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

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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