Crimean trap. As Russia suffered one of the biggest geopolitical failures

Russia's military methods have not changed for many centuries, writes analyst Pavel Vernivsky. In the example of the Crimean War, he shows how to seize the land that Russia considered its own, led to a national catastrophe Why has not been changing for hundreds of years? You know, I love learning history. And when analyzing Putin's behavior about the beginning of the war in Ukraine, I had a sense of dejaja. Somewhere it was. I mean the Crimean war of 1853-1856.

All this story began in 1820, when the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire Ivan Kapodistan, who was an ethnic Greek, suggested an officer of Greek origin Alexander Ipsilanti to be headed by Philic Etheria. It was a secret society that had to fight for the independence of Greece from the Ottoman Empire, and the headquarters of the organization was located in Odessa for a practical purpose-to be closer to the border with the Ottoman Empire.

And this was what allowed the members to conduct subversive activities and provoke riots in Greece and the Danube principalities of the Ottoman Empire. Initially, the members of the organization suggested that the Kapoditaries head their organization, but he refused, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs could not lead the organization that was considered involved in Greek riots. And instead he suggested that Ipsilanti.

And here this new leader brought the riots to a new level - he managed to provoke a true uprising in the Danube principalities. Although this uprising was not very successful and the Turks managed to suppress it, it provoked the effect of dominoes. The uprising broke out in different regions of Greece and immediately turned into a liberation war for the independence of Greece.

For a long time, Greece fought alone, and Western countries did not want to interfere because they saw a Russian trace there. Maybe the Greeks wanted independence, but in Russia the plans were completely different - to destroy the Ottoman Empire and to seize new territories with Istanbul. Therefore, the situation had to be solved.

And in 1827 in London, three countries - France, the United Kingdom and Russia - signed the Convention, which demanded that Turkey stop hostilities and grant Greece the status of autonomy. The Sultan, who received several victories, refused to comply with the requirements, after which the coalition fleet destroyed the Sultan's fleet in the Battle of Navarin.

In parallel with this, Russia launched a land operation, which resulted in a number of victories and so forced the Ottoman Empire to sit at the negotiating table to force it to comply with the provisions of the Convention. And also partially abandon the territories that were captured during this operation. Although the official goals of the Convention were achieved, Russia has not reached the desired. In fact, she was not concerned about the fate of Greece.

The Greeks were only a convenient tool for achieving imperial ambitions. The main purpose of Russia was Istanbul. She then fundamentally called him in a Byzantine-Constantinople. It was in this principle that the first was to say, the sacred reason that the Russians wanted to own it so much. It was the Byzantine Constantinople that was the center of the Orthodox Church, and it was from there that Orthodoxy came to Kievan Rus.

Well, and the Romanov family, who considered herself the heirs of Russia, wanted to take possession of this city. No wonder Peter, the first king from the Romanov dynasty, renamed Muscovy to Russia. There was also a geopolitical reason. Istanbul ownership automatically meant control over the Bosphorus Strait.

And this control, on the one hand, restricted the access of British and French warships to the Black Sea, which allowed to eliminate the threat from the strong states and enabled the sea to possess the sea. On the other hand, Russia was free access to the Mediterranean. However, the implementation of these plans of Russia was hindered by the United Kingdom. This country also understood the strategic importance of Bosphorus.

And she was profitable for the existence of the Ottoman Empire as an instrument of counterweight to the imperial plans of Russia, which could threaten the interests of the UK in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire himself considered the Russian king a weak opponent. And he was convinced that he would be able to win her quickly if other countries would not be helped. Therefore, the new war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire was only a matter of time.

There was not only a convenient moment. This convenient moment appeared when Napoleon III made a coup and in December 1852 declared himself an emperor. Bonaparte in Europe did not love so much, and because of this incident, antipathia increased even more. It was this incident that was the first bell for Russia that the UK is unlikely to have an alliance with Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew, who also dreams of his uncle's glory.

The direct cause of the war was the incident around Palestine, which was then controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon III demanded that the Catholic Church in Palestine in Palestine in Palestine. Russia did not like it, and it demanded that the Turks adhere to a treaty in which the control should be in the hands of the Orthodox Church. For a while, the Sultan tried to maneuver to satisfy both of them, but the situation was only warming up.

And it came to the fact that the French sent a warship, threatening the use of force, and the Russians began to threaten the invasion by placing troops on the border. In parallel with this, Nicholas I began to talk to the English ambassador, trying to convince that he had no intention to conquer new territories. He only wants to protect the interests of Christians in the Ottoman Empire. And he even seemed to be able to convince the ambassador.

And most importantly, the British will not be united with the French to help the Turks. After that, Prince Menshikov was sent to Istanbul, and one of the requirements was that all Christians of the Ottoman Empire had to be protected by Russia. The English Ambassador to Istanbul suggested that the Sultan partially recognize the demands except the protection of Christians. This was the reason for Russia to bring their troops into the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

Understanding the inevitability of his defeat, the Sultan still agreed to accept the conditions of the king. However, he immediately put forward new, in parallel, continuing his expansion deep into the Ottoman Empire. The United Kingdom and France, of course, did not like this situation, but at first they tried to solve the issue with diplomatic means. And so they tried to create a treaty that would suit both parties, but the conditions and wording did not suit either the king nor the Sultan.

And, of course, during this time Russia did not stop hostilities. The last drop for the Western countries was the Syno Battle when the Russian squadron destroyed the Turkish fleet at the port of Sinop. It was then that the Anglo-French ultimatum was put forward. Of course, this ultimatum was ignored, and the two most powerful countries in the world declared a war that later ended in the defeat of Russia. Nicholas I did not live until the end of the war, and his son Alexander II took his place.

And it was he who had to rake the deplorable consequences of this senseless war. At first he was forced to admit defeat and sign a treaty that put the state in a worse position than it was before. Then the economic crisis began in the country, which later grew into mass dissatisfaction with the population. And 8 attempts were made on the emperor, the last of which ended in his murder. However, the most important thing to understand is that even this did not make Russia give up its plans.