Reichstadt Agreement

The convention of Imperial City (also: agreement of Imperial City ) was a foreign policy agreement between Austria -Hungary and the Russian Empire, which was closed on 8 July 1876 at the Bohemian kingdom city.

In the presence of Tsar Alexander II and Emperor Franz Joseph and politician Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov and Gyula Andrássy, they agreed on a common approach to the solution of the Eastern Question. This had become necessary due to unrest in the Ottoman Empire and the power interests of the two major powers in the Balkans.

Form

Franz Joseph

Alexander II

Gorchakov

The negotiations took place in a private and almost informal setting. It is significant that the results of the meeting were recorded in writing, so that the Austrian and the Russian view of the results were significantly different. There was neither a formal convention signed nor even signed a protocol. The results dictated Andrassy the Russian ambassador in Vienna, regardless dictated Gorchakov an officer a transcript, both of which were not authenticated by the other side.

So above all, the range of the Austrian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was controversial. Due to these discrepancies, the Convention was again discussed at the meeting of Istanbul and Budapest Treaty, but mostly confirmed or amended.

Content

In general, the following applies as the core content of Reichstädter agreement

• Austrian neutrality in the event of a Russian attack on the Ottoman Empire (see Russo- Ottoman War 1877 /78)
• Division of the Balkans into a Russian and an Austrian sphere of influence
• Annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina territory by Austria-Hungary

Agree, both sides were mainly in the insurance Russia against Austria - Hungary to give rise to any great Slavic state ( Greater Serbia and / or Great Bulgaria) in the Balkans. In detail, however, there are clear differences between the versions Gorchakov and Andrassy: