The Eastern Question

In the second half of the 19th century, a weakening Ottoman Empire prompted the reemergence of the "Eastern Question." In what eventually culminated in the Crimean War (1854-1856), the tensions between great European powers for control of the territory of the Ottoman Empire begs another question: what happened to the "balance of powers"? The 19th century began with a pan-European idealism to pacify and stabilize Europe while preventing any country from becoming overly dominant. But halfway through the 19th century, the goals set forth by the Congress of Vienna seemed to be obscured by arising prosperous opportunities as the Ottoman Empire began to fade. The Balkans appeared so desirous that personal interests had to trump goals agreed to in the Congress of Vienna and as a part of the Concert of Europe. Does this make the intentions of the Congress of Vienna a failure? Or did the Crimean War merely mark the end of an era for European peace? The Great Power politics that arose during the onset of the Crimean War harken back to traditional dominating and power-seeking intentions of countries. The Great Power politics would remain the go-to strategy up to World War I.