The
Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 was a conflict between the
Ottoman Empire and the
Eastern Orthodox coalition led by the
Russian Empire and composed of several Balkan countries. Fought in the
Balkans and in the
Caucasus, it originated in emerging 19th-century Balkan
nationalism. Additional factors included
Russian hopes of recovering territorial losses suffered during the
Crimean War, re-establishing itself in the
Black Sea and supporting the political movement attempting to free Balkan nations from the Ottoman Empire.