When Diplomacy Fails Presents

Britain goes to war

An in-depth examination of the British Empire from the closing stages of the Victorian

era to the opening phases of the First World War and beyond.

Section 2

Background

Part A

The Golden Age

Chapter 14

A lot was writing on the ability of statesmen to resolve the eastern crisis

as they met in Constantinople

in late December, 1876. Representatives from all the interested parties, Britain, France, Italy, Russia,

Germany and Austria, had all gathered in what was viewed by some as the last chance for peace.

The Ottomans continued to battle their Balkan minorities and proxy wars, despite the limited

ceasefires that had been arranged, while the Russians ranged from openly belligerent to passively

aggressive, over the issue of the Balkan states, a status which was manipulated by the

arguments of the Pan-Slavists. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli feared above all that the Russian end goal

remained the defeat of the Ottomans, the occupation of their territory, and the conquering

of the eternal city of Constantinople. To prevent this, Disraeli had for years maintained

the importance of opposing Russia or appeasing

Russia depending on the circumstances.

But he had nearly run out of diplomatic solutions by the time all powers seemed willing to

...