Mapping Enemy’s Land: Russian Military-Topographic Intelligence on 19th Century European Turkey

Year 2019, Issue: 3, 45 - 70, 27.12.2019

Mihail Simov

Abstract

At the turn of the 18^th and
19^th century Russia was firmly settled on the Northern Black Sea and
deeply entangled in the Eastern question. Ottoman possessed territories in
Southeastern Europe were to become scene of the major land campaigns during the
four wars between St. Petersburg ant the ottoman Porte, fought until the end of
the century. This made studying and mapping of enemy’s land important task for
Russia’s military topographers in the course of the century.

The following article examines the history
of the Russian military topographic intelligence on European Turkey in the
decades between early 19^th century and the outbreak of the
Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878. During that period were completed some of the
earliest accurate cartographical depictions of the Balkans, product of the
Russia’s efforts to provide its army with precise topographical maps of the
theatre of war. Main attention in the article is given to the topographical
surveys, conducted by Russian military topographers, in 1820-s and 30-s and in
the years prior to the war of 1877-1878. 

Keywords

Russian military-topographic intelligence, Russo-Turkish wars, maps of European Turkey, Russian cartography

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