Origins of the Crimean War

The Crimean War (1853-56) between Russia Turkey Britain France and the Kingdom of Sardinia was a diplomatically preventable conflict for influence over an unstable Near and Middle East. It could have broken out in any decade between Napoleon and Wilhelm II; equally it need never have occurred. In this masterly study based on massive archival research David Goldfrank argues that the European diplomatic roots of the war stretch far beyond the `Eastern Question' itself and shows how the domestic concerns of the participants contributed to the outbreak of hostilities. <p/>