Events unfolded just as the British had expected. Time dragged on until the end of 1874. Seeing that Austria had no intention of continuing the war—perhaps fearing that no one would feed them afterward, or perhaps eager to return home for Christmas—the Tsarist Government decisively chose to compromise.
On December 18, 1874, Austria, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire signed the Near East Treaty in London.
Terms of the treaty:
1. The Ottoman Empire acknowledged its defeat and accepted responsibility for the war;
2. It returned the Kingdom of Jerusalem and ceded sovereignty over the Arabian Peninsula to Austria as compensation; (Note: excluding Mesopotamia, but including Kuwait)
3. It ceded the Caucasus to the Russian Empire and compensated Russia with 2 million Rubles in war expenses;
4. The Black Sea Straits were opened as free straits. Under no circumstances could any of the three nations blockade them;
5. From this day forth, the Austrian Navy would lift its blockade of the Ottoman Empire's coastline;
6. From the date of the treaty's signing, both sides would exchange prisoners within one month and withdraw from each other's territory within three months;
When the treaty reached Vienna Palace, Franz promptly approved it. The Ottoman Empire was poor as a beggar to begin with; ceding land was enough. Demanding war reparations would only have wasted time.
The Russians had fought so hard for so long, only to end up with 2 million Rubles in compensation. For an individual, it was an enormous sum, but to a nation, it was negligible.
The most talked-about aspect of this war was neither the airship force's dazzling debut nor the allied army's unstoppable advance, but the astronomical transfer price of the Arabian Peninsula.
Though the treaty did not state a specific amount offset against compensation, Austria's proposed 3