Japan and the Pacific, and a Japanese View of the Eastern QuestionInagaki, Manjiro
History
Japan and the Pacific, and a Japanese View of the Eastern Question
Inagaki, Manjiro
Eastern question (Balkan); Europe -- History -- 1871-1918; Japan -- Politics and government
At last Alexander’s policy took a definite form at the Treaty of Tilsit
(1807), for by the first provision “Russia was to take possession of
Turkey in Europe, and push on her conquests in Asia as she thought
proper.” This secret treaty, which was made with Napoleon I., caused
great uneasiness in England, and a coolness sprang up between the two
Powers (1807–1812), although England had adhered to an Anglo-Russian
Alliance during Chatham’s administration, and Alexander joined the
coalition of 1805.
In 1809 Russia gained Finland, with the whole of East Bothnia and part
of West Bothnia, as far as the River Tornea, by the Treaty of
Friedrichsham. The Peace of Bucharest (1812) was the result of England’s
mediation, by which Russia added Bessarabia, and the Pruth was made the
boundary between Russia and Turkey, while Russia gave up Moldavia and
Wallachia, which at that time were occupied by her.
The quarrel between Russia and France concerning the “Continental
System”[47] brought about a French invasion of Russia by 678,000 men
(1812). But Russia coped successfully with her powerful foe.
The Congress of Vienna (1814–1815) met to restore the balance of power
and regulate the European relations, and also established the “Pentarchy
of the Great Powers.” Eight nations signed the Act of the Congress of
Vienna, by which Russia was, generally speaking, the greatest gainer,
for she received the greater part of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw.
At the Congress of Vienna, Castlereagh (the English representative)
evidently had in view three aims—(1) to prevent any revival of the
Continental System; (2) to protect English communication with India; and
(3) to maintain her supremacy in the Mediterranean. For the first aim,
England obtained Heligoland, and the kingdom of the Netherlands was
formed, and “the surrender of Java was made to the Dutch by way of
increasing the wealth and power of that kingdom, and so helping to
re-establish the due counterpoise to French power which nature has given
to the possession of the Low Countries”; for the second aim, England
also obtained the possession of Cape Colony (from the Dutch) and the
Mauritius (from France) to render safe the road to India; and for the
third aim, England retained Malta, and also the seven Ionian islands
were brought under English protection.
The Battle of Waterloo stamped out Napoleon’s[48] ambitious schemes.
French power and influence in Eastern Europe vanished with Napoleon, and
from that time France has not fully recovered, and is therefore unable
to settle the Eastern Question for her benefit. The Napoleonic plan of
occupying Constantinople has been stolen by Russia.
III.
THE NEW EUROPEAN SYSTEM.
_The concert of the Great Powers; its aims—It does not protect small
states from its own members_, e.g., _Polish Revolution—How far can
it solve the Turkish question?_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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