Pan slavinism

What if Russia annex Bolgura in 1878. And maybe Serbia and Bosnia.

Russia in 1878 cannot just annex Bulgaria, let alone all South Slavic lands under Ottoman Control. That is the whole reason why Bulgaria was created. Even Greater Bulgaria was not tolerated.

Expect a lot of angry natives and Great Powers if they did try it.
 
But if they do what is consequence? War whit Australia? And who else? What if Russia beat Australia and turkey and allies say by 1880-1882. And even take Austrian part of Poland and maybe Czechoslovakia.
 
But if they do what is consequence? War whit Australia? And who else? What if Russia beat Australia and turkey and allies say by 1880-1882. And even take Austrian part of Poland and maybe Czechoslovakia.
Russia would be diplomatically isolated (pretty much was in OTL) and its financial conditions did not allow to go into a new major war. Germany was not supportive after Alexander interfered on French behalf, France was not going to fight for the Russian interests and there is no need to explain British position (actually, a fear of the Russian Black Sea fleet dominating the Eastern Med warranted medical attention because Russia simply did not have Black Sea fleet at that time).
Not a very good situation for being excessively aggressive. BTW, why would Russia want Bulgaria.
 
Russia would be diplomatically isolated (pretty much was in OTL) and its financial conditions did not allow to go into a new major war. Germany was not supportive after Alexander interfered on French behalf, France was not going to fight for the Russian interests and there is no need to explain British position (actually, a fear of the Russian Black Sea fleet dominating the Eastern Med warranted medical attention because Russia simply did not have Black Sea fleet at that time).
Not a very good situation for being excessively aggressive. BTW, why would Russia want Bulgaria.
Russia did always harbor ambitions for capturing Constantinople, but by the 1880s, Russia was in a significant amount of upheaval.
 
Russia did always harbor ambitions for capturing Constantinople, but by the 1880s, Russia was in a significant amount of upheaval.

AFAIK, annexation of Bulgaria was not in the plans of this war and while Istanbul was considered as a viable military target, its permanent occupation was not a goal. It was simply impractical.
 
Ambitions are just ambitions, they were never in any real position to even make a half-assed attempt on Constantinople. Especially not in 1878 or later as the OP was suggesting. At best, they could help the Bulgarians liberate themselves and have them as an allied buffer/client state, but that's about it.
 
Ambitions are just ambitions, they were never in any real position to even make a half-assed attempt on Constantinople. Especially not in 1878 or later as the OP was suggesting. At best, they could help the Bulgarians liberate themselves and have them as an allied buffer/client state, but that's about it.
There is a difference between plans to annex it permanently (as was planned at least once in the XVIII) and to capture it as a way to force Ottomans to ask for a peace as almost happened twice in the XIX: both times the Ottomans sued for peace when Russians reached Adrianople, which means that purely military approach was valid.
 
There is a difference between plans to annex it permanently (as was planned at least once in the XVIII) and to capture it as a way to force Ottomans to ask for a peace as almost happened twice in the XIX: both times the Ottomans sued for peace when Russians reached Adrianople, which means that purely military approach was valid.

Right, but even then, they had to give up a lot of their gains because the other Great Powers intervened. That's always going to be the case. Russia could defeat Austria-Hungary, but certainly not the other 3 if they refused to give up their gains. Now, if Russia could get Germany to support them, well, we have a new playing field here. But Germany was the one who mediated all their gains back to the Turks.
 
Right, but even then, they had to give up a lot of their gains because the other Great Powers intervened. That's always going to be the case. Russia could defeat Austria-Hungary, but certainly not the other 3 if they refused to give up their gains. Now, if Russia could get Germany to support them, well, we have a new playing field here. But Germany was the one who mediated all their gains back to the Turks.
The whole thing was pathologically stupid because Russian government declared that it does not looking for any territorial gains and goes to war exclusively for honor. On the top of it, AH was promised Bosnia Herzegovina and there was an obligation not to create too big Slavic state and some other nonsense which I don’t remember off the top of my head. So formally Bismark was just asking Russia to stick to its easily forgotten promises. This could be different if few years earlier Alexander did not interfere into the German-French affairs on French side. AFAIK Bismark was extremely pissed off.
 
“This could be different if few years earlier Alexander did not interfere into the German-French affairs on French side. AFAIK Bismark was extremely pissed off.”

Then all I need for storyline earlier pod.
 
Top