Treaty of San Stefano

The Treaty of San Stefano was an 1878 peace agreement between the Russian and Ottoman Empires that proposed a large, autonomous Bulgarian principality after the Russo-Turkish War.

Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878): A war in which Russia and its allies defeated the Ottoman Empire, ending with the Treaty of San Stefano. Russian battlefield victories compelled the Ottoman government to accept the treaty’s terms.
Principality of Bulgaria: A self-governing Bulgarian polity established in 1878 under Ottoman suzerainty. The treaty proposed a much larger principality than the one eventually created.
Nikolay Ignatyev: A Russian diplomat who served as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and helped negotiate the Treaty of San Stefano. Ignatyev was a principal Russian negotiator at San Stefano.
Congress of Berlin: An 1878 diplomatic conference that revised the Treaty of San Stefano and reorganized parts of the Balkans. The conference replaced much of San Stefano’s territorial settlement.
Siege of Plevna: A prolonged 1877 siege in which Russian and Romanian forces captured the Ottoman stronghold of Plevna. Plevna’s fall opened the route for Russia’s advance toward Constantinople.
Ottoman Empire: A multiethnic empire that ruled southeastern Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa for centuries. The treaty imposed territorial losses and restrictions on the Ottoman state.
Alexander II of Russia: Emperor of Russia from 1855 to 1881, whose reign included the emancipation of the serfs and the Russo-Turkish War. His government pursued the war and approved the treaty’s settlement.
Bulgarian Exarchate: An autonomous Orthodox church established in 1870 for much of the Bulgarian population under Ottoman rule. Its ecclesiastical boundaries informed the Bulgarian national claims advanced at San Stefano.
Battle of Shipka Pass: A series of 1877 battles in which Russian and Bulgarian forces defended the Shipka Pass against Ottoman attacks. The defense helped secure Russia’s position in Bulgaria before the treaty negotiations.
Russian Empire: A Eurasian empire ruled by the Romanov dynasty until the Russian Revolution of 1917. Russia dictated the settlement after defeating the Ottoman Empire.

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