Russian Arny Invades Crimea

In the early 1780s the Russian Empire moved to absorb the Crimean Khanate, the Tatar state on the Black Sea that had long been a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. Following the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 and the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, the khanate had been declared nominally independent of the Ottomans, a status that in practice opened the way for growing Russian influence over its affairs.

The khanate was weakened by internal strife, as rival Tatar factions and claimants fought among themselves over the throne, often appealing to either Russia or the Ottomans for support. Exploiting this instability, Russian forces moved into the Crimean peninsula, encountering little effective resistance from the divided Tatar leadership. Empress Catherine the Great formally annexed Crimea to the Russian Empire in 1783.

The annexation of Crimea was a major step in Russia's southward expansion toward the Black Sea, a central aim of Catherine's reign. It gave Russia a warm-water coastline, secured the foundation of a Black Sea fleet, and shifted the regional balance of power decisively against the Ottoman Empire. The loss of Crimea deepened Ottoman-Russian hostility and helped provoke renewed war between the two empires later in the decade.