Реферат: A War Of Independence Essay Research Paper

author derived the first elements of that character which he displayed in afterlife.” (Str. Canning,

29). Further down, Str. Canning gives a general idea of Canning’s foreign policy: “To our

foreign relations he gave a tone which had the effect of maintaining our national dignity without

compromising the country’s peace, although he had often to deal with powers either hostile to

our Constitutional system or jealous to our commercial prosperity. He laid the foundations of

Greek independence, he limited the action of despotic influence abroad;” (Str. Canning, 41).

Courtney, on the other hand, believes that “Mr. Canning soon came to recognize the impropriety

for our joining in the attempts to prevent internal changes in several European countries, and

was thus led to maintain the policy and duty of non-interference.” and that Canning also

considered it vain to prevent any manifestations of national content. However, Courtney adds

that Canning did not adopt right from the beginning a concrete stance to the Greek issue as he did

with Spain (Courtney, 1897, 373). Similarly, Isambert says that “Nothing at the Congress of

Vienna announced openly that there was a change of policy in England” (Isambert, 1900, 149)

and he gives quotation of Stapleton’s: “England has not the right to intervene in the Orient. She

is obliged to respect the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire to the same degree that she would

like others to respect Hers. The above statement, it is true, shows no signs that Canning was

considering of helping the Greeks in any way. Sometimes, though, the real truth lies under

apparent truths. Namely, Canning was aware that any attempt of his to help the Greeks either

directly or indirectly would provoke his allies, which he wanted to avoid at all costs. In this

respect he had somehow to appease the suspicions of the Great Powers and try to exercise a

neutral attitude, at least during and short after the Congress of Verona.

George Canning

But what happened and how did this Congress end? Actually Isambert argues that this Congress

was the epilogue of the abandonment of the Greeks from Tsar Alexander due to a memorandum,

to the Porte in November, 1822. According to the terms of this memorandum, Turkey had, first

to guarantee amnesty to the Greeks, second to evacuate the Principalities and third to raise the

restrictions concerning trade and passage through the Straits. This memorandum was basically

aiming at the reestablishment of the diplomatic relations between Russia and Turkey (something

that both Austria and England wanted and worked for). Furthermore, it was vital for the