title: Ottoman Strategy and the Danube Theatre of the War
abstract: The first battles of the Crimean War were fought along the river Danube, at the Black Sea and over the Caucasus borderlands, not in the Crimea. As in all Russo-Ottoman wars, the Danube (or Balkan) theatre of war was more important than the Caucasus for both empires. Ottoman strategy in the Danube and in general was defensive. It was based upon fortifications on the south bank of the Danube. Ottomans considered the Danube as the line of defence and relied upon European great powers for regaining 