Реферат: A War Of Independence Essay Research Paper

Yet, the growing British philhellenism could not had been enough to make Canning change his

policy toward the Greeks. For, Great Britain, before the Greek Revolution which changed

dramatically the picture in the East, had serious economic reasons to long for a strong and

unified Ottoman Empire. The first reason was that the Russians had at all costs to be kept away

from the Mediterranean Sea. The second reason was that the Ottoman Empire provided the

British with safe passage to India. A third point was that England wanted to maintain the

position she had at the Ionian Islands. But if she was to accept the slow disintegration of the

Ottoman Empire and an independent Greek state, she would not be able to justify her position in

the Ionians.

However, speaking from a military point of view, the years 1821-1823 had been quite

successful for the Greeks and Canning probably realized that “the Sultan, harassed by the calls

of a disorganized and decaying Empire would be unable, effectually to withstand the armies of

the Tsar” (Courtney, 376). + bit later, when by the end of 1823 Greeks’ attention is directed to a

civil war and yet the Sultan fails to crush them, Canning became even more resolute and fervent

concerning the Greek issue. In this manner, Isambert claims that the fact that Canning becomes

gradually more attached to the side of the Greeks is not linked to his sympathy towards the

suppressed nation but rather to his conviction that the British could benefit from such a policy.

(lsambert, 148). Therefore, we could say that what Canning tried to do was to adjust his policy

and interests to the new circumstances. Yet, Lord Strangford, the British ambassador at

Constantinople, did not share the same thoughts as his Minister and he was afraid that the new

policy would endanger the integrity of the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless, what Strangford

failed to see was that the Ottoman Empire had already lost its integrity. So what Strangford, did

was to interpret the instructions of Canning in a somewhat favorable way for the Porte.

Nevertheless, Lord Strangford’s conduct could not escape the attention of G. Canning who in

1824 replaced him with his cousin, Stratford Canning.

Reading the preceding paragraphs dealing with Canning’s policy, we come up with a question

mark: what were the reactions of the other Powers to the British Foreign Secretary’s attitude?

No wonder, it shook both Russia and Austria. Isambert writes about Metternich: “The new

element was to appear in the policy of Metternich in 1823; it is his hatred for Canning and the