ABSTRACT
THE real crisis of foreign policy for Europe proved to be in Greece, and Canning committed England eventually to a policy of far· reaching and even revolutionary character. For in the last two years of Canning's life this fire, which had smouldered fiercely for five years, threatened to become a prairie-fire sweeping over the Continent. The uprising of the sturdy Serb peasants against the Turks, and their achievement of practical independence between 1807 and 1817, had barely rippled the diplomatic waters. Yet within twelve months of the similar Greek revolt in i821 one Great Power came to the brink of war with Turkey, and the clouds gathered ever more darkly over Europe for seven years, till they burst at last in liberating thunder at Navarino. To Europe the Serbian revolt seemed merely local and Balkanic, the Greek distracted her for eight years, split asunder the Neo-Holy Alliance, brought Russia to the gates of Constantinople, and finally lopped a limb off the Turkish Empire.
