Към историята на Будапещенската конвенция от 1877 г.: нови архивни материали
The History of the Budapest Convention of 1877: New Archival Materials

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the diplomatic background of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 -1878 and in particular, it comments on the negotiations between the Russian and Austro-Hungarian diplomacy on the eve of the Istanbul Ambassadors' conference and after. New documents are introduced and analyzed, mainly from the correspondence between the Russian ambassador in Vienna E. P. Novikov and Russian Foreign Minister A. M. Gorchakov, stored in the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire. Examined against this background, is the consistent position of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, represented in the negotiations by Count. D. Andrassy, and the clearly stated ambitions and objectives of the Russian Emperor Alexander II. Newly discovered documents categorically debunk myths about the Russo-Turkish war, with regards to the passivity and indecisiveness of the Russian Emperor during the Eastern crisis, as well as the selfless Russian defense of the interests of Balkan Slavs, represented mainly by the Serbs and Bulgarians. The materials also rebut the allegation of serious diplomatic concessions to Austria-Hungary. The paper clearly illustrates that within the senior management of the Russian Empire, there had been a clear understanding and a well-defined pursuit of the goals and interests of their own country, as well as a strong will and consistency in their implementation, irrespective of the hopes and claims of Turkish Christians.

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