System of Balance of Power in Europe and Its Impact on the First Round of Russo-Persian Wars (1804-1813)

The history of Iran and Russia is tied to two wars and two infamous Gulistan and Turkmenchay treaties. Although these wars began for some domestic reasons in both countries but international events affected their beginning and end as well. The question arising here is how developments in Europe, such as the rise of Napoleon, and especially the attempt by European countries to establish a system of balance of power, influenced the first round of Russo-Persian wars. The main hypothesis of the present study, carried out taking a descriptive-analytical approach, is that the system of balance of power in Europe caused European actors to negotiate and bargain over colonies or other small states to capture a land or parts of it instead of confronting each other in Europe. The research findings show that the British effort for the containment of France and establishing a balance of power in Europe, as well as protecting its interests in India, provided Russians with an opportunity to occupy and capture parts of Iran without the presence and intervention of a third-party opponent.