Lord Palmerston had a long career in British politics from 1830 to 1865. He served as Foreign Secretary three times and was Prime Minister twice. As Foreign Secretary, he employed "gunboat diplomacy" to further British interests abroad through shows of naval force. As Prime Minister, he oversaw British policy during the Crimean War and American Civil War. Though controversial at times for his assertive foreign policy, Palmerston remained very popular with the British public.

1. Lord Palmerston
A Brief Introduction to his Life

2. Contents
 Who he was
 Background
 Personal life
 Role in politics
 Foreign Secretary
 Methods
• Gun boat Diplomacy
 Relations with European
Powers
 Poland 1930
 Belgium 1930
 Spain and Portugal 1930
 Don Pacifico Affair 1850
 Eastern Question
• Mehemet Ali Crisis's
 Home Secretary
 Interference with foreign
policy
 Prime Minister
 Crimean War
 American Civil War
 Conclusions
 Effectiveness
 Significance

3. Who was Palmerston?
 Henry John Temple, 3rd
Viscount Palmerston
 From Irish aristocracy but keen
to be English
 Very popular with the public but
mixed in Parliament
 Hated by Queen Victoria
 Womaniser
 Committed to peace but had
British interests at heart
 Began career as a Whig but
ended it as a Liberal
 Jingoistic and great orator

4. Years in Politics
 Foreign Secretary
 22nd November 1830 – 15th November 1934
 18th April 1835 – 2nd September 1841
 6th July 1846 – 26th December 1851
 Home Secretary
 28th December 1852 – 6th February 1855
 Prime Minister
 6th February 1855 – 19th February 1858
 12th June 1859 – 18th October 1865

5. Role in Politics
 Seen as a later starter for politics
 Relations with Wellington
 Played major powers against each other
 Never really lets go of foreign policy
 One major policy was to abolish the slave trade
 Brought down government after fired
 Napoleon III dispute
 PM due to popularity with public
 Same reason Queen couldn’t fire him
 Last PM to die in office

6. Foreign Secretary
 Three terms in office under this position
 Seen as successful but controversial in methods
used
 Particularly gun-boat diplomacy
 In politics in what is typically seen as the height of
British power
 British relations with France key
 Eastern Question continues to loom
 Independence of Greece
 Mehemet Ali Crisis’s

7. Gun-Boat Diplomacy
The Opium Wars
 TRADE!
 Tea major import at home
 1841 – Treaty of Nanking
 Enhanced Pam’s
reputation
 Tories critical
 Admired in and out of
Parliament
 Britain gained Hong Kong
(only returned in 1997)
Independence of Greece
 1821-1830
 Palmerston urged Wellington
into active interference
 Combined with Russia and
France
 Defeat of Egyptian fleet
 Popular at home
 Leads to the Mehmet Ali
crisis’s
 French wanted Egypt, Russia
wanted Straits

8. The Opium Wars Use of gun-boat diplomacy was
successful in China

9. Relations with European Powers
 Allies with France
 Particularly unpopular with public
 Historically enemies
 Napoleon III
 Anglo-Russian relations
 Underlying hostility
 Reluctant to go to war with each other
 Belief Ottoman Empire must be kept ‘alive’ by all the
major powers
 Britain was Liberal but not Revolutionary
 Independence of Belgium
 Iberian Peninsular
 Poland revolt

10. Map of Europe 1830 Britain, Russia, Austria, France
and Prussia all major powers

11. Suppression of Poland 1830
 Not much that Britain could do
 Militarily weak
 No diplomatic footing to use
 Within Prussian and Russian territory
 Had to just sit by and watch
 Unpopular at home

12. Kingdom of Belgium 1830
 Important to Britain due to geographical location
 Threat of being invaded
 Balance of power in Europe if Dutch or French
controlled Belgium
 France wanted to annex Belgium
 Happy for it to be independent
 Question of King of Belgians almost led to war
 Resolved by Prince from England allowed to marry lesser
Princess from France
 Operated like Canning

