Foreign Policy
1856-1870
Foreign Policy
1892-1905






Russian Foreign Policy, 1881-1894



A.) Alliances

The Three Emperors' League was renewed in 1881. In 1887 Germany and Russia signed a secret REINSURANCE TREATY, on mutual defense in case of one of them being attacked (the Russians expecting such an attack from Austria or/and Britain). Russia was unaware that Germany had a similar treaty with Austria-Hungary.


B.) The Caucasus, Central Asia and the Far East

In 1884 the Russians established themselves in MERV, in 1885 in the Pamir Region - acts of military conquests. Resistance, as in form of the BUKHARAN REBELLION 1870, was quickly suppressed. Bukhara and Khiva retained their status as Emirate resp. Khanate until 1920.
In 1881 the Russians gave up the ILI TERRITORY (they had held since 1871); it reverted to Chinese rule.
Britain was very concerned about Russian territorial expansion in Central Asia, as it regarded it a threat to British India. Russia and Britain vied for influence in the remaining independent regions separating them - Persia, Afghanistan, China.
In 1885 a rumour spread of the Korean king having granted the Russians PORT LAZAREFF - allegedly a port on Korea's east coast. The British proceeded to occupy Komundo (which they called PORT HAMILTON), a natural island harbour off Korea's southern coast. With the rumour proven wrong and under international pressure, the British witthdrew in 1887.







EXTERNAL
FILES 		Great Power Politics, by G. Rempel
Article Turkestan, from Catholic Encyclopedia 1912 edition
DOCUMENTS The Reinsurance Treaty of June 18th 1887, from BYU
The Three Emperors' League, June 18th 1881, from BYU and from the Avalon Project
On Russian concerns of a Chinese military buildup in Manchuria, from New York Times Jan. 31st 1890
REFERENCE


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on October 22nd 1890

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