This history is old, it is already more than a century and a half, but geographical names and countries, the mention of which is inevitable when presenting its plot, evoke certain associations with modernity. Crimea, Turkey, Russia, France, Britain - these are the scenery for the dramatic events that developed in the middle of the 19th century. All wars end in peace, even the longest and bloodiest. Another question is to what extent its conditions are beneficial to some countries and humiliating to others. The Peace of Paris was the result of the Crimean War, which was waged against Russia by the combined forces of France, Great Britain and Turkey.
Pre-war situation
In the middle of the century, Europe was in a serious crisis. National movements within Austria and Prussia could lead to the collapse of these states, the displacement of borders and the collapse of the ruling dynasties. To help the Austrian emperor, the Russian Tsar Nicholas I sent an army that stabilized the situation. It seemed that peace would come for a long time, but it turned out differently.
Revolutionary movements arose in Wallachia and Moldavia. After the entry of Russian and Turkish troops into these areas, a number of controversial issues arose.concerning the boundaries of protectorates, the rights of religious communities and Holy places, which, ultimately, meant a conflict concerning the spheres of influence of the powers adjacent to the Black Sea basin. In addition to the main countries directly interested, other states were drawn into it, not wanting to lose their geopolitical benefits - France, Britain and Prussia (which quickly forgot about gratitude for the miraculous salvation of their monarch). The Russian delegation headed by Prince. Menshikov did not show the necessary degree of diplomacy, put forward ultimatum demands and, without achieving a result, left Constantinople. In early June, forty thousandth Russian corps invaded the Danubian principalities. In autumn, the fleets of France and Britain led their warships through the Dardanelles, providing military assistance to Turkey. On November 30, a squadron under the command of Ushakov launched a preemptive strike against the Turkish naval forces in Sinop, and the Western powers intervened directly in the conflict, which came as a surprise to Nicholas I. Contrary to expectations, the Turkish army turned out to be well prepared. In 1854, the Crimean War began.
War
Waging a land war with Russia seemed to the Western powers a risky business (the Napoleonic campaign was still fresh in their memory), and the strategic plan was to strike at the most vulnerable place - the Crimea, using the advantage of the naval forces. The poorly developed transport infrastructure connecting the peninsula withcentral provinces, which made it difficult to supply troops and supply reinforcements. Evpatoria became the landing site, then there was a serious clash on the Alma River. It turned out that the Russian troops were insufficiently prepared for war both in terms of weapons and in terms of training. They had to retreat to Sevastopol, the siege of which lasted a year. In the face of a lack of ammunition, food and other resources, the Russian command managed to establish the defense of the city, to build fortifications in a short time (initially there were almost none on land). Meanwhile, the forces of the Western Allies were suffering from disease and daring sorties by the defenders of Sevastopol. As the participants in the negotiations later noted, the signing of the Peace of Paris took place with the invisible participation of Admiral Nakhimov, who died heroically during the defense of the city.
Peace conditions
Ultimately, Russia suffered a military defeat in the Crimean War. In 1855, during the defense of Sevastopol, Emperor Nicholas I died, and Alexander II inherited the throne. It was clear to the new autocrat that the fighting, despite the brilliant successes in the Asian theater, was developing unfavorably for Russia. The death of Kornilov and Nakhimov actually beheaded the command, further holding the city became problematic. In 1856, Sevastopol was occupied by the troops of the Western coalition. The leaders of Britain, France and Turkey drew up a draft agreement consisting of four points, which was accepted by Alexander II. The treaty itself, called the "Paris Peace", was signed on 30March 1856. It should be noted that the victorious countries, exhausted by a long military campaign, very costly and bloody, took care of the acceptability of his points for Russia. This was facilitated by the victorious actions of our army in the Asian theater, in particular, the successful assault on the fortress of Kare. The conditions of the Peace of Paris primarily affected relations with Turkey, which undertook to ensure the rights of the Christian population on its territory, the neutrality of the Black Sea area, the retreat in its favor of two hundred square miles of territory and the inviolability of its borders.
Peaceful Black Sea
At first glance, the just demand for the demilitarization of the Black Sea coast in order to avoid further conflicts between countries actually contributed to the strengthening of Turkey's position in the region, since the Ottoman Empire reserved the right to have fleets in the Mediterranean and Marmara seas. The peace of Paris also included an annex (convention) concerning the straits through which foreign warships could not pass in time of peace.
End of Paris Peace terms
Any military defeat leads to limited opportunities for the defeated side. The Peace of Paris changed the balance of power in Europe for a long time, which had developed after the signing of the Vienna Treaty (1815), and not in favor of Russia. The war as a whole revealed many shortcomings and vices in the organization of army and navy construction, which prompted the Russian leadership to carry out a number of reforms. Afterthe next, this time victorious, Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), all restrictions on sovereignty and territorial losses were leveled. Thus ended the Treaty of Paris. The year 1878 was the date of the signing of the Berlin Treaty, which restored Russia's regional dominance in the Black Sea.
