The Examination of a Defter on Financing the Crimean War (1853-1856)

The Ottoman treasury, which was in a difficult situation prior to the Crimean War of 1853–1856, was in financial crisis with the start of the War. There was an urgent need of money for war preparations. The government was fairly stranded by the questions of where to find money and how the expenditures would be compensated. As a result of several meetings, internal borrowings by means Galata dealers, collecting donations from the people and not paying government salaries for a few months were planned. However, it became evident that even internal funds would not be enough to finance the war, and thus, for external borrowing was determined for the first time in history. During the war, external borrowings from the European market were realized twice in addition to the collection of emergency money from all ranks of civil servants. A register was composed to keep a detailed record of the emergency money contributions. This paper will deal with this registry, which recorded all the contribution made by civil servants and the general public, following information about the Crimean War’s finance.