ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

**Russian-Turkish War (1787-1792)**
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**Causes of the Conflict**

The seventh Russian-Turkish war took place from 1787 to 1792, opposing the Russian Empire and Austria to the Ottoman Empire. The conflict was sparked by the expansionist policies of Empress Catherine II, who sought to expel the Turks from Europe and rebuild the Byzantine Empire.

Under the influence of her former favorite, Grigori Potemkin, Catherine envisioned an extension of her empire southward. She aimed to establish a new empire with Constantinople as its capital, encompassing Greece, Thrace, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. The Danubian principalities would form a "kingdom of Dacia", promised to Potemkin, while the rest of the Balkans, including Bosnia, Serbia, and Albania, were intended for Austria as compensation.

**Background**

After the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the Khanate of the Crimean Tatars had emerged as a formally independent entity. Sultan Abdülhamid I (1774-1789) held only religious privileges in his capacity as Caliph (head of the Muslims). In 1780, Joseph II of Austria visited Russia, which may have contributed to the subsequent alliance between the two empires.

**Annexation of Crimea and the War**

The annexation of Crimea by Catherine II was a key factor leading to the outbreak of hostilities with the Ottoman Empire. The Russian Empress imposed much of the war burden on her ally, Emperor Joseph II of the Holy Roman Empire, who initially engaged in overly defensive warfare, resulting in heavy losses.

However, as the armies of the allied imperial courts operated more successfully, Catherine's goal of destroying the Ottoman Empire proved unrealistic. Austria was eventually forced to withdraw from the war and return its conquests due to pressure from Prussia.

**Connection with the Russian-Swedish War**

The Russian-Austrian Turkish War was connected with the Russian-Swedish War (1788-1790), which further strained the resources of the Russian Empire.

**Outcome**

Despite initial successes, the war ultimately ended in defeat for the Russian-Austrian alliance. The Ottoman Empire managed to maintain its territories, and Austria was forced to withdraw from the conflict.