The Basis of Ottoman Policies Towards England In The Aftermath Of Russo-Iranian Rapprochement In Crimean War (1853-1856)

Crimean War has several characteristics concerning the reasons for its outbreak, course and consequences. The war seems to be the result of political disputes between the Ottoman Empire and Russia. However, the developments experienced during the outbreak of the conflict were a reflection of the competition between the great powers of the era; Britain, France and Russia. Because, the intense diplomatic negotiations and multi-faceted negotiations that were conducted at the time demonstrated that each party assessed the issue based on its own interests. In the Crimean War, that started in an environment where such political calculations and interests were in the focus, Britain and France that supported the Ottoman Empire against Russia, acted in their own political interests. When Russia realized this fact, it tried to form an alliance with Iran in order to expand the battlefield, to further crush the Ottoman Empire and to intimidate Britain in India in Asia. Iran Shah, who was understood to be under the Russian influence during the time, signed an alliance agreement with Russia in the autumn of 1853. In this context, the stages of the alliance that Russia established with Iran during the Crimean War (1853-1856) and its repercussions on the Ottoman Empire will be the main topic of the present study. Furthermore, the attempts of Britain, which was one of the most significant sides of the war, to disrupt the alliance after recognizing the real objective of Russia will be examined. In this framework, the intense diplomatic contacts that lasted during 1853 and 1854, Ottoman actions along with the British intentions and the British influence on the Ottoman Empire and Iran will be discussed