Don Pacifico affair facts for kids

The Don Pacifico affair was a big diplomatic event in 1850. It involved the governments of Greece, the United Kingdom, and Portugal. This event is a famous example of "gunboat diplomacy". This means a country uses its military power, like warships, to force another country to agree to its demands.

The affair is named after David Pacifico. He was a Jewish British subject born in Gibraltar. He used to be Portugal's top representative, called a consul-general, in Greece. He was fired in 1842 for going beyond his authority. But he continued to live in Athens, Greece.

The trouble started in 1849. Pacifico's house was attacked and damaged by an angry crowd. Some people in the crowd were even sons of a government minister. Pacifico claimed that the police just watched and did nothing to stop the attack.

Why the Trouble Started

In 1849, a rich banker named James Mayer de Rothschild was visiting Athens. This was during the Greek Orthodox Easter, which was on April 4 that year. The city government decided to stop a traditional Easter custom. This custom involved burning a dummy of Judas Iscariot. The government thought Rothschild might be upset by this tradition.

People in Athens got very angry about their custom being cancelled. They believed Don Pacifico was behind the ban, not Lord Rothschild. This anger led to the attack on Pacifico's house. Pacifico said that Greek police were part of the crowd. He also claimed that sons of the Greek Minister of War encouraged the rioters.

Three days after the attack, Don Pacifico wrote to Sir Edmund Lyons. Sir Edmund was the British Minister in Greece. Pacifico described the terrible event: "On Easter Sunday, a crowd of about 300 to 400 people attacked my house. They broke down the door and entered. They beat my wife, my children, and my son-in-law. They broke all my furniture and stole my jewels. They also took a box with 9,800 drachmas. Some of this money was mine, and 7,500 drachmas belonged to the Jewish community. This money was for building a temple and helping the poor. They even tore up my Portuguese Consular papers. These papers were my proof for 21,295 pounds sterling owed to me by Portugal."

Don Pacifico was a busy man. He had been Portugal's Consul-General in Athens until 1842. He also had the Portuguese embassy's old papers. He had even been a consul-general in Morocco before that. He was also very involved with the Jewish community in Athens. He had money for building a synagogue there. His house was not a small shack. It was a very important house where Josef Ludwig von Armansperg, a chief advisor to King Otho, had lived.

Britain Demands Payment

On May 20, 1847, Sir Edmund Lyons told the British government about Pacifico's claim. Pacifico, as a British citizen, wanted money for his lost belongings. This included documents about a large amount of money owed to him by the Portuguese government.

The British Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston, was a supporter of Greece. He told Lyons to have Pacifico list everything he lost and its value. If the list was proven true, Lyons should demand payment from the Greek government.

Pacifico sent his list on February 22, 1848. Lyons then sent the demand for payment to the Greek Foreign Minister, M. Drossos Mansolas. He also wrote to the Prime Minister, M. Constantine Colocotronis.

The Greek government refused Pacifico's claims. They said the amount he asked for was too high. Some even said it was more than the value of the Greek Royal Palace! The Greek government also felt this was a matter for their courts, not for the government leaders.

On August 31, 1848, David Pacifico wrote to Lyons again. He said 16 months had passed, and he still hadn't been paid. He also mentioned that he had to leave his house during Easter 1848. He reminded Lyons that other Jewish people had been attacked in Greece before.

After more letters between everyone, Don David Pacifico asked the British government for help again on October 15, 1848.

Britain Takes Action

By December 3, 1849, Lord Palmerston decided to take strong action. The Greek government was not only refusing to pay British citizens, but they had also stopped payments on a loan from 1832.

Palmerston wrote to Sir Thomas Wyse, the British Minister in Athens. He said he had asked Admiral Sir William Parker to sail his fleet to Athens. Parker was to help Wyse get the Greek government to settle the claims. Palmerston said they should try to be polite first, but only for a few days or hours. If Greece didn't agree, Parker should take action.

Palmerston suggested that Wyse and his team should get on Parker's ships before any hostile actions began. He said Parker should start by taking some Greek property. Palmerston thought taking merchant ships wouldn't bother the King much. So, he suggested seizing the King's small fleet if possible. The next step would be to block Greek ports.

On January 22, 1850, Admiral Sir William Parker reported that all Greek government ships had been seized. However, the French and Prussian representatives were encouraging King Otto to resist. The Greek government and people felt very humiliated by this.

The British also tried to use this situation to push for other demands they had with Greece. These included:

• British claims on the islands of Sapientza and Elafonisos. These islands were claimed for the United States of the Ionian Islands, which was a British protectorate.
• Payment for six British ships that had been robbed.
• An apology for an insult to the British flag and disrespect to the British Ambassador, Mr. Boyde.
• Payment for two people from the Ionian Islands who had been mistreated in Pyrgos.
• Payment for George Finlay's land. His land had been taken for the Royal Gardens of Athens without him being paid.

Greece was a country protected by the UK, France, and Russia. The British blockade caused a diplomatic problem between Britain and France and Russia. Both France and Russia protested the blockade. The French Ambassador in London was even temporarily called back by his government. This made Britain drop the demands that were not directly about Don Pacifico.

The affair also badly damaged the reputation of King Otto in Athens. The blockade lasted for two months. The whole affair ended only when the Greek government agreed to pay Pacifico.

What Happened in London

In London, both parts of the British Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons, discussed this foreign policy issue.

On June 17, 1850, Lord Edward Stