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Why did Britain and France support the Ottoman Empire during the Crimean War?
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Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale at the Barrack Hospital in Scutari (Üsküdar), writing letters for wounded soldiers of the Crimean War, 1855.
Britain and France supported the Ottoman Empire during the Crimean War primarily to counter Russian expansionism and maintain the balance of power in the region, a diplomatic challenge known as the Eastern Question.
European powers feared that the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire would allow Russia to seize control of strategic territories and increase its influence at their expense. Specifically, the conflict was fueled by:1
- Russian Encroachment: Britain and France reacted to Russian attempts to exert authority over Ottoman-held territories, particularly the Danubian principalities (modern Romania).23
- Religious and Diplomatic Disputes: Tensions arose over Russian demands to protect Orthodox subjects within the Ottoman Empire and a dispute between Russia and France regarding privileges for the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in the holy places of Palestine.4
- Strategic Interests: Britain, in particular, sought to prevent Russia from dominating the Black Sea and threatening access to the Middle East.24
Ultimately, the alliance aimed to preserve the integrity of the Ottoman state to prevent a shift in the European balance of power.4