Eastern Question

The term used in nineteenth-century European diplomacy for the problems created by the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the resulting rivalry among the European powers, particularly Britain, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and France. It concerned the future of Ottoman territories in Europe and the Middle East, and the competing interests of emerging national movements. The question was central to events including the Crimean War, the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–8, and the Balkan crises.