Реферат: A War Of Independence Essay Research Paper

politically involved had each one’s own ideas about where they should ask for help. Kolettis

was said to be pro-French, Mavrokordatos pro-British, Kolokotronis sometimes (at the

beginning) pro-Russian and sometimes pro-British.

Nevertheless, + noticed that these foreign parties prevailed one over the other according to what

each Power represented by these parties, was doing at a given time. + could not say if it is a

mere coincidence the fact that after the Congress of Verona and especially after the Tsar’s

memorandum the British party in Greece takes the upper hand and the Greeks are addressing for

help to Canning, who, after all, had already given them some positive signs. On the other hand,

the growing English interest in Greece has also his origins in the very nature of Greek politics.

Dakin claims that “at every turn the Greeks tended to form factions and to put forward rival

plans; if one group of patriots sought the assistance of a foreign power another group would

compete for the assistance or would set going a rival intrigue with another power. ” (Dakin,

160). My opinion is that probably the whole matter is a vicious circle; the divergent behavior of

the Great Powers stimulated the formation of different groups in Greece, and in this respect the

divided Greeks indirectly offered the Powers an open field to benefit for their own purposes.

In the meantime, Alexander + was trying to drag Austria and England to another Conference in

St. Petersburg but “Canning`s aim was to hold it off as long as possible, and only to consent to it

as a last resource.” Furthermore, Canning had given instructions to Bagot, the British

ambassador in Russia to take part in no meeting of the Holly Alliance. These orders Bagot

disregarded “and committed England to the conference scheme.” (Temperley, 332)

While a Conference was probably to be held in Russia, Canning received a letter from the

Greeks on 4th November, expressing their indignation about the Memorandum of Russia -what

else did this letter suggest other than which foreign party in Greece was at that point

strengthened? Canning’s reply was friendly, however, somewhat ambiguous. Virtually, “England

had been neutral as regards South America, and intended to be equally so towards Greece,”

(Temperley, 333). + would interpret the stance of Canning at this time, as that of letting Austria

and Russia consume themselves into reaching an agreement which on the one hand would be

worked out without England’s approval and on the other hand, would be unlikely to satisfy

neither the Greeks nor the Turks. And last but not least, Canning managed to separate his policy