What if the Ottomans attacked Bulgaria in 1885 along with Serbia?

Well, intervening on the side of the Serbs does seem like it would drive a wedge between the Austrians and the Russians, possibly killing the League of the Three Emperors early. What would Germany have to say about this, however? IOTL, they obviously retained their Austrian alliance, and if that same course of action was followed here, that would also put them on the same side as the Turks. I'm guessing this would result in multilateral arbitration rather than an escalating war, since that's how these things usually ended up at this time.

In Britain, Salisbury has replaced Gladstone as PM by this time, and while he wasn't as Turkophobic as Gladstone, he still didn't favor them quite as much as Disraeli had. Might not take too kindly to their act of aggression, but would also want to balance their interests against the Russians. A lot might depend on what the situation on the ground is by the time everyone agrees to stop fighting.

Act of agression? Bulgaria is currently trying to take control of East Rumelia; a province under Ottoman control due to the Great Powers deciding it should be so at Berlin and that the situation in the Balkans ought not be changed without broad international consent. Any Ottoman action could be easily spun as defensive and, in the Powers want to keep dangerious preceidents out of international law in how to deal with substates/autonimous regions unilaterally expanding their bounderies would likely do so if the Turks both protest and back it up with effective action.
 
Quite unlikely. Both Russia and Britain were strongly advising the Ottomans against interfering. But if the Ottomans actually intervened, this would be the perfect opportunity for Russia to invade the Ottoman Empire again. Which apart from getting possibly additional territory from the Ottomans, has the benefit of establishing Russian control over Bulgaria.


You seem to have forgotten the Berlin treaty. Also the Ottomans gained part of Greece in 1897. The Ottoman suppression of the first Serbian uprising also arguably counts.
And there is of course the Ottomans regaining territory lost by the Austrians and Venetians in the 18th century. Really, the only time the Ottomans gained some territory and were not allowed to keep it was the 1897 war with Greece and they still received some territory in the peace treaty.


What does the Soviet anthem has to do with the Russian Empire?

It was supposed to be a funny meme. Now it's ruined.
 

raharris1973

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The Ottomans never finished the war holding more territory than when the war or crisis du jour had begun, in the 19th century.

Usually they lost territory, or were recognized as formally sovereign, but with European supervision of one sort or another leaving them less sovereign than before the war/crisis/rebellion.
 
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