Crimean War
The Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia
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Original prompt & settings (JSON) ↗The declaration came with a pause built into it: Russia was given fifteen more days to leave Moldavia and Wallachia, and the Ottoman attack order did not follow until 26 October.
A rescript, a newspaper, four embassies
An imperial rescript approved by Sultan Abdülmecid formally declared war on Russia on 4 October 1853. The text was published that same day in the Ottoman state newspaper Takvim-i Vekayi.
Official notes went simultaneously to the British, French, Austrian and Prussian embassies in Constantinople. The declaration identified Russia's continued occupation of Moldavia and Wallachia as the effective casus belli, and defended Ottoman sovereignty against Russian intervention.
Fifteen days to get out
On the same day, Ömer Lütfi Pasha, commanding the Ottoman Army of Rumelia, wrote to the Russian commander Prince Mikhail Gorchakov demanding evacuation of the two principalities within fifteen days. The declaration therefore did not open with an attack; the deadline left a short final interval before hostilities.
Gorchakov replied that he lacked authority to negotiate war, peace or evacuation. His answer reached the Porte on 18 October; the Ottoman government treated it as a refusal, ended contacts with him, and issued Ömer Pasha an attack order on 26 October.
Why some chronologies say 5 October
The declaration document and the state act are both dated 4 October. Some secondary chronologies use 5 October, the day additional printed material appeared, but 4 October is the better-supported date for the act itself — and the stray "5" in the listing's title is an editorial artifact rather than part of the event.
What began that week was a war between two empires. Russia had occupied the principalities in July 1853 after negotiations over its claims concerning Ottoman Orthodox subjects and the Vienna Note broke down; Britain and France did not become belligerents until March 1854.
Sources
Researched 24 Aug 2026 4 sources not yet audited
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What the sources leave uncertain
- The official declaration and the declaration document are dated October 4. Some secondary chronologies use October 5, when additional printed material appeared, but October 4 is the best-supported date for the state act.