London Protocol (1877)
The London Protocol was a declaration of the great European powers signed in London on March 31, 1877 , shortly before the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War .
history
At the instigation of the Russian ambassador to Constantinople , Nikolai Pawlowitsch Ignatjew , who traveled to Paris , London, Vienna and Berlin from March 15 to 27, a protocol was drawn up in London that the ambassador in Great Britain Georg Herbert zu Munster for Germany , Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust for Austria-Hungary, Federico Luigi Menabrea for Italy, Pjotr Andrejewitsch Schuwalow for Russia and George d'Harcourt for France as well as the British Foreign Minister Lord Derby on March 31.
In the protocol, the European powers called on the Ottoman Empire to introduce reforms as quickly as possible. The states reserved the right to watch through their representatives in Constantinople how the Turkish government would keep its promises. If the situation of the sultan's Christian subjects were not to improve sufficiently, that would be incompatible with the general interests of Europe and the interests of the powers that be, which will take appropriate measures for the good of the Christian subjects and for the maintenance of general peace.
Even before the protocol was signed, Lord Derby made a written statement stating that the British government had agreed to sign the protocol proposed by the Russian government only for the sake of maintaining the peace. Should the disarmament of Russia and Turkey and the conclusion of a peace between the two states not come about, the protocol will be regarded as irrelevant.
The Russian Ambassador Shuvalov also made a written statement before the minutes were signed. If the Ottoman Empire agree to the Ottoman army back to peacetime strength to bring and implement the requirements mentioned in the report, the Turkish Government to a representative to Saint Petersburg Send to about downgrades to negotiate. If the attacks on the Christian population in the Ottoman Empire continued, the demobilization of the Russian army would be broken off.
The Ottoman Empire refused to accept the protocol on April 9, 1877. In a circular to the ambassadors of the foreign courts, it was stated that the states that signed the protocol placed little value on the sovereignty and independence of Turkey. As an independent state, Turkey could not allow it to be placed under surveillance. The circular commemorated the Paris Peace Treaty of 1856 , in which Turkey was guaranteed the inviolability of its sovereignty and the principle of non-intervention.
Content (complete)
London Protocol of March 31, 1877
The powers that have come together to pacify the East and have taken part in the Conference of Constantinople for this purpose see the surest means of attaining the goal set out above in the maintenance of the happily reached agreement between them and in the renewed unanimous agreement Affirmation of their common interest in the improvement of the lot of the Christian population in Turkey and in the innovations to be introduced in Bosnia, Herzegovina and Bulgaria, which the Porte has accepted with the reservation that it will bring about itself.
They take note of the conclusion of the peace with Serbia.
As far as Montenegro is concerned, the Powers consider the rectification of the borders and free navigation on the Boina to be desirable for the establishment of a firm and lasting settlement.
The Powers regard the agreements made or to be made between the Porte and the two principalities as a step forward on the way to the pacification which is the goal of their common desires.
They call on the Porte to consolidate itself by lowering their armies to the level of peace, without prejudice to the strengths of troops necessary to maintain order, and by immediately bringing into being innovations which are essential for the peace and well-being of the provinces whose state the Conference is concerned with employed are required. You acknowledge that the Porte has agreed to undertake a significant portion of the same.
In particular, they take note of the Porte's circular of February 13, 1876, and of the statements made by the Ottoman Government during the conference and later by its representatives.
In view of this good disposition of the Porte and the undeniable advantage that would lie for it in its immediate activity, the Powers believe that they are entitled to hope that the Turkish government will use the peaceful situation now prevailing to forcefully carry out those measures which are destined to give the lot of the Christian population the real improvement unanimously demanded as indispensable for the rest of Europe, and that, once on this path, they will regard it as a matter of honor as well as their own gain, faithful and effectively to persist.
The Powers resolve to use their agents in Constantinople and their local agents to carefully watch over the fulfillment of the promises of the Ottoman government.
Should their hopes be disappointed again and the situation of the Sultan's Christian subjects should not experience such an improvement as to prevent the repetition of those entanglements which regularly disturb the peace in the East, they believe that they must explain that such a state of affairs with theirs and would not be compatible with the general interests of Europe. In this case, they reserve the right to jointly pass resolutions on what means they will deem most appropriate to ensure the welfare of the Christian population and the cause of general peace.
Done at London this 31st March 1877
Investments
Statement by Lord Derby
The undersigned, Her British Majesty's First Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, makes the following declaration on the minutes signed today by the Plenipotentiaries of Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy and Russia: “Since the Government of Her British Majesty is solely for the benefit of the European peace has agreed to sign the protocol proposed by the Russian government, it is stated in advance that, in the event that the set goal - namely the mutual disarmament of Russia and Turkey and the conclusion of peace between the two states - should not be achieved, that The protocol in question should be regarded as null and void. "
London March 31, 1877
Statement by the Russian Ambassador
When peace with Montenegro is concluded and the Port, following the advice of Europe, shows itself ready to return to the peacetime and seriously tackle the innovations mentioned in the Protocol, it may send an envoy with special authority to Petersburg to to negotiate disarmament, to the Se. The Emperor's Majesty would also give His approval for his part.
If there were butcheries similar to those that stained Bulgaria with blood, this would necessarily bring the demobilization measures to a standstill.
literature
- Christian von Sarauw: The Russo-Turkish War 1877 to 1878. Bernhard Schlicke, Leipzig 1879.
- Bernhard Schwertfeger: Documentary on the prehistory of the world war 1871-1914. German publishing company, Berlin 1928