The Ottoman Empire suffered from a drastic change in the balance of power in the late eighteenth century in favour of Russia. It was obliged to accept the presence of Russia in the Black Sea, long considered an “Ottoman lake”. Consequently, the security of the Ottoman imperial seat in Istanbul became an issue to be handled independently and institutionally.
This talk will first analyse the Ottomans’ rising awareness of the Russian threat on their northern frontier. Then, it will focus on the fortification of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles in order to help defend Istanbul against a potential Russian attack.
While doing so, the talk will bring various actors together, such as Ottoman administrators, French engineers and spies for Russia, and show how tension and cooperation between them shaped the Ottoman military architecture and technology at the turn of the nineteenth century.
Dr Hümeyra Bostan-Berber is Assistant Professor at Marmara University, Institute of Turkology Studies, and College Research Associate at Wolfson.
Refreshments available from 5:45pm. Talk kicks off at 6pm. All welcome.
For Zoom, please register online here.
The Humanities Society organises regular talks on a Tuesday evening during term time. Visit their webpage for more info.
