diplomacy

This article provides an examination of the political standpoint adopted by Dmitry Milyutin, Minister of War of the Russian Empire, with regard to the policy of the Russian Empire in the Balkan region during the period 1861–1877. The analysis of official data and personal sources from the minister’s personal archival fund has revealed a divergence of views between him and the Foreign Minister, Alexander Gorchakov, on the issues of international relations related to the ‘Eastern question’. This research has enabled the investigation of the search for solutions to international crises arising from the internal instability of the Ottoman Empire. The present study draws upon a range of historical sources to provide a detailed examination of the military cooperation that was established between the Russian Empire and the Principality of Serbia during the 1860s. The present study has sought to analyse the personal sources related to the period of the Great Eastern Crisis (1875–1877) to investigate the participation of Dmitry Milyutin in the decision-making process that led to the declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire.