British Evolution Of The Policy Of The Turkish Straits

This dissertation is focusing on the British policy toward the Turkish Straits to provide an explanation of the policy origins and changes which occurred; an analysis of why they occurred and how they related to the defense of British India; the balance of Power in Europe; and other foreign policy issues. The Straits question was mainly an Anglo-Russian problem created by the conflict between Russia抯 desire to secure a Black Sea exit into the Mediterranean and Britain抯 desire to protect her Mediterranean communications to India. The British Straits?policy, formed in the 1840抯, included two important points. First, Britain maintained that the preservation of the Ottoman Empire was key to checking ffuther Russian expansion; second, the Ottoman Empire held sovereignty of the straits of Bosphonis and Dardanelles, and closed the two Straits to foreign warships while the Porte was at peace. After the 1 870s, Britain抯 hegemony in the world was challenged by the other European powers, not only by Germany which was growing rapidly, but also by France and Russia which were appearing more avarice to expand than before. In order to prevent an alliance that would hurt the British Empire抯 interests, Britain came to realize that the traditional Strait policy would need to be modified. However, the Convention of Strait among Britain, France and Russia hadn抰 been signed until the First World War broke out. Another point, which must be emphasized by way of background, is that the Straits question during the period of this study was an integral part of a larger European problem: 搕he Eastern Question? Concessions to modify contro! of the Straits to the advantage of one power would require teffitorial compensations to other powers, so as to maintain the European equilibrium and the Balance of power in the Near East. This was fortunate for British foreign policy. In the nineteenth century it probably served to insure retention of Ottoman control over the Straits, and in the twentieth century it enabled the British to use concession on the Straits?question to obtain more vital foreign policy objectives in Central Asia and Asia Minor relating to the defense of India.