Реферат: A War Of Independence Essay Research Paper

subjugation of nations a legitimate action. Furthermore, Metternich was very much afraid that the

Russians, under the pretext of protecting the Greek Christians, might interfere in the internal

affairs of the Ottoman Empire (Isambert, 65-66) and thus find a way out to the Mediterranean

Sea.

As far as how the British viewed the Greek uprising, Finley says: “The British Cabinet was

more surprised by the Greek Revolution, and viewed the outbreak with more aversion than any

other Christian government [...]. The immediate suppression of the revolt seemed therefore to be

the only way of preventing Greece from falling under the protection of Emperor Alexander, and

of hindering Russia from acquiring naval stations in the Mediterranean.” (Finley, 2). At that time

Castleragh was the head of the Foreign Office and it seems that more or less he was sharing the

same anxieties with Metternich. However, in letter that Castlereagh sent to Bagot, the British

ambassador in Russia, on 28 October 28 1822, he does not seem to be quite sure of how the

Greek question should be handled: “Ought the Turkish yoke to be forever riveted upon the necks

of their suffering and Christians subjects?” (quoted in Joll, 83 ). In this statement we discern

some sympathy, and maybe even a willingness to help the Greeks but reading the same letter

further down we can understand why the policy of Gastlereagh and generally of England had

been rather inconsistent, especially during the first years of the Greek revolt. Castlereagh feared

that, even if the Turks could be removed from the Greek territories, the Greeks would not be

capable of forming a government without the influence of a foreign power and the power he was

referring to was Russia. Castlereagh concludes his letter by saying that he could not put into

danger “the frame of long established relations, and to aid the insurrectionary efforts now in

progress in Greece” (quoted in Joll, 84). Accordingly, one can argue that, as far as the eastern

Mediterranean issue was concerned, what had brought together Castlereagh and Canning was

their common wish to maintain the peace in the East and that this can be considered as the

quintessence of the British and Austrian policy of that period.

Alexander I of Russia

At this point it is worthwhile mentioning Castlereagh’s reference to Russia as the possible

power influencing the Greeks. As a matter of fact, at that time, everybody thought that Russia

was supporting the Greeks. Russia, more than any other European state, had obvious reasons for