Treaty of Bucharest ends the Russo-Turkish War
- When
- 1811–1812
- Where
- Danube theatre of the Russo-Turkish War; Bucharest; Manuc's Inn, Bucharest; Bessarabia (eastern Moldavia); Wallachia (annex provision)
- Episodes
- 5
The Treaty of Bucharest, signed at Manuc's Inn on 28 May 1812 and ratified on 5 July 1812, ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812. The Ottoman Empire ceded Bessarabia—the eastern half of Moldavia—to Russia, while both empires sought peace ahead of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. A supplementary annex granted diplomatic couriers a right of neutral passage through Wallachia.
Episodes
- Ottoman defeat on the Danube and Ahmed Pasha's surrender
A Russian night crossing of the Danube trapped Ottoman forces, and Grand Vizier Ahmed Pasha formally surrendered to Kutuzov in November 1811.
- Peace negotiations open in Bucharest
Negotiations began in Bucharest on 11 January 1812; in early May the Russians modified their demands on Canning's advice to enable progress.
- Signing and ratification of the Treaty of Bucharest
The treaty was signed at Manuc's Inn in Bucharest on 28 May 1812 by Kutuzov's delegation and ratified on 5 July 1812, thirteen days before Napoleon invaded Russia.
- Cession of Bessarabia to Russia
The treaty ceded the Budjak and eastern Moldavia between Prut and Dniester rivers—renamed Bessarabia—to Russia, while Russia returned other occupied lands.
- Supplementary annex on neutral passage for diplomatic couriers
A supplementary annex to the treaty granted diplomatic couriers a right of neutral passage through Wallachia, provided they carried a specific lead seal.
Background and detail
Background. The Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812 broke out against the background of the Napoleonic Wars, after Sultan Selim III, encouraged by the Russian defeat at Austerlitz and advised by France, deposed the pro-Russian hospodars of Wallachia and Moldavia and the Sultan blocked the Dardanelles to Russian ships and declared war.
Road to Negotiation. By late 1811 both sides favored peace just as Napoleon's invasion of Russia loomed. The Ottomans wanted to stay out of the coming Franco-Russian conflict, while Russia sought to avoid a war on two fronts. After Ahmed Pasha's surrender following the Danube defeat, a ceasefire was agreed on 25 October 1811, and negotiations opened in Bucharest on 11 January 1812.
Terms and Significance. Under the treaty, the Ottoman Empire ceded the Budjak and the eastern half of the Principality of Moldavia, between the Prut and Dniester rivers—an area of 45,630 km² that Russia renamed Bessarabia. Russia returned all other occupied lands. The Ottomans also accepted the Russian annexation of the Kingdom of Imereti, and the treaty became the basis for future Russo-Ottoman relations. A supplementary annex granted diplomatic couriers a right of neutral passage through Wallachia.
People involved
- Mikhail Kutuzov · Russian commander who signed the Treaty of Bucharest
- Alexander I of Russia · Russian Tsar who ratified the treaty
- Ahmed Pasha · Ottoman Grand Vizier who surrendered to Kutuzov in November 1811
Sources
- Treaty of Bucharest (1812) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-29
- Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-28
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.