The Reasons why the Balkans were Crucial for Russian Expansi
The Balkan area consists of the modern day countries of Greece, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, and other small nations that border the Black Sea. This area has prominently shaped European history in the nineteenth century and has been one of the topics in major conflicts such as World War I in the early twentieth century. The Balkans were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the “Old Man” of Europe, which was declining from power. The interest of expansionism of major European powers such as Russia, Great Britain, and France was a probable cause of the decline of the Ottoman Empire. These nations struggled for influence in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to secure trade routes to Asia and Arabic States where goods, such as tea, gold, and spices, were abundant. Furthermore, the Balkans supported the strategic waterways of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles which allowed faster transportation of goods from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The Balkan area was crucial for Russian expansionism in order to gain power in Europe. According to the Russian foreign policy, expansion into the Balkans was important for Pan-Slavism, the idea of uniting all Slavic people of the Orthodox Christian religion. Furthermore,
be moved causing the preservation of food to be difficult. If there are strained relationships between countries, then passage through that area may not an option, therefore, other trade routes must be found, or trade must stop. This can be seen through the Continental System started by Napoleon Bonaparte in order to deprive Great Britain economically by hindering their trading possibilities. British ships were not allowed to dock at any European port so no importing and more importantly in Russia’s case no exporting was allowed. The Continental System greatly hurt the Russian economy, as Britain was one of the main countries to whom they exported to and as a result, grain surpluses occurred which lowered the price of the goods. Eventually, Russia had to pull out of the system. The Continental System showed how imperative relations between countries are when discussing the economy. If Russia had the Balkans under its control, they would be able to seize control over trade in that area by regulating which countries can use the straits. Other countries would not want to lose their privilege of passage; therefore, Russia would have the upper hand in bargaining any issues. Once Russia has power over Constantinople, then all trading between European countries and Asia could be monitored. Furthermore, Russia’s own trade with Asia could be made more easily. Gaining the Balkans would put Russia in a situation of advantage, as other nations would come to agreements in the favour of Russia so that they will not offend the country. By broadening Russia’s borders, a larger market for goods will be available. There will also be a larger working class and more natural resources which would allow the economy to grow. In conclusion, Russian expansionism was an integral part of her foreign policy which was revised in 1828 under Nicholas I. Through the foreign policy, the ideas of autocracy, Orthodoxy, and nationality were stressed which provided a justification for expanding. The Balkans were extremely important in Russian expansionism in the nineteenth century as it encouraged the reunification of Slavic people and Orthodox Christians. Through Pan-Slavism, nationalism was created and support from the citizens of Russia was given to the Tsar. Russia was being ruled with Christian policies which encouraged religious people to have faith in their government. The economic possibilities in the Balkans was another reason for Russia’s interest in that area. The significant the Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles, and Bosphorous straits which the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea would be link Russia to Western Europe. Furthermore, having control over those straits would allow Russia to have a political advantage. Although Russia has not succeeded in conquering the Balkans, it is possible to see the range of benefits for the country in retrospective. The Pan-Slavist Image of Russian Expansionism and the Balkans The citizens of Russia supported the idea of Pan-Slavism. They believed that uniting all the Slavic people who had been displaced was an honourable deed instead of seeing expansionism as invading other lands. They justified Balkan imperialism with Slavs would have a better life under their own government. Furthermore, the public wanted to preserve Orthodoxy so uniting all Orthodox nations seemed feasible. The need for a strong church was met with favour for expansionism. Alexander Herzen, one of Russia’s authors of the nineteenth century, once said, “It was Russia, said to be the greatest Slavic nation, that was destined to assume the leadership of all Slavic peoples”. Herzen’s ideas represent the average Russian citizen’s view to expansionism into the Balkans.
Some topics in this essay:
Balkans Russia,
Black Sea,
Orthodox Christians,
Western European,
Furthermore Russian,
Foreign Policy,
Empire Piedmont-Sardinia,
Napoleon Bonaparte,
Ottoman Empire,
Russia Balkans,
foreign policy,
ottoman empire,
russian expansionism,
black sea,
mediterranean sea,
slavic people,
britain france,
trade routes,
nineteenth century,
balkans russia,
sea mediterranean sea,
slavic people orthodox,
black sea mediterranean,
powers russia britain,
russia britain france,
Join now to see the rest of the essay!
Approximate Word count = 2499
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
Example Essays Home
