The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

handing over to Austria-Hungary the Serbian provinces of Bosnia and Hercegovina.

But to be fair to the memory of the late Lord Salisbury, we must remember here, that he was the first to recognise the mistake made, when he uttered his historic words about Turkey: ‘‘ We (Englishmen) have backed the wrong horse.”

Serbs and Southern Slavs are also to be blamed for this, since they seldom displayed their cause in a true light before British public or Government. But always, when acquainted with it, the British Government, moved from within, as a guardian and promoter of the liberties in Europe, showed its willingness to come to their help.

Thus from the published correspondence between Palmerston and Colonel Hodges, first British Consul-General in Serbia, we can see that Great Britain already in 1836 was willing to promote the complete independence of Serbia, by encouraging Prince Milos to resist Russian interference in the Serbian home affairs. Anyhow Great Britain failed to achieve a lasting success, as Prince MiloS was soon afterwards deposed and Russia’s influence remained unchallenged. Again in the ’sixties of the last century, owing chiefly to the opposition of the British Ambassador at Constantinople, Lord Lytton (Bulwer Lytton), Serbia was unable to obtain the evacuation of her fortresses by Turkish garrisons, but when Serbia sent Princess Julia, wife of

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