the Russians.

The first months of the war occupied with the advance on and preparations to the cross the Danube. On June 23rd, Russian forces crossed the Danube and invaded Bulgaria, penetrating through the Shipka Pass towards the objective of Adrianople. This success, however, led to a concern about the threat to Russian supply lines from the fortress of Plevna. Rather than continue the advance, Russian forces invested Plevna and spent the next five months attempting to capture the fortress. Meanwhile, in the Caucasus, Russian arms were victorious at Aladja Dagh on October 15th and Kars on November 17th. Ottoman efforts were focused relieving Plevna by recovering the Shipka Pass but the attempts failed. After a heroic defense, on December 10th, the Turkish troops in Plevna surrendered. Having captured Plevna, the Russians turned on the Ottoman forces fighting for the Shipka Pass and defeated them. After a further victory at Plovdiv, the Russian army advanced on Constantinople. Russia was pressured by the British to accept a truce on January 31, 1878.

Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed the Treaty of San Stefano on March 3 1878. The peace treaty provided for a new disposition of the European provinces of the Ottoman Empire that would have ended any effective Turkish control over the Balkans. It established an autonomous Bulgarian principality (under Russian protection), which included most of Macedonia and extended to the Danube and from the Aegean to the Black Sea. Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania were to be granted independence. The boundaries of Serbia and Montenegro were extended so as to be contiguous, while Romania was compelled to cede southern Bessarabia to Russia, receiving the Dobrudja from Turkey in exchange. Bosnia-Hercegovina was to be autonomous. Parts of Asiatic Turkey were ceded to Russia, and the sultan gave guarantees for the security of his Christian subjects.

Britain and Austria-Hungary, opposed to the Russian gains contained in the treaty, sought substantial modifications to the peace treaty at the Congress of Berlin (June 13-July 13, 1878). Dominated by the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the congress solved a looming international crisis caused by the San Stefano treaty by revising the settlement to satisfy the interests of Great Britain (by denying Russia the means to extend its naval power and by maintaining the Ottoman Empire as a European power) and to satisfy the interests of Austria-Hungary (by allowing it to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina and thereby increase its influence in the Balkans). In so doing, the congress left Russia humiliated by substantially reducing the gains that it had made under the previous treaty. Furthermore, the congress failed to consider the aspirations of the Balkan peoples themselves and, thereby, laid the foundation for future crises in the Balkans.

References

Clodfelter, 329-32; COW61; EB - Congress of Berlin; EB -Treaty of San Stefano; Kohn, 422-3.

Category

Inter-State War

Region

Eastern Europe

Belligerents

Ottoman Empire, Russia, Bulgarians, Romanians

Dispute

Territory, Governance

Initiation Date

April 24, 1877

Termination Date

January 31, 1878

Duration

283 days

Outcome

Imposed Settlement
(Berlin Conference)

Fatalities

Total: 195,000
Russia: 120,000
Ottoman Empire: 165,000
Romanians: 7,000
Bulgarians: 3,000

Magnitude

5.3