Abstract
: Tsarist Russia made every effort and dedication for a long time, in order to prepare its people and its military forces, and adopted a strategy through which it would be able to form a large state on the European continent and the world. Its first action was expansion at the expense of neighboring countries, including the sprawling Ottoman Empire. This was the beginning of a long conflict between the two parties. A number of European countries contributed to fueling it, including: France, Britain, and Austria. The interests of these countries were the competing factor between them, by playing on the religious minorities and the nature of their treatment within the states of the Ottoman Empire. Thus, these countries played a major role in the course of Russian-Ottoman relations. Especially during the period between the years (1801-1807 AD), when the visions of the European countries conflicted at the beginning of the nineteenth century AD regarding the fate of the Ottoman Empire, each country had its own vision of that according to its interests. The research reached several results, including: 1- The course of Russian-Ottoman relations between the years (1801-1807 AD) was controlled by the supreme interests of the two countries and the international circumstances surrounding them, as most European countries contributed to fueling that conflict and increasing the problems between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, in accordance with their policies and interests. 2- The scale of interests and the ferocity of competition between European countries, especially after the emergence of France as an influential international party at the beginning of the nineteenth century, had a significant impact on encouraging hostile relations between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, and the attempt of each European country to provide support and aid according to its interests to this party at the expense of On the other hand, France carried out vital work in the events of the Russian-Ottoman conflict through its valuable relations with the Ottoman Empire and developments in the international situation. 3- What helped to continue the Russian-Ottoman conflict was Russia’s policy of incitement Christian peoples under the control of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan and Caucasus regions, thus increasing the severity of the problems with the aim of weakening the Ottomans’ control over those regions. 4- The wars of the Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, and his victories on the European continent contributed to the division of European countries in their struggle against the Ottoman Empire, and another section sided with the Ottomans, depending on the interests of each country and the extent to which it benefited from using international events to serve its colonial goals. 5- Most of the wars that the Ottoman Empire fought against Russia were instigated by European countries or on their behalf, thanks to the great incitement that those European countries practiced against the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, these continuous wars that Russia fought against the Ottoman Empire were at the end of Russia’s expansion over The account of the Ottomans, despite the material and human losses that the two countries were exposed to, especially the Ottoman Empire, which was subjected to the burden of those wars due to the lack of clarity in the vision of its politicians and their failure to develop strategic plans at the political, administrative, and economic levels to protect the borders of their state, especially from external dangers. This was in the service of Russia and its interests along the fields of conflict. 6- Russia’s persistence in its expansionist ambitions towards the Ottoman Empire is what made Russian-Ottoman relations along their path hostile. The Russian side bears great responsibility for this through the insistence of Russia’s leaders and the steadfastness of their policy towards the Ottoman Empire, occupying its possessions and controlling its sea lanes, and promising Russia itself the heir. The legitimacy of the Ottoman Empire. 7- The Ottoman Empire did not assume at the beginning of its relations with Russia that the latter would be its equal due to the great potential that influenced the course of events in the common points between the two countries, especially since the Ottoman Empire was anticipating the most prominent European power at that time, namely Austria, Hungary, Britain, and France, and it did not realize in its mind that Russia will be a rival to it in the future, and the hostile outlook of the Russian leaders constituted a point and a serious setback for the Ottoman policy in building an advanced military strategy, as the Russian politicians found, after extensive study and gathering of information about the Ottoman Empire, that it represented the point from which Russia could move towards warm waters and exit. Because of its stifling isolation, Russia is always looking for the appropriate opportunity to strengthen its presence in the region. It was prepared to wage a continuous war in order to achieve gain in the region at the expense of the Ottoman Empire. The research relied on a variety of sources directly related to its subject, including Ottoman, Russian, and other sources.
