After entering 1851, the situation in the Near East grew increasingly tense. Russia and Austria eyed the Ottoman Empire like tigers eyeing prey, while the Sultan's government invited Britain and France to mediate the conflict.
What price the Ottoman Empire had paid could be set aside for now. The problem was that the French Government was busy with internal strife; Britain alone could not intimidate Russia and Austria.
In the British view, the heart of this Near East crisis lay with the Russians. As long as they did not stir up trouble, persuading Austria would be easy.
Under this judgment, Anglo-Russian Negotiations began. Without question, the British did not believe the issue could be resolved at the negotiating table. The main purpose of launching these talks was to buy time.
The London Government and Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte had already gotten into bed together. To deal with the increasingly grave Near East crisis, the British decided to support Napoleon III in seizing power.
The British wanted to buy time, and the Russians were not ready either. Thus, negotiations began under these circumstances.
Vienna
The Austrian Government was discussing the Anglo-Russian Negotiations. This would affect Austria's next strategic move. If the British managed to sweet-talk the Russian Bear into backing down, their westward strategy would go down the drain.
Metternich analyzed, "Anglo-Russian antagonism has a long history, and the conflict of interests between the two sides is extremely severe. From the Near East to the Far East, everywhere is a flashpoint of conflict between the two countries.
"Unless one side makes major concessions, conflict between them is inevitable.
"The current Near East crisis was chiefly caused by the Russians' core strategy. They have prepared for so long already; making them stop now would be harder than climbing to heaven."
After the Ottoman Empire