Banditry in the Eastern Black Sea During the Crimean War: The Case of Captain Alphonse Belliot
In every period of history, times of war have led to the emergence of insecurity and much lawlessness throughout the land. In the middle of 1853, rumors of a new war with the Russians caused unrest in the Northeast Anatolia region, and this unrest remained throughout the war. The local bandits had b...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Istanbul University Press
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Tarih Dergisi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/7282180F89A3414DA2C949A160874FF5 |
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| Summary: | In every period of history, times of war have led to the emergence of insecurity and much lawlessness throughout the land. In the middle of 1853, rumors of a new war with the Russians caused unrest in the Northeast Anatolia region, and this unrest remained throughout the war. The local bandits had become stronger by taking advantage of the conditions of the war and started committing raids, robberies, and murders while threatening safety on the Trabzon-Erzurum Road. In September 1854, Alphonse Belliot, a French officer in the Anatolian Army who’d set off from Erzurum to go to Istanbul by this road, fell victim to the bandits. After Belliot was murdered in Masat, which is located between Bayburt and Erzurum, the French Consul Challaye in Erzurum opened an investigation into the crime and had the investigationand prosecution conducted by his deputy Castagne and the Polish Captain Hosczowski. This investigation is detailed in French archival documents and not only reveals the rare story of a hunt for bandits, but also reveals important details about the origins, connections, and effects of banditry in the region. |
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| ISSN: | 2619-9505 |