Crimean War

The Crimean War: A History

In 1853, Tsar Nicholas I, exploiting a religious dispute, invaded the two Danubian principalities of present-day Romania. Subsequently, the crumbling Ottoman Empire, struggling to maintain its European influence, Britain, fearing Russian expansion, and French Emperor Napoleon III, eager to restore his former glory, successively declared war on Russia. The 18-month Crimean War inflicted heavy casualties, radically reshaped the European political landscape, and profoundly impacted the modernization of both Russia and Türkiye.
Drawing extensively on documents from Russia, France, Britain, and the Ottoman Empire, Figes comprehensively demonstrates how nationalist sentiments, imperial power struggles, and religious conflicts influenced the involvement of various nations in the war. From kings and ministers, journalists and writers covering the war, to officers and soldiers on the battlefield, and women and children within the besieged city, Figes not only reconstructs the full scope of the war from multiple perspectives, but also offers new insights into the "Eastern Question" of the 19th and 20th centuries, the relationship between Christians and Muslims in the Black Sea region, and the global rift between Russia and the West.
Figes trawls dusty archives in London, Paris, Istanbul, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, exposing the politicians' schemes and showing the horrific human toll of war... This book traces the roots of many modern conflicts.
—Gary Bass, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University “Solidly researched…rich and engaging…Based on a vast array of sources, from government archives to news reports to memoirs to letters home from barely literate soldiers, Figgis brilliantly balances political, military, and social history…The chapters on the war itself are as thrilling as adventure novels… “The Crimean War” is a collection of wars and a celebration of scholarship.
—The Boston Globe
[Figgis] demonstrates a remarkable gift for describing the influence of high-ranking politicians on ordinary people, and clearly illustrates the perverse diplomatic tactics that led to the war. ... This book is accessible, well-written, and vividly told. Most importantly, it tells us why this overlooked conflict and its victims deserve our enduring remembrance.
—The Independent
This is an important and impressive work… The Russian sources provide a fresh supplement, and Figes is a master in this respect. … The Crimean War admirably captures the significance of the international and religious context of the Crimean War.
—The New York Review of Books

2018-10-01

南京大学出版社

Ideal Country

740

9787305207914