Berlin Memorandum proposed and rejected by Disraeli
- When
- 1876
- Where
- Berlin; London
- Episodes
- 2
The Berlin Memorandum was a diplomatic proposal by Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary in May 1876 to address the Eastern Question. It sought an armistice between the Ottoman Empire and its insurgents in Bosnia and Herzegovina. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli rejected the memorandum on May 16, 1876, despite support from France and Italy.
Episodes
- Proposal of the Berlin Memorandum
Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary met in Berlin in May 1876 to propose measures addressing the Ottoman Empire and the Balkans.
- Disraeli's Rejection
British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli rejected the Berlin Memorandum on May 16, 1876.
Background and detail
Background. Rebellions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria began in 1875. Religious tensions in Bosnia prompted Count Gyula Andrássy to propose reforms, leading to the Andrássy Note in December 1875. In May 1876, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia met in Berlin to discuss the Ottoman Empire's state of affairs and the Balkans.
The Memorandum. The memorandum requested an international committee in the Balkans to protect Christians and administer changes proposed in the Andrássy Note. France and Italy quickly supported the document, with Italian Prime Minister Melegari promising military service in Bosnia if necessary. However, British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli rejected the document altogether.
People involved
- Benjamin Disraeli · British Prime Minister
- Count Gyula Andrássy · Austria-Hungary Diplomat
- Melegari · Italian Prime Minister
Sources
- Berlin Memorandum Wikipedia, revision of 2026-01-31
- Benjamin Disraeli Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.