1-150-771 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'Friends or Foes?', 1876. The British Lion, travelling, meets the Russian Bear, who is armed, at the crossroads. This relates to the recent conflict between Turkey and Bulgaria. Britain had maintained a neutral stance, which led some to fear that Russia would use this to gain a foothold in the East. However, the Emperor of Russia had recently given guarantees that he had no intention of acquiring Constantinople, and that if Russia should occupy any portion of Bulgaria, it would be only to ensure the safety of that country's Christian population, and on a provisional basis. From Punch, or the London Charivari, December 2, 1876.