The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

Prince Michel, on a political mission to London, Lord Granville, being acquainted with Serbia’s grievances, gave new instructions to the Ambassador at Constantinople and consequently the Turkish garrisons were presently withdrawn, and Serbia had her first opportunity to breathe freely.

It was during the Napoleonic wars that Great Britain for the first time came into contact with Southern Slavs. The Frenchmen having occupied Ragusa, on January 6th, 1808, Marmont, General-in-Chief in Dalmatia, declared: ‘* The Republic of Ragusa has ceased to exist.” Her Government, the Senate, as well as the law courts were dissolved by the same order. But the British fleet ceaselessly cruised up and down, and prevented the French from maintaining secure communication between Italy and Dalmatia. In 1808 the Dalmatian island of Lissa was made the port of call for British ships, and after several successful engagements between the British and French, Lissa was strongly fortified and formally taken possession of in 1812. The island prospered under British rule, and the population rose from 4000 to 11,000, and from Lissa the British extended their occupation to all the Ragusan islands and blockaded Ragusa itself. Upon the islands the British set up a provisional Government under Ragusan nobles, and the old Ragusan laws were revived. Captain Lowen issued a proclamation to the Ragusans declaring

214