Abstract
Samsun has had an important socio-economic and military potential in many periods of history. With the Ottoman Empire establishing its dominance in the region, the principle of keeping the Black Sea closed caused trade in Samsun to be disrupted. Since the Ottoman Empire did not allow foreign ships into the Black Sea for security reasons, Samsun fell into economically inactive situation. However, with the 19th century, especially with the introduction of steamships into the Black Sea, trade in Samsun began to develop. Developments such as the Crimean War occurring around the same time and the settlement of immigrants from the Caucasus in Samsun after the Crimean War increased the military and socio-economic importance of Samsun. These developments also ensured that Samsun found a place in the Austrian press. It is observed that the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s press showed intense interest in Samsun, and this was due to both the weight of this state in world politics and the strategic importance of Samsun. The fact that the Austro-Hungarian Empire did not experience any conflict with the Ottoman Empire, except for the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, ensured that the Austrian press’s interest in Samsun remained at the same level. In addition, the fact that this state had a consul in Samsun was also effective in this. We examined the Austro-Hungarian press, obtained digitally from the Austrian National Library, between 1853 and 1920, with a special focus on Samsun.. We grounded this analysis in a brief history of Samsun and the historical background of Ottoman-Austro-Hungarian relations, and supported the main points of our topic with reference works.
Keywords: Karadeniz, Kırım Harbi, Birinci Dünya Savaşı, Chester, Çerkezler
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