More than the Great Game: The Origins of Anglo-Russian Imperial Rivalry in Eurasia

Tensions between the British and Russian Empires began to develop as early as the last quarter of the 18th century. The Ochakov crisis of 1791 is fundamental for understanding the origins of the confrontation between the British and Russian Empires in the context of their traditionally different political thinking and growing distrust. Although it did not lead to an armed conflict between the two powers, it heralded their entry into a long era of intense rivalry in the Middle East and throughout Eurasia, subsequently termed the Great Game. It is necessary to revise the chronological and geographical frameworks of Anglo-Russian imperial rivalry.