the Porte. In this series of negotiations France was participating as well. The result of these
meetings was the Treaty of London (6th July 1827). France was assigned to draw up the project
of the Treaty. This project included the following terms: it omitted reverences to the Protocol of
St. Petersburg and it was to be signed by the Allied Powers; it provided Turkey with mediation
of all the Powers and in case of mediation total independence to the Greeks was not to be
recognized; the Greek state was to be paying tribute to Turkey, and, with regard to the borders
of the Greek state, the Powers and Turkey were to set them by a future conference. However, the
significance of this treaty lies on a supplementary article according to which the Powers were
entitled to prevent any friction if the Turks did not accept their mediation. It was this article that
later on in 1827 enabled Russia, England and France to open fire against the Turks in Navarino.
If we were to evaluate the treaty of London what could we say? Courtney states very clearly the
accomplishments of Canning: “He had succeeded in his policy so far that he had prevented war,
that he kept back Russia from obtaining a preponderant authority in South-Eastern Europe and
that he saved Turkey from being beaten and humiliated, whilst he had favored and promoted the
aspirations of the Greeks.”(Courtney, 379)
On the other hand, if we want to make an evaluation that concerns Greece alone we should
notice that the allies did not include any borderlines which turned out to create problems and
disputes in the future and perpetuate the whole issue. Additionally, concerning the negotiations
over the Greek borders only the Powers and the Turks were to participate. The Greeks were
once more left out of the game. Bearing in mind the above are we to assert that, out of this
Treaty the Greek nation found itself worse off than before? For the Greeks it had been a success
the fact that were recognized as a state in a so perplexed context of international interests that
were pursued by politicians and diplomats who employed all their skills. What the Greeks had
achieved at that time was a miracle.
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