The Mediterranean-Black Sea trade of Austria according to Ottoman archival documents (1800-1830)

From the 15th century on, the Ottoman State considered the Black Sea as an inland sea under its control and kept it closed to international trade. This status of the Black Sea changed as a result of political developments in the last quarter of the 18th century. The Ottoman–Russian War of 1768–1774 was a significant breaking point in this process. As part of the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca concluded at the end of the war, the Ottoman State was forced to grant Russia the right to trade in the Black Sea for the first time. Following this development, a similar concession was granted to Austria in 1784 with the support of Russia. With these developments in the last quarter of the century, the Black Sea became an important geopolitical arena between the Ottomans and the states including Russia and Austria. This status paved the way for Russia's access to the Mediterranean, while shaping a secure corridor for Austria's commercial activities on the Mediterranean–Black Sea trade. Austria continued its commercial activities of the late 18th century, when it obtained concessions, into the 19th century. The strategic ports of Trieste and Fiume, which opened to European markets, made Austria a central actor in the transfer of goods from Ottoman and Russian ports to Europe and the Mediterranean, and from the Mediterranean to Russian ports. Although Autria's trade was affected by some political problems and the accompanying eco-political moves in certain periods of the century, it somehow maintained its vitality. This commercial traffic in the Mediterranean–Black Sea corridor did not flow along the same axis, but established a wide and dynamic network, reaching stations in almost every region of the Mediterranean. In this context, many ports such as Marseille, Venice, Trieste, Messina, Tunis, Tripoli, Crete, Thessaloniki, Izmir, Alexandria, Dimyat, Beirut, Istanbul, Damascus, Bodrum and Balyabadra found a place in this trade network. This diversity indicates that Austria's trade in this corridor was significantly active between the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and Europe.