Ottoman war on the Danube : state, subject, and soldier (1853-1856)

This study analyzes the Danubian front of the Crimean War, which includes the military activities in the Ottoman Bulgaria, Dobruja and the Principalities. A comparison between Russian and Ottoman military activities in the Balkan theater helps to explain the “Ottoman and Russian War of 1853-1856” separate from the existing Eurocentric literature. This study not only explains the war as a product of interstate politics but also concentrates on the individual participants, both combatants and civilians. Logistics, intelligence activities, and prisoners of war will be focused on in addition to the battles to discuss the Danubian front from a broader perspective. There are three main chapters discussing the Danubian front of the Crimean War: “before the front”, “at the front” and “behind the front”. However, before explaining the battles in particular and the Danubian front in general, the legacy of the Crimean War historiography is reviewed and pre-war diplomacy is re-examined.