ABSTRACT
The October 1853 decisions in London and St Petersburg set Russia and Britain on a virtually unstoppable collision course. Brunnow warned that Parliament was debating such expansionist options as opening British funds to finance Turkish railroads or even sponsoring Balkan Christian states under British protection. He also confirmed that Stratford had the authority to deploy Dundas's squadron to defend Asian Trebizond as well as European Varna. This was one day after Nicholas learned that, due to the Anglo-French fleets, Austria could not help Russia at Constantinople any longer and that Buol now favoured a European congress to settle the Eastern Question. The Tsar still planned to wait until the spring to cross the Danube, but wanted immediate counter-attacks from Transcaucasia and at sea. While he was willing to allow the British and the French to take command of the Black Sea, he was prepared to follow through with his earlier idea of declaring the principalities, Serbia and Bulgaria independent.
