Editing Eastern question (section)

==Revolutions of 1848==
{{main article|Revolutions of 1848}}
After the Great Powers reached a compromise to end the revolt of Mehmet Ali, the Eastern question lay dormant for about a decade until revived by the [[Revolutions of 1848]]. Although Russia could have seized the opportunity to attack the Ottoman Empire—France and Austria were at the time occupied by their own insurrections—it chose not to. Instead, Emperor Nicholas committed his troops to the defence of Austria, hoping to establish goodwill to allow him to seize Ottoman possessions in Europe later.{{cn|date=November 2022}}

After the Austrian Revolution was suppressed, an Austro-Russian war against the Ottoman Empire seemed imminent. The Emperors of both Austria and Russia demanded that the Sultan return Austrian rebels who had sought asylum in the Empire, but he refused. The indignant monarchs withdrew their ambassadors to the [[Sublime Porte]], threatening armed conflict. Almost immediately, however, Britain and France sent their fleets to protect the Ottoman Empire. The two Emperors, deeming military hostilities futile, withdrew their demands for the surrender of the fugitives.  The short crisis created a closer relationship between Britain and France, which led to a joint war against Russia in the [[Crimean War]] of 1853–56.<ref>A.J.P. Taylor, ''The Struggle for Mastery in Europe: 1848–1918'' (1954) pp 33–35</ref>