Britain’s Russian and Caucasus policy followed a different course before
and during the First World War. Undoubtedly, during these political seesaws,
British colonialism in India and interests in the Persian Gulf played an
important role. As it is known, from the 18th century towards
the end of 19th century, Britain supported the Ottoman Empire
against Russia for about a hundred years, but she abandoned this policy when
Germany emerged as a new power and had close relations with Istanbul.
At the beginning of the twentieth century,
increasing German influence on the Ottoman Empire carried Britain to a destiny union
with Russia, once inexplicable her enemy, even to make a secret deal that
shared the Ottoman geography, ranging from the Bosphorus to the Caucasus, from
the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. However, deciphering this agreement by
the Bolsheviks who took over the administration in Russia in October 1917, and
Russia’s withdrawal from the war turned this state into an enemy state from the
allied one. The signing of Mondros Armistice by the Ottoman Empire gave Britain
the opportunity to open up to the Caucasus geography and to control the region
by using various elements there. The purpose of the Britain was to establish a
security zone for the Middle East and India, starting from the Black Sea and
taking control of the line extending from the Caucasus to the Caspian Sea, Iran
and Afghanistan. The political structure in the Caucasus against the Bolsheviks
and Turks was of great importance for the purpose of the UK.
İngiltere’nin Rusya ve Kafkasya
politikası Birinci Dünya Savaşı öncesi ve savaş sürecinde farklı bir seyir
izlemiştir. Şüphesiz bu politik iniş çıkışlarda İngiltere’nin Hindistan
sömürgesi ve Basra Körfezi’ndeki çıkarları önemli rol oynamıştır. Bilindiği
üzere İngiltere XVIII. yüzyıl sonundan XIX. yüzyıl sonuna kadar yaklaşık yüz
yıl Osmanlı Devleti’ni Rusya’ya karşı desteklemiş, ancak Almanya’nın yeni bir
güç olarak ortaya çıkması ve İstanbul ile yakın ilişkiler içerisine girmesi
üzerine bu politikasından vazgeçmiştir.
Bölüm | Araştırma Makalesi |
---|---|
Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 19 Kasım 2017 |
Gönderilme Tarihi | 19 Kasım 2017 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2017 Cilt: 2 |
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