The Russian-Ottoman force at Corfu was an alliance of immediate necessity rather than lasting strategic alignment. Russia had annexed Crimea only shortly before the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792, a major conflict over the Black Sea frontier that inflicted severe losses on both sides. Russia was simultaneously fighting Sweden in the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-1790, illustrating the empire's willingness to operate across separate fronts. These recent wars explain why Ottoman control of the Dardanelles remained a fundamental Russian vulnerability even while the two fleets cooperated against France. Their partnership at Corfu rested on a common enemy and soon gave way to renewed rivalry.
Chapter · 33:10-36:37
Russia and the Ottomans as allies of necessity
The coalition at Corfu united recent enemies whose struggle over Crimea and the Black Sea made their naval partnership inherently temporary.