French Military and Civil Deployment in Ottoman Istanbul During the Crimean War (1853-1856)

Duran S.

WAR IN HISTORY, vol.30, no.3, pp.257-276, 2023 (AHCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 30 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/09683445221077740
  • Journal Name: WAR IN HISTORY
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, Periodicals Index Online, American History and Life, Historical Abstracts, DIALNET
  • Page Numbers: pp.257-276
  • Keywords: French, Ottoman, Istanbul, Crimean War, military, civil
  • Istanbul Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Based mainly on original French archival sources, this paper discusses the conduct and extent of French military and civil activities in Ottoman Istanbul during the Crimean War. Using both qualitative and quantitative indicators, the paper shows how the necessities generated by the war, promoted an unprecedented growth in the French military and civil presence in Istanbul. Through this approach, the paper explains to what degree the war created new market opportunities for various French products and services, a favourable environment for the establishment of French hospitals, and also occasions for cultural encounters between the French and the Ottomans in Istanbul.