The Crimean Peninsula first came under Russian influence as the result of a series of Russo-Turkish wars fought in the late 1700s. Originally, under the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774), it was to become an independent state governed by the Crimean Tatars. It was officially annexed by Catherine the Great on April 19th, 1783.
The Porte has not kept good faith from the very beginning. Their primary goal has been to deprive the Crimeans of independence. They banished the legal khan and replaced him with the thief Devlet Giray. They consistently refused to evacuate the Taman. They made numerous perfidious attempts to introduce rebellion in the Crimea against the legitimate Khan Şahin Giray. All of these efforts did not bring us to declare war…The Porte never ceased to drink in each drop of revolt among the Tatars…Our only wish has been to bring peace to Crimea…and we were finally forced by the Turks to annex the area.
— Advisor to the Empress, Count…
