On the Historical Meaning of the Crimean War

St. Petersburg Annual of Asian and African Studies. 2015. No. 4. P. 13–26.

Zelenev E.

The Eastern or Crimean War (1853–1856) phenomenon is the reflection of fundamental conflicts of the era: the clash of empires’ interests and emerging centers of capital – financial elites. The Crimean War can be referred as a protoworld war even by just considering the number of participants. The participants were not united by a common interest, but rather by a common rival. With the commencement of military actions, a common rival became a common enemy. Wars of such a scale usually occur in transitional phases of history, for example, a period of transition from political stability to political fragmentation, or vice versa. The Crimean War was related to the phase of the first type: it destroyed international political stability – the Vienna system, and opened the gate for political instability. The war had a chronocultural sense and this is one of the Crimean War’s secrets.

Keywords: Crimean War, chronoculture, financial elites, geopolitical trap

Publication based on the results of: Small Social Groups of Asian and African Countries in Ethnic, Political, Religious, and Cultural Dimensions (2016)