Treaty of San Stefano

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Treaty of San Stefano, treaty signed by Russia and Turkey on March 3, 1878, at the Turkish village of San Stefano (present-day Yeşilköy), which brought to a conclusion the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. By the terms of the treaty the independence of Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, and Bulgaria was recognized, and Russia obtained the right to occupy Bulgaria for two years. In addition, Turkey was to surrender the Ardahan, Kars, Batum, and Bayazid areas to Russia and pay a large indemnity. These territorial gains by Russia caused alarm to other nations, and a congress was called at which the Treaty of San Stefano was replaced by the more moderate Treaty of Berlin, signed on July 13, 1878(Berlin, Congress of).

San Stefano, Treaty of

San Stefano, Treaty of (săn stef'unō) [key], 1878, peace treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, at the conclusion of the last of the Russo-Turkish Wars; it was signed at San Stefano (now Yeşilköy), a village W of Istanbul, Turkey. The Ottomans ceded to Russia parts of Armenia and the Dobruja; agreed to pay a very large indemnity; recognized the independence of Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro; and increased the territories of Serbia and Montenegro. Bulgaria was made an autonomous principality and was immensely enlarged, and the Ottoman Empire promised reforms for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because the treaty modified the Treaty of Paris of 1856 (see Paris, Congress of) and greatly increased Russian influence in SE Europe, the other great powers obtained its revision at an international conference (see Berlin, Congress of).

San Stefano, Treaty of (săn stĕf`ənō), 1878, peace treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, at the conclusion of the last of the Russo-Turkish Wars Russo-Turkish Wars. The great eastward expansion of Russia in the 16th and 17th cent., during the decline of the Ottoman Empire, nevertheless left the shores of the Black Sea in the hands of the Ottoman sultans and their vassals, the khans of Crimea .
..... Click the link for more information. ; it was signed at San Stefano (now Yeşilköy), a village W of Istanbul, Turkey. The Ottomans ceded to Russia parts of Armenia and the Dobruja Dobruja (dō`br jə, dô`–), Rom. Dobrogea, Bulg.
..... Click the link for more information. ; agreed to pay a very large indemnity; recognized the independence of Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro; and increased the territories of Serbia and Montenegro. Bulgaria was made an autonomous principality and was immensely enlarged, and the Ottoman Empire promised reforms for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because the treaty modified the Treaty of Paris of 1856 (see Paris, Congress of Paris, Congress of, 1856, conference held by representatives of France, Great Britain, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), Sardinia, Russia, Austria, and Prussia to negotiate the peace after the Crimean War . In the Treaty of Paris (Mar.
..... Click the link for more information. ) and greatly increased Russian influence in SE Europe, the other great powers obtained its revision at an international conference (see Berlin, Congress of Berlin, Congress of, 1878, called by the signers of the Treaty of Paris of 1856 (see Paris, Congress of ) to reconsider the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano , which Russia had forced on the Ottoman Empire earlier in 1878.
..... Click the link for more information. ).

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Treaty of San Stefano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Preliminary Treaty of San Stefano was a treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78. It was signed on March 3, 1878 at San Stefano (Greek: 'Αγιος Στέφανος, Agios Stefanos, now Yeşilköy), a village west of Istanbul, by Count Nicholas Pavlovich Ignatiev and Alexander Nelidov on behalf of the Russian Empire and Foreign Minister Safvet Pasha and Ambassador to Germany Sadullah Bey on behalf of the Ottoman Empire.

The treaty also established Bulgaria as an autonomous principality. March 3, the day the Treaty of San Stefano was signed, is celebrated as Liberation Day in Bulgaria.

On Bulgaria

The treaty set up an autonomous self-governing tributary principality Bulgaria with a Christian government and the right to keep an army. Its territory included the plain between the Danube and the Balkan mountain range (Stara Planina), the region of Sofia, Pirot and Vranje in the Morava valley, Northern Thrace, parts of Eastern Thrace and nearly all of Macedonia (Article 6).

A prince elected by the people, approved by the Sublime Porte and recognized by the Great Powers was to take the helm of the country and a council of noblemen was to draft a Constitution (Article 7). The Ottoman troops were to pull out of Bulgaria, while the Russian military occupation was to continue for two more years (Article 8).

On Serbia, Montenegro and Romania

Under the Treaty, Montenegro more than doubled its territory with former Ottoman areas, including Nikšić, Podgorica and Antivari (Article 1), and the Ottoman Empire recognized its independence (Article 2).

Serbia annexed the Moravian cities of Niš and Leskovac and became independent (Article 3).

The Porte recognized the independence of Romania (Article 5).

On Russia and the Ottoman Empire

The Treaty was signed in this house of the Simeonoglou family in Yeşilköy.

In exchange for the war reparations, the Porte ceded Armenian and Georgian territories in the Caucasus to Russia, including Ardahan, Artvin, Batum, Kars, Olti, and Beyazit. Additionally, it ceded Northern Dobruja, which Russia handed to Romania in exchange for Southern Bessarabia (Article 19).

The Ottoman Empire promised reforms for Bosnia and Herzegovina (Article 14), Crete, Epirus and Thessaly (Article 15).

The Straits — the Bosporus and the Dardanelles — were declared open to all neutral ships in war and peacetime (Article 24).

Reaction

The Great Powers were unhappy with this extension of Russian power, and Serbia and Greece feared the establishment of Greater Bulgaria would harm their interests in the Ottoman heritage. This prompted the Great Powers to obtain a revision of this treaty through the Treaty of Berlin, 1878.

Romania, which had contributed significantly to the victory in the war, was extremely disappointed by the treaty, and the Romanian public perceived some its stipulations as Russia breaking the Russo-Romanian prewar treaties that guaranteed the integrity of Romanian territory.

Austria-Hungary was disappointed with the treaty as she failed to expand her influence in Bosnia-Herzegovinia.

Congress of Berlin

Congress of Berlin, assembly of representatives of Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire that met in Berlin from June 13 to July 13, 1878, to revise the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano, which had concluded the Russo-Turkish War in March 1878. After winning the war, Russia by this treaty had imposed extremely severe terms on the Ottoman Empire. Other European powers, notably Austria-Hungary and Britain, were alarmed at the growth of the power of Russia and of the independent states created in the Balkans by the treaty; concerned for their own interests in the Middle East, they insisted that the treaty be modified. Count Gyula Andrássy, foreign minister of Austria-Hungary, invited the European powers concerned to meet at Berlin. Prince Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of the German Empire, presided over the congress.

At the congress the Treaty of San Stefano was virtually abrogated, and the Treaty of Berlin was drawn up, with conditions much less favorable to Russia. The new treaty reaffirmed the principle that the status of the Ottoman Empire was to be decided by the powers jointly and not unilaterally by any one of them. It also reaffirmed the principle of nationalism for the Balkan peoples. Serbia and Montenegro were made independent of the Ottoman Empire, although the territory granted them by the Treaty of San Stefano was considerably reduced. Bulgaria was divided into three parts, and two of these were placed under Ottoman control. Romania gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire, but Russia acquired the southern Bessarabian region of Romania, for which Romania was compensated with the Dobruja, a former Ottoman region. Russia also received the territories of Batum (now Bat’umi), Kars, and Ardahan. The two Ottoman provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina were mandated to Austria-Hungary.

As a result of the Treaty of Berlin, the Ottoman Empire lost most of its European territory, Russian influence was reduced in the Middle East, and the power of Austria-Hungary and Britain was increased. The Balkan countries and Russia were not satisfied with what they had obtained by the treaty. The tensions thus created in the Balkans and the Middle East caused strife there and were among the causes of World War I.