Empire Rising: Spain

While primary education in Spain is in full swing, the Balkan Peninsula is engulfed in the smoke of war, covering all the nations living on this land.

Regarding the chaos and decline within the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Government holds a gloating attitude. Russia even provides strong diplomatic support to several Ottoman Empire vassal states, including Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro, encouraging them to resist the Ottoman rule.

In this context, the treaty signed by various countries regarding the situation on the Balkan Peninsula following the last Russian-Turkish War, the Crimean War, must be mentioned.

One specific clause required the Ottoman Empire to implement partial reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including granting religious freedom to the people in these regions, reducing taxes, and conducting tax system reforms.

The then-Ottoman government expressed agreement and willingness to implement relevant reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, this good situation was short-lived. After the Crimean War ended, the Ottoman Empire showed no signs of reform and instead brutally suppressed the uprisings and rebellions of various Balkan nations.

This exacerbated the hatred between the Balkan nations and the Ottoman Empire and also provided an opportunity for the European Powers, led by Russia, to intervene in the Balkan Peninsula’s situation.

Under the vigorous support and call of Russia, many countries and nations in the Balkan Peninsula united, expressing dissatisfaction with the Ottoman Empire and joining the armed rebellion.

Currently, aside from the Kingdom of Greece, all other countries on the Balkan Peninsula are vassal states of the Ottoman Empire. No single vassal state poses a threat to the Ottoman Empire, but if all the vassal states unite, supported by the Russians behind the scenes, it becomes a considerable threat to the Ottoman Empire.

By early July, the armed rebellion between the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan nations had entered a stalemate.

The Ottoman Empire had advanced weaponry from the United Kingdom and Austria-Hungary, while the rebels were equipped with no less by the supplies from Russia.

The Ottoman Empire had no tolerance for these rebellions among the Balkan nations and had only one way to deal with these insurgents: use military force for brutal suppression.

In just one month in July, the Ottoman Empire had mobilized its troops several times to suppress the Balkan nations’ rebellion, eliminating rebel forces numbering in the hundreds and involving over a thousand people who faced long imprisonment.

Despite its corruption, the Ottoman Empire was backed by two traditional European powers—Austria-Hungary and the British Empire—maintaining a significant lead in weaponry.

Even though the Balkan nations were actively engaging in rebellious against the oppressive rule of the Ottoman Empire, they still could not pose a major threat to it.

As long as the powerful Russian Empire did not directly intervene, the current situation on the Balkan Peninsula remained acceptable for the Ottoman Empire.

This was a concern for other European powers, including Austria-Hungary and the United Kingdom: would the Russians intervene directly and participate in this conflict that had attracted Europe’s attention?

While the question of participation was a serious consideration for other European countries, for Tsarist Russia, the answer had long been determined.

There were two major conflicts between Russia and the European powers: one with Austria-Hungary concerning the Balkan Peninsula and another with the United Kingdom concerning Central Asia and East Asia.

These conflicts also related to another major flaw of Russia: although vast in territory, it lacked natural ice-free ports.

Russia’s three main seaports currently opened to the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Sea of Japan.

The Sea of Japan in the Far East was of no help in Russia’s European arrangements. Under this circumstance, Russia’s Baltic and Black Sea ports became particularly significant.

However, accessing these two ports posed a blockade risk by enemies. To reach the Atlantic Ocean from the Baltic Sea, Russia must traverse the straits controlled by Denmark and pass through the North Sea controlled by the United Kingdom.

To enter the Indian Ocean or Mediterranean from the Black Sea, passing through the Constantinople Strait controlled by the Ottoman Empire was necessary.

Resolving the Baltic Sea port issue was impossible, given the numerous neighboring countries, including Germany, one of the five traditional European powers.

Even if the Baltic Sea was controlled, beyond its western limits lay British-dominated waters where the Royal Navy could still blockade it.

In this situation, the relatively weaker Ottoman Empire became Tsarist Russia’s only choice for expanding seaport access, leading to the repeated outbreak of Russian-Turkish Wars.

For Alexander II, this was an unmissable opportunity, the best chance for Russia to extend its reach into the Balkan Peninsula and seek control over the Strait of Constantinople.

Speaking of Alexander II, his promotion of the abolition of serfdom reform had a significant impact on Russia. However, his reforms were not thorough, and Russia essentially remained a decaying empire, merely granted a temporary extension.