The Autocracy and the “Slavic Movement” in Russia, 1875–1877

Abstract

This article describes the higher bureaucracy’s attitude toward the “Slavic movement” in 1875–1877, necessary to understanding the Eastern crisis and the causes of the Russo–Turkish War. The “Slavic movement” encompassed the public activities of various individuals and groups, some of whom professed the ideology of Pan-Slavism. The author examines the misgivings and hopes of the governing elite on the eve of the war and demonstrates the effect that events in the Balkans had on Alexander II’s foreign policy. He concludes that the “Slavic movement” exerted pressure on the government and forced it to seek compromise and cooperation with society, thereby helping to bring about war with Turkey.