13. Queens of Spain and Portugal
 Youthful Queens in Spain and Portugal
 Problem of who they should marry
 Opposition from absolutists in their own countries
 Britain felt the need to preserve the constitutionalist’s
Queens
 France wanted some power there
 Treaty for pacification signed in London 22nd April
1834
 France reluctant
 Maria II of Portugal married Napoleon I’s grandson
(suited France), then German Prince (suited Britain)
 Isabella II of Spain married her Spanish cousin which
suited France not Britain

14. Don Pacifico Affair 1850
 With Greece independent it was under the
protection of Britain, Russia and France
 The claim:
 Police did nothing while Don Pacifico’s home was
vandalised
 Some of the mob included sons of a government minister
 Appealed to Greek government for compensation but lost
 Turned to help from Britain as a British citizen from
Gibraltar
 The result was a blockade on Greece causing
diplomatic tensions between powers

15. Eastern Question
 Ottoman Empire at point of collapse
 If it collapses who gets it – war inevitable
 No one can afford a war but no diplomatic ‘carving up’ of
Ottoman Empire likely to be agreed
 Russia needed Black Sea as its unfrozen and thus
needs access to the Straits – under Ottoman
control
 Britain and France worry about Russian power
 Austrians weakening but typically allies of Russia
 Coincides with 1842’s Reform Act

16. Mehmet Ali Crisis’s
First Crisis 1830
 Egyptians not happy with
compensation for losses in
Greek revolt
 Went to war with Ottomans
 Russia there to help but
France and Britain busy
elsewhere
 Led to Treaty of Unkiar
Skelessi 1833
 Led to Straits Problem
 Straits closed when Russia at
war
 France and Britain unhappy at
Russian expansion and threat
Second Crisis 1839
 Sultan dies and chance for
Egyptians to try expansion
 Britain and Russia intervene
to stop collapse of Ottomans
 France pro-Mehmet Ali but
not strong enough for war
 Compromise reached
 1841 London Straits
Convention
 Re-established previous rule of
the Straits
 Preservation of Ottomans

17. Straits and Crimea Map of the Black Sea includes
Straits and Crimea

18. Role as Home Secretary
 Interfered with foreign policy continuously
 Crimean War
 Some believed he helped created
 Although many believed he was the only one that could help
Britain
 Others now believe it may not have happened if he was
Foreign Secretary
 There because they had to have him there in a Whig-
Peelite coalition
 Palmerston strongly opposed much of Russell’s plans
like the urban working class being able to vote
 He resigned but was persuaded to return

19. Prime Minister
 Queen reluctant to make Palmerston PM
 Little choice when others declined position
 Popularity also a major factor
 Crimean War
 Ended due to peace talks when Alexander II ascended to
the throne
 France major winner
 Peace treaty signed 30th March 1856
 Second Opium War
 Palmerston backed legally and morally wrong actions
 Popular with public, winning the biggest majority since 1835

20. Second Premiership
 American Civil War
 Gave Confederation a ship despite being ‘neutral’
 When North won they wanted compensation
 Palmerston refused to pay or refer to the dispute
• Gladstone would pay $15,500,000 in gold but keep Canada
 He won another general election in July 1865
 Problems in Ireland
 Suspension of trial-by-jury
 Monitor Americans going to Ireland

21. Death
 He died 18th October 1865
 Wanted o be buried at Romsey Abbey
 Given a State funeral and buried at Westminster
Abby
 27th October 1865
 Fourth person to be buried there who wasn’t
royalty
 Sir Isaac Newton
 Lord Nelson
 Duke of Wellington

22. Conclusions
 Very popular with the public despite some decisions
 Allies with France
 Recognition of Napoleon III
 Mostly effective at securing British interests
 Belgium
 Spain and Portugal
 Straits Convention
 Opium Wars
 Not ‘soft’ on Foreign Policy and seen as his great
strength
 American compensation, compare to Gladstone
 Remembered as light-hearted
 Florence Nightingale

23. Disagreement
 Some disagreement lies with whether he was a
Liberal or Conservative or both...
 Sir Henry Balwer and Evelyn Ashley call him a
Liberal
 D. Southgate and J. Vincent claim he was a Liberal
in Europe but Conservative at home
 E.D. Steele claims he was a Progressive
 Personal opinion... he was pragmatic!