On February 21, 1852, the Ottoman Empire rejected the Russians' outrageous demands. The Constantinople negotiations ended in failure, and the Russo-Turkish War had become unavoidable.
No one found this surprising. No matter who it was, they could not possibly agree to the Russians' demands.
If they had merely been carving off a few scraps around the edges, perhaps the rotten Ottoman Government would have swallowed the insult. But they wanted to devour them whole, leaving no room for compromise.
A week later, the Sultan's government likewise rejected Austria's terms. The countdown to war had begun.
Militarily speaking, fighting on two fronts was profoundly unwise.
In theory, if Austria occupied Moldavia and Wallachia, Russia and the Ottoman Empire would be separated in the Balkans, greatly reducing the Ottoman Empire's military pressure.
Politically, however, the Sultan's government had no room to compromise. If it showed even a trace of weakness at this moment, British and French support might take an unexpected turn.
For all they knew, Britain and France might compromise with the Russians. Then the four great powers would join hands to carve up the Ottoman Empire, and they would truly be finished.
Though the Ottoman Empire was rotten to the core, it was still, on the surface, a "great power." Before its weak essence was exposed, Britain and France still had faith in it.
Europe's four great powers split into two camps. The remaining countries naturally either stayed neutral or followed their respective bosses and shouted in support. Actually joining the war was out of the question—everyone was civilized, after all. How could they go around fighting and killing?
The Ottoman Empire had a dreadful reputation in Europe. Of course, the Russians' reputation was not much better. They were a pair of rotten brothers, both unwelcome across Europe.
Still, the