The Treaty of Paris is a treaty of great importance not only for the Ottoman Empire but also for world history in general. This treaty, which ended the Crimean War, is an important proof that the supremacy of Russia, which had dominated the Ottoman Empire and Europe through the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774 and the Congress of Vienna in 1815, had come to an end. In addition to all these, the Crimean War is very important in terms of showing how future wars could be conducted in an orderly and systematic manner.
Although the real problem was initially raised as 'holy places', it would soon engulf the whole of Europe. The demands of Prince Alexander Menshikov, the envoy sent by Tsar Nicholas I to Constantinople, showed that Russia's main goal was not the holy places, but rather the protection of the Orthodox population, which numbered around 10 million people. This Russian claim did not go down well with France, which acted as the protector of Catholics. The inability of the two states to agree on the redefinition of the rights and protection of Christians brought them to the brink of war. In addition, the liberation of Europe from Napoleonic domination under the leadership of Russia and preventing Russia from gaining more dominance than necessary were among the important reasons. Therefore, Britain and France siding with the Ottomans in the Crimean War can be considered within a logical framework.
On July 24-28, 1855, in Vienna, under the chairmanship of Count Boul, the Austrian Foreign Minister, who had not actually participated in the war, but whose military threats forced Russia to expel Russia from Wallachia-Bogdan, which it had occupied at the beginning of the war, and as a result of the negotiations of the ambassadors of England, France and Prussia, it was decided that peace would be made on the basis of four articles. 1) Ending the Russian domination over Wallachia-Bogdan. 2) Freedom of navigation on the Danube. 3) Neutralization and demilitarization of the Black Sea. 4) Russia's renunciation of the protection of the Christian people living within the borders of the Ottoman Empire.
The Allied landing in Crimea in September 1854 was at the same time the front that would determine the end of the war. The fall of Sevastopol after protracted fighting was the main event that brought the parties closer to peace. In France, the fact that the issues of Italy and Poland were becoming more prominent, and that the losses began to be seen as a problem throughout the country, pushed France towards peace as well. The Russian advance continued in the Caucasus despite the fall of Sevastopol. In this geography, the guarantee of the security of first the Caucasus and then India was Britain's problem. This Russian advance forced Britain to take a stand in favor of continuing the war. Austria came to the forefront and took action for the mediation of the war, which emerged with the capture of the Kars Castle by the Russians and would be prolonged with the opening of new fronts. The concern that Prussia might get involved in the war with the opening of new fronts was another problem that occupied Europe. The problems of Italy and Poland were also important problems for the Vienna Government. In July 1855, Boul brought the first two articles of the four-article treaty back to the agenda by aggravating them. Accordingly, the Danube principalities were to serve as a border against Russia. The status of the Christians living within the borders of the Ottoman Empire, which led to the emergence of the so-called 'Eastern Question', was to be determined by a treaty between the Western states and the Porte.
These issues, signed by France and Austria, were sent to England. England, on the other hand, wanted to continue the war, but was in favor of a peaceful attitude due to the view reflected by Napoleon III that the war would continue alone. This was supported by the establishment of an independent state in the Caucasus (especially the independence of the Circassians), consulates in Russian ports and the disarmament of the Baltic. All these details were agreed upon and submitted to the Russian government on December 28.
In late 1855, Russia, politically isolated and threatened by Austria to sever relations, was forced to accept peace. However, Russia was strongly opposed to giving any territory to the Ottoman Empire. England, on the other hand, was disturbed by the fact that its demands could not be fully realized. The Ottoman side, on the other hand, did not expect any territorial gains as it had a small share in the victory. At the same time, the arrangements to be made by the allied states for the Christian subjects within the Ottoman Empire worried the Ottoman Empire. The Allied states, on the other hand, were in favor of a new arrangement in which all Ottoman people were equal. As a matter of fact, this is what happened. As a result of the negotiations between the embassies of the Western states in Istanbul and Ali and Fuad pashas, the Reform Edict, which advocated the equality of all Ottoman people, was signed.
The negotiations to be held in Paris officially started on February 25. While Russia's abandonment of Kars was accepted, Britain's demand for the independence of Circassia was not met. The four articles agreed in Vienna became the precondition for peace. Finally, the treaty was finally signed on March 30.
As a result of the Treaty of Paris, the Ottoman Empire was considered an equal European state on paper. However, the Ottoman Empire only received certain promises from this treaty. The capitulations were not abolished. The fact that all states except Russia guaranteed the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire stopped the European expansion towards the Ottoman Empire. For Russia, this situation was perceived as a complete move. Because with this treaty, the 1774 Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca was completely shelved.
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This treaty also marked the beginning of a new constitutional order in the Ottoman Empire. In addition, the state's lagging behind the new technologies in this war and falling into a huge debt swamp pushed the Ottoman Empire to make some reforms. Although territorial integrity was protected by the western states, it soon became clear that this was not true. With France's war against Prussia in 1870-71, the Treaty of Paris completely disappeared. Russia declared that it no longer recognized the article on the Black Sea before the end of the Franco-Prussian War. This was the first harbinger of the Ottoman-Russian War that would soon begin. The claim that territorial integrity would be ensured in the treaty was not realized after the Ottoman-Russian War. In terms of benefiting from European law, Bismarck's words to the Ottoman delegates at the Berlin Congress, "that law is not for you", caused the Ottomans to realize their place in the eyes of Europe.
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 References
KEMAL BEYDİLLİ, "PARİS ANTLAŞMASI", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/paris-antlasmasi (29.04.2024).