London Conference of 1832

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Greece, having won its independence from the Ottoman Empire after eight years of war (1821-1829) with the help of the Great Powers (Great Britain, France and Russia) at the Battle of Navarino had formed a republican government with John Capodistrias (Καποδíστριας)as its leader. Capodistrias was assassinated in 1831 in Nafplion. As a state of confusion continued in the Greek peninsula, the Great Powers sought a formal end of the war and a recognized government in Greece.

As Foreign Secretary, Viscount Palmerston was deeply interested in Greece

1 Conference of London
2 Protocol of London
3 Belgium
4 References

[edit] Conference of London

In May, 1832, British Foreign Secretary Palmerston convened the three Great Powers Great Britain, France and Russia who determined that Greece would be a monarchy and offered the throne to the Bavarian Prince, Otto Wittelsbach, without regard to Greek views on this. The line of succession was also established which would pass the crown to the heirs of Otto, or his younger brothers in succession, should he have no heirs. In no case would the crowns of Greece and Bavaria be joined. As co-guarantors of the monarchy, the Great Powers also empowered their Ambassadors in the Ottoman capital to secure the end of the Greek War of Independence.

On July 21, 1832 British Ambassador Sir Stratford Canning and the other represenatives concluded the Treaty of Constantinople of 1832, which set the boundaries of the new Greek Kingdom at a line running from Arta (Αρτα) to Volos (Βολος).

[edit] Protocol of London

The borders of the Kingdom were finally settled in the London Protocol of February 3, 1830 signed by the Great Powers, which ratified the terms of the Treaty of Constantinople in connection with the border between Greece and the Ottoman Empire and marked the end of the Greek War of Independence.

[edit] Belgium

A caricature by Honoré Daumier, depicting the great powers signing a treaty while the Dutch and Belgians in the background. Poland is meanwhile kept under the feet of Russia

In November 1830 the London Conference ordered an armistice between Belgium and the Netherlands. A first draft for a treaty was rejected by the Belgians, a second by the Dutch. A final treaty would be accomplished in the London Conference of 1838-39.