Eastern question

The Eastern Question, in European history, encompasses the diplomatic and political problems posed by the decay of the Ottoman Empire. The expression does not apply to any one particular issue, but instead comprehends a variety of issues raised during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries.

The Eastern Question is normally dated to 1774, when the Russo-Turkish War ended in defeat for the Ottoman Turks. As the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire was believed to be imminent, the European powers engaged in a power struggle to safeguard their military, strategic and commercial interests in the Turkish domains. Russia and France stood to benefit from the decline of the Ottoman Empire; on the other hand, Austria and the United Kingdom deemed the preservation of Turkey to be in their best interests. The Eastern Question was put to rest after the First World War, which brought about the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.