The role of Crimea in the Russian expansionism towards the Mediterranean

The aim of this dissertation is to analyse in which way the Crimean Peninsula has proved crucial for the Russian plan of expansionism towards the Mediterranean Sea. In its history, Russia has always tried to enlarge its southern border in order to reach the warm sea and affirm its dominance also in this area, beginning to compete among the other Western European powers. Indeed, the Mediterranean represents nowadays an important crossroads for the maritime trade, not only between Europe and Asia but also between Europe and North America. Being part of this commercial routs means being part of a wide share of global trade and Russia wants to be part of it. Furthermore, Russia is deeply attracted by the Mediterranean since this area is known to be an important source of natural gases. Considering the fact that the Russian Federation is currently the major gas supplier of the entire European continent, it is easy to understand the reason of such an interest in the Mediterranean. What is the role of Crimea in this scenery? The control over this peninsula, which links the Russian Federation and Ukraine, has always been of great interest for the Russian leaders across the centuries, starting from the tsarist period and arriving to the present day. According to many scholars, the first annexation of Crimea to Russia is to be traced in the 18th century, when in 1783 Catherin the Great managed to establish her control over the region and made it part of her Empire. Starting from this moment, Crimea has represented for Russia its most important foothold in the Mediterranean, since the geography of the Empire did not allow any other access to the sea, if not those of the cold northern waters which were prohibitive for the major part of the year. Moreover, the port of Sevastopol, in the southern coast of Crimea, is the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.