United Against the Ottomans

Generally imperial powers are focused on different goals; they work towards expansion, "curtailing each other's attempts at domination," developing a national identity, effectively handling their subjects, and much more. And historically, imperial powers are hardly unified in a goal.

However in Cooper and Burbank’s eleventh chapter of Empires in World History, we see that “Both empires (the Russian and British empires) sought to undermine their common rival—the Ottomans.” In 1826 they join together to manage the conflicts between rebels and the Ottoman sultan; in 1827 the French join and the British label it “peaceful intervention.” This happens again and again in history; multiple powers join to overthrow one specific power.

But imperial nature set in again, and “the British began to worry that they were assisting the wrong empire.” Britain, deciding instead to let the other empires fight, withdrew from the anti-Ottoman campaign. This is a typical of an imperial power; seizing the opportunity to protect themselves, yet still accomplishing the desired goal through other means.

Still, there is little to no explanation as to why the British, Russians, and eventually the French dislike the Ottomans so much. Likewise, other than the sentence stating that “keeping the Ottoman empire in place…was more to [Nicholas’] advantage than destroying the sultan and unleashing a free-for-all in the region,” I am unsure as to why it is more of an advantage to keep intact than to destroy the Ottoman empire.