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Russia initiated the repeal of the Black Sea neutralization
The main purpose of the Russian politics in the third quarter of the 19th century was the strife for the repeal of limiting articles of Paris’ treaty that prohibited Russia to keep warships in the Black Sea and build fortresses there. Russia could not accept the fact that its Black Sea border will be unguarded and open for a military attack. Economical and political interests of the country as well as its safety interests required the repeal of the Black Sea neutralization. In the framework of the foreign-policy isolation and military and economic backwardness of the state the only way to solve this problem was to appeal to the diplomacy.
On October 19 (31), 1870 the governments of England, France, Austria-Hungary and Prussia received a circular signed by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs A.M. Gorchakov that said: “The sovereign emperor can not consider himself bound by the commitments of the treaty of March 18 (30), 1856 any longer because they limit its supreme rights in the Black Sea”.
As a result of the followed negotiations it was decided to convoke the international conference that opened on January 5 (17), 1871 in London. After long debates, the convention that lifted all the limitations for Russia, Turkey and other coastal countries at the Black Sea was signed.
The repeal of the Black Sea neutralization was a great success of the Russian diplomacy. Henceforth Russia could keep an unlimited number of its warships in this zone and build naval bases that provided the possibility to re-establish the positions lost after the Crimea war.
As the appreciation of his successful mission A.M. Gorchakov, already holding all the supreme orders of Russia, was granted with an honorary prefix of Your Highness in addition to his title of prince. Under the reign of Alexander II it was the only one grant of His Serene Highness title that turned out to be the last one in the Russian history.
Lit.: Нарочницкая Л. И. Россия и отмена нейтрализации Чёрного моря, 1856-1871 гг. М., 1989; Документы к отмене некоторых статей Парижского трактата 1856 года // Сборник договоров России с другими государствами, 1856-1917. М., 1952; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/FOREIGN/grchakov.htm.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: