Great-power warships intervene in Crete

Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Britain sent warships as rebellion on Ottoman Crete threatened a Greco-Turkish war. The force was intended to contain the revolt and prevent a regional crisis from becoming a general European conflict. France feared that a Greek defeat would activate competing alliances, but also wanted Russia to remain a controllable partner. Britain shared the concern about Russian expansion and especially opposed a warm-water position that would move Russian power closer to the Dardanelles, Egypt, and the Suez Canal. The preference for Afghanistan and China as buffers illustrates how British planners valued distance between Russian power and the Indian Army rather than a direct confrontation.