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Home Great Britain and Europe, 1815-78 A Period of Comparative Peace, 1815-54 A Period of Comparative Peace, 1815-54; Part 2 |
A Period of Comparative Peace, 1815-54; Part 2A combined fleet of the allies, under Sir E. Codrington, had orders to enforce the armistice, and was sent to watch the Turco-Egyptian fleet, which was lying in the Bay of Navarino. As the admiral of the Turco-Egyptian fleet proved unwilling to observe the armistice, Codrington decided to make a demonstration, and sailed into the bay. Some shots fired by a Turkish ship led to a general engagement, and in a short time the bay was covered with the wreckage of Turkish and Egyptian ships (October, 1827), The battle of Navarino, by destroying the sultan's fleet, secured Greek independence. But before it was fought, Canning was dead, and the Duke of Wellington, who became prime minister at the beginning of 1828, and who had regarded Canning's policy with distrust, looked upon the battle as an "untoward event", and was opposed to any further measures of coercion against Turkey. Consequently Russia continued operations against Turkey single-handed, and eventually by a treaty in 1829, which was modified three years later, the independence of Greece was recognized by Turkey and by the great powers of Europe, whilst Russia acquired some increase of territory in Asia.The year 1830 is an important one in the history of our foreign policy. In the first place, a series of revolutions and insurrections occurred. The series began during July in France, where Charles X, , a despotic and reactionary king, who had succeeded Louis XVIII in 1824, was overthrown, and his cousin, Louh Philippe, who professed popular principles, was put on throne. From France the movement spread to Belgium, to Italy, and to various parts of Germany, whilst the Poles revolted against Russia. In the second place, Iord Palmerston became our foreign secretary in 1830. For the next thirty-five years - until his death in 1865 - Palmerston was, either as foreign secretary or as prime minister, the dominating personality in our foreign politics. The only intervals were from 1841-6 when he was out of office, from 1852 - 5 when he was home secretary, and during three other much shorter intervals of a few months each. A few words must be said as to the general principles of Lord Palmnerston policy. First, he was determined to maintain and to extend the influence of Great Britain, and to uphold her honour; and it was the feeling that this was the underlying purpose of his policy which caused his enormous popularity in his own country. Secondly, he wanted, as he said, "to get the affairs of Europe into him", and he was in sympathy with all movements having for their object the establishment of independent nationalities or of constitutional governments similar to that of Great Britain. Thin My, with regard to the Eastern Question lie was a strong upholder of the integrity of the Turkish dominions, and believed, as he said in 1838, that given ten years of peace, Turkey would develop into a "respectable power", whilst he was highly suspicious as to Russian designs upon that country. Lord Paimerston's diplomatic methods were decidedly unconventional; the " Palmerstonian style", as it was called, was bluff and somewhat boisterous and truculent, and was perhaps too careless of other nations' susceptibilities. But his activity was incessant. His advice, asked or unasked, was freely tendered to all foreign nations, and sometimes provoked no little irritation; whilst his sympathy with popular and nationalist agitations led to his being regarded as a firebrand by European rulers, and even at one time by Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort. Lord Palmerston was said to have had a genius for "fluking " at billiards, of which game he was very fond, and his opponents maintained that this was characteristic of his statesmanship as well; but, whether lucky or not, there is no doubt that Palmerston generally got his own way, and was very successful, at all events, from 1830-41 during his first tenure of the Foreign Office. |
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