Jerusalem was a place of pilgrimage for the Christians. It was situated in the Turkish Empire. Both the Greek and the Roman Catholic monks lived there.

According to a treaty of 1740 it was decided that France would have the right to protection over the Roman Christians, while the Greek Christians would be under the protection of Russia.

Owing to the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1789, France could not pay her attention towards the treaty of 1740.

The Greek Christians, therefore, grasped the opportunity and they adopted several oppressive measures against the rights and privileges of the Roman Christians.

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In 1852, Napoleon III became the emperor of France. In 1849, he had abolished the republican government of Rome which was established by Mazzini, an eminent leader of Italy. This act of Napoleon III made the Roman Catholic population of France his staunch followers.

After becoming the Emperor of France, he demanded that France should again be given the right to protection of the Roman Christians living in the Turkish Empire. There were two main objects of Napoleon III behind this demand:

(i) He wanted to adopt such foreign policy which might help him in increasing the prestige and glory of France in the international arena.

(ii) He wanted to appease the Roman Catholics of France and secure their full cooperation.

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In order to fulfil his ambitions, Napoleon III demanded the right of protection to the Roman Christians. The Sultan of Turkey accepted the demands of Napoleon III but Russia bitterly opposed the proposal of France.

She favoured the Greek Christians and made it clear that she would not tolerate any interference with the rights of the Greek Christians. Russia gave an ultimatum to Turkey in 1853, but Turkey, on the advice of England, refused to accept the demands of Russia.

England advised Turkey that the demands of Russia, if accepted, “might possibly grow into a constant right of intervention by Russia in the international affairs of Turkey, ultimately making that country a kind of vassal of the former.”