the Straits Question

The Straits Convention of

the end of the World War Russia was no longer in a position to enforce execution of the 1915 Agreement. The Straits Convention of July 24, however, actually imposed a settlement answering to Russia's traditional ambition. Ironically enough, at the Lausanne Con ference at which the convention was drawn up, Russia strongly opposed the opening of the Straits and England no less strongly advocated it. The reason for this complete reversal of traditional policies lay in the altered political and military situation in the Near East effected by the war. Russia was temporarily rendered powerless to threaten Great Britain in the Mediterranean, while the opening of the Straits to warships enabled Great Britain to intervene in the civil war in Russia.

The emergence of the new nationalist Turkish State at Angora also modified the situation. For the first time in the long history of the Straits Question it was the Turks who virtually dictated the new regulations regarding the passage of the Straits. The regulations dictated by the allies in the still-born treaty of Sevres were so whittled down by Nationalist Turkey as to become practically valueless. The commission for the regulation of the Straits was reduced to little more than a conservancy board under Turkish chairmanship; Turkey was accorded the right (denied her in the Sevres treaty) to possess a fleet; he was allowed to maintain a garrison in Constantinople; and the demilitarized zones on either side of the Straits were both reduced in area and closed to the military forces of the allies as well as of Turkey— thus removing the one positive military sanction for Turkey's observance of the regulations. The three chief European allied

Powers and Japan undertook to guarantee the freedom of navi gation and the security of the demilitarized zones in return for the concession by Turkey of a restricted right of passage for warships. Against the regime thus set up, the Russian Govern ment protested very strongly; but nevertheless became a party to the convention on Aug. 4, 1923. In April 1936 Turkey sought leave to refortify the Straits; and in July the interested Powers, in conference at Montreux, agreed to this.

best general sketch (although not wholly accurate and sometimes tendencious), is that by the former Director of the Russian Imperial Archives, S. Goriainow, Le Bosphore et les Dardanelles (French trans., 191o). Since the opening of the German and Austrian archives various fully documented studies of single episodes have appeared. Thus A. Hasenclever, Die Orientalische Frage in den Jahren 1838-1841 (Leipzig, 1914) ; K. Rheindorf, Die Schwarze Meer (Pontus)-Frage 1856-1871 (1925) H. T. von Falkenstein, Bis marck and die Kriegsgefahr des Jahres 1887 (1924). Among general works may be mentioned, R. Pinon, L'Europe et l'Empire Ottoman (1917) ; N. Dascovici, La Question du Bosphore et des Dardanelles (Geneva, 1915) ; C. Phillipson and N. Buxton, The Question of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, a study of the question from the aspect of international law (1917). (I. F. D. M.)