TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Treaty · 1841
In the London Straits Convention concluded on 13 July 1841 between the Great Powers of Europe at the time—Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Austria and Prussia—the "ancient rule" of the Ottoman Empire was re-established by closing the Turkish Straits (the Bosporus and Dardanelles), which link the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, from all warships whatsoever, barring those of the Sultan's allies during wartime. It thus benefited British naval power at the expense of Russia as the latter lacked direct access for its navy to the Mediterranean. The treaty is one in a series dealing with access to the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles.
From the British point of view, this convention helped preserve the European balance of power by preventing Russia's newly powerful navy from dominating the Mediterranean. From the Russian point of view, the treaty encouraged the aggressive policies of Britain in the region, which would lead to the Crimean War. Different interpretations, as well as history of British-Russian relations in the 1840s, suggest that the Straits Convention 'appeared to establish a new era of harmony' between both powers, keeping Russian navy out of the Mediterranean and British out of the Black Sea.
Took place during the reign of Abdulmejid I (1839–1861). Abdulmejid I
Open the reign of Abdulmejid I on the mapText: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.