After the 16th century, Russia, starting with Ivan the Terrible and continuing with Peter the Great, pursued a policy of expansion towards the Mediterranean and warm seas. They engaged in a series of wars with their major adversary, the Ottoman Empire. These wars include:
- 1568 Astrakhan Campaign: Ended in a Russian victory.
- 1676 Russo-Ottoman War: Ended in an Ottoman victory.
- 1686 Russo-Ottoman War: Ended in a Russian victory.
- 1711 Pruth War: Ended in an Ottoman victory. The story of Catherine the Great,
- 1735 Russo-Ottoman-Austrian War: Ended in an Ottoman victory.
- 1768-1774 Russo-Turkish War: Ended in a Russian victory.
- 1787 Russo-Ottoman War: Ended in a Russian victory.
- 1806 Russo-Ottoman War: Ultimately, Russians withdrew from Wallachia and Moldavia.
- 1828 Russo-Ottoman War: Ended in a Russian victory.
- 1853 Crimean War: Ended in an Ottoman and allied victory.
- 1877-93 Russo-Turkish War, known as the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78: Ended in a Russian victory.
While the First World War saw Russian success in the Caucasus Front, Russia withdrew due to the revolution.
Throughout these wars, it's evident that Russians consistently viewed the Ottoman Empire as an adversary. They sometimes won with the support of foreign powers, and at other times, they lost when this support waned.
Examining key wars, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Ivan the Terrible, with the aim of unifying Russia, besieged the Crimean and Astrakhan fortresses.
Later, Sokullu Mehmet Pasha entered the war due to concerns over the safety of the Hajj route and the potential for Russian influence in the region. However, the Ottomans were repelled by the Russians. This war was dominated by the idea of implementing the Don-Volga canal project by Sokullu Mehmet Pasha.
Afterward, despite various conflicts such as the burning of the Ottoman navy ordered by the Russian Tsarina, Russia's ambition to access warm seas and their struggle against the Ottoman Empire, whom they referred to as the "sick man," persisted. Western powers did not favor the idea of sidelining the Ottomans, so they aimed to preserve the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire. Hence, in the Crimean War of 1853, they supported the Ottomans, resulting in a victory for the Ottomans and their allies. While the Crimean War ended favorably for the Ottoman Empire, it didn't yield significant gains on the negotiating table in the Russo-Ottoman context.
However, later, with Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Pasha weakening the Ottoman Empire and Russians interfering in Ottoman internal affairs under the pretext of protecting Orthodox rights, Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, known as the Russo-Turkish War of 93, ended against the Ottomans, and the Yeşilköy Treaty was signed just as the Russians were approaching Istanbul.
The War of 93 was a major disaster for the Ottomans. Many states like Romania and Bulgaria gained independence. The Pan-Slavism policy of the Russians was evident in this war. Issues like the Armenian question and the Balkan problem plunged the Ottoman Empire into an almost insurmountable crisis.
Initially appearing calm and pro-Ottoman, the Armenians, with Russian promises of territorial gains, spiraled out of control, leading to the ignition of what would be known as the Armenian Question. The Armenians formed armed groups and began displaying acts of brutality, rebelling against the Ottoman Empire.
Finally, in the First World War, driven by Enver Pasha's Turanian ideals, the Ottoman Empire faced significant military and logistical challenges in the Caucasus Front, leading to an Ottoman defeat. Subsequently, due to the revolution and wartime conditions in Russia, Turkey and Russia reached an agreement.
After the First World War, both the Ottoman Empire and Tsarist Russia dissolved, giving rise to the Republic of Turkey and the USSR. Despite initially appearing as separate poles with occasional tensions, they did not engage in a full-scale war from 1920 onwards.
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