The London Protocol of 1830 establishes the full independence and sovereignty of Greece from the Ottoman Empire as the final result of the Greek War of Independence.
The London Protocol of 3 February 1830 stands as a landmark agreement in European diplomatic history, formally recognizing Greece as an independent and sovereign state. This pivotal accord was meticulously crafted between the three dominant European powers of the era: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, The Kingdom of France, and the Russian Empire. It served to amend and supersede the preliminary decisions outlined in the 1829 London Protocol, marking a decisive shift in the geopolitical landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Road to Independence: From Uprising to International Recognition
The genesis of independent Greece lay in the protracted and arduous Greek War of Independence, which erupted in 1821 against the long-standing rule of the Ottoman Empire. This struggle for national liberation garnered significant European sympathy, leading to the eventual intervention of the Great Powers. A crucial turning point arrived with the Battle of Navarino in October 1827, where the combined naval forces of Britain, France, and Russia decisively crushed the Ottoman-Egyptian fleet. While somewhat accidental in its scale, this engagement irrevocably altered the balance of power and made the establishment of some form of Greek state in southern Greece an inevitable outcome.
Amidst this unfolding crisis, the Greek Third National Assembly, convened in Troezen in 1827, entrusted the governance of the nascent nation to Ioannis Kapodistrias. A seasoned statesman with a distinguished career, including service as Russia's Foreign Minister, Kapodistrias arrived in Greece in January 1828. His immediate priorities were twofold: to lay the administrative and institutional foundations for a modern, functional state from the remnants of a war-torn society, and concurrently, to engage in complex negotiations with the Great Powers regarding the geographical extent and constitutional status of the newly emerging Greek state.
The Evolution of Greek Sovereignty: 1829 vs. 1830 Protocols
The diplomatic discussions culminated in the signing of the first London Protocol in March 1829 by the foreign ministers of the Great Powers. This initial agreement envisioned Greece as an autonomous, tributary state, nominally under Ottoman suzerainty. It stipulated that Greece would be governed by an elected Christian prince and its territory would encompass the historical heartlands of the Greek uprising: the Peloponnese (Morea), Continental Greece, and the Cycladic islands. However, this arrangement fell short of the full independence for which the Greeks had fought so dearly.
Kapodistrias, leveraging his profound diplomatic acumen and aided by the significant Russian victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–29 (which concluded with the Treaty of Adrianople in September 1829 and pressured the Ottomans), persistently advocated for complete independence. These relentless efforts led to a crucial revision of the protocol, resulting in the groundbreaking London Protocol of 3 February 1830. This amended agreement fundamentally altered Greece's status:
- Greece was declared fully independent from the Ottoman Empire, establishing its complete sovereignty on the international stage.
- Despite achieving full independence, its borders were significantly reduced, set along the Aspropotamos–Spercheios line. This compromise, while granting sovereignty, excluded several regions that had actively participated in the War of Independence, a decision influenced by the Great Powers' desire to balance Ottoman concessions with regional stability.
- Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, a prominent European prince (who would later become the first King of the Belgians in 1831), was initially selected as the first King of Greece. However, he ultimately rejected the offer, citing dissatisfaction with the proposed reduced borders and concerns over the political instability within Greece.
The Final Settlement: The London Conference of 1832
The question of the Greek monarchy and final territorial delineation was subsequently addressed in the London Conference of 1832. This conference further amended the earlier protocols, definitively establishing the final borders of the newly formed Kingdom of Greece. It also resolved the succession crisis by offering the crown to the Bavarian prince Otto Friedrich Ludwig von Wittelsbach, who accepted and ascended the throne as Otto I of Greece, thereby ushering in the Bavarian regency and laying the groundwork for the modern Greek state.
Frequently Asked Questions about the London Protocol of 1830
- What was the primary outcome of the London Protocol of 3 February 1830?
- The primary outcome was the establishment of Greece as a fully independent and sovereign state, liberated from Ottoman suzerainty.
- Which countries were the "Great Powers" involved in the London Protocol?
- The "Great Powers" involved were the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Kingdom of France, and the Russian Empire.
- How did the 1830 Protocol differ from the 1829 London Protocol?
- The 1829 Protocol proposed an autonomous Greece under Ottoman suzerainty, while the 1830 Protocol declared Greece fully independent. However, the 1830 Protocol also stipulated a reduced territorial size for the new state compared to the initial proposals.
- Who was Ioannis Kapodistrias and what was his role?
- Ioannis Kapodistrias was the first head of state of independent Greece. As a seasoned diplomat, he played a crucial role in negotiating with the Great Powers to secure full independence for Greece and laying the foundational structures for its governance.
- Why were the borders of Greece reduced in the 1830 Protocol?
- The borders were reduced as a compromise to gain acceptance from the Ottoman Empire and to address the Great Powers' concerns about regional stability and the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean, ensuring that the new state was not seen as overly expansive.