Great Eastern Crisis
A Balkan crisis that reshaped Ottoman and European power.
The Great Eastern Crisis of 1875–1878 was a period of uprisings, wars, and international intervention in the Ottoman Empire's Balkan territories. It began in 1875 with several rebellions and ended with the Treaty of Berlin in July 1878. The crisis is referred to by different names in various languages, such as Velika istočna kriza in Serbo-Croatian and Şark Buhranı in Turkish, reflecting differing sociocultural backgrounds.
- start_year
- 1875
- end_year
- 1878
- field
- International relations, military conflict
- region
- Balkan Peninsula, Ottoman Empire
- key_treaty
- Treaty of Berlin (1878)
- also_known_as
- Velika istočna kriza, Şark Buhranı, 93 Harbi
Lore & Background
The crisis was triggered by a severe economic downturn in the Ottoman Empire. A drought in Anatolia in 1873 and flooding in 1874 caused famine, reducing tax revenues. On 30 October 1875, the Ottoman government declared a sovereign default on its foreign loans, then increased taxes in all provinces, including the Balkans. This sparked outrage and uprisings, leading to the Great Eastern Crisis and the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78). The war resulted in independence or autonomy for several Christian nations in the Balkans, formalized by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878.
Reader's Guide
The Great Eastern Crisis marked a turning point in the decline of Ottoman power in Europe. It led to the de facto loss of Ottoman control over Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Bulgaria, and set the stage for further territorial losses. The crisis also enabled Austria-Hungary to station garrisons in Bosnia and Novi Pazar, and later annex Bosnia in 1908. France occupied Tunisia in 1881, and Britain occupied Egypt in 1882, using the pretext of the Urabi Revolt. The Ottoman Public Debt Administration, established in 1881, gave foreign creditors control over Ottoman state revenues, deepening European influence. The crisis demonstrated how financial mismanagement and nationalist movements could trigger major geopolitical shifts, and its unresolved aspects contributed to later conflicts, including the Balkan Wars and World War I.
Did You Know?
- The Ottoman Empire declared a sovereign default on its foreign loans on 30 October 1875, known in Turkish historiography as Ramazan Kararnamesi.
- The Russo-Turkish War (1877–78) is called 93 Harbi in Turkish, referencing the year 1293 of the Islamic Rumi calendar.
- In 1875, the Ottoman Navy was the third largest in the world, with 21 battleships and 173 warships.
- The Treaty of Berlin in 1878 ended the Great Eastern Crisis and led to Austria-Hungary stationing garrisons in Bosnia and Novi Pazar.
More in Rebellions in the Ottoman Empire 1-24
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