How successfully did Britain secure its Interests in the Eastern Question from 1856-1902? Essay Example
How successfully did Britain secure its Interests in the Eastern Question from 1856-1902?
Between 1856 and 1902 British aims were to secure trade routes, maintain the balance of power in Britain’s favour, have naval control of the Mediterranean and to safeguard India and North Africa against threatening powers such as France and Russia. These aims were fundamental to Britain at the time and heavily influenced British foreign policy including British involvement in the Eastern Question. Britain’s aims in the Eastern Question were to maintain the integrity of the Ottoman Empire as a buffer to Russia, to encourage the reform of the Ottoman Empire, to prevent Russian penetration of the Balkans and contain the Russian Navy, to prevent Russian Influences in the Dardanelles and at Constantinople and also to prevent the advancement of French interests in Egypt and in the Eastern Question. During this period, there were several different Prime Ministers including Palmerston, Disraeli and Salisbury who each had varying degrees of success in regard to the Eastern Question.
Palmerston was Prime Minister from 1855-58 and again from 1859-65 during the Crimean War. Palmerston’s success in the Eastern Question was short lived. Initially, it appeared that Palmerston had succeeded in quashing Russian expansion into the Balkans and containing the Russian navy as it was agreed during the Peace of Paris in 1856 that the Straits convention of 1841 would be reaffirmed which meant that both Russia and Turkey were forbidden from maintaining warships in the Black Sea. This severely inhibited Russia and it meant that they no longer had a warm water port and blocked off their access to the rest of Europe thereby achieving Britain’s goals of preventing Russian penetration of the Balkans, containing the Russian navy and preventing the spread of Russian influence in the Dardanelles and in Constantinople. However, this achievement was short lived as during the 1870’s, demilitarisation in
Between 1856 and 1902 British aims were to secure trade routes, maintain the balance of power in Britain’s favour, have naval control of the Mediterranean and to safeguard India and North Africa against threatening powers such as France and Russia. These aims were fundamental to Britain at the time and heavily influenced British foreign policy including British involvement in the Eastern Question. Britain’s aims in the Eastern Question were to maintain the integrity of the Ottoman Empire as a buffer to Russia, to encourage the reform of the Ottoman Empire, to prevent Russian penetration of the Balkans and contain the Russian Navy, to prevent Russian Influences in the Dardanelles and at Constantinople and also to prevent the advancement of French interests in Egypt and in the Eastern Question. During this period, there were several different Prime Ministers including Palmerston, Disraeli and Salisbury who each had varying degrees of success in regard to the Eastern Question.
Palmerston was Prime Minister from 1855-58 and again from 1859-65 during the Crimean War. Palmerston’s success in the Eastern Question was short lived. Initially, it appeared that Palmerston had succeeded in quashing Russian expansion into the Balkans and containing the Russian navy as it was agreed during the Peace of Paris in 1856 that the Straits convention of 1841 would be reaffirmed which meant that both Russia and Turkey were forbidden from maintaining warships in the Black Sea. This severely inhibited Russia and it meant that they no longer had a warm water port and blocked off their access to the rest of Europe thereby achieving Britain’s goals of preventing Russian penetration of the Balkans, containing the Russian navy and preventing the spread of Russian influence in the Dardanelles and in Constantinople. However, this achievement was short lived as during the 1870’s, demilitarisation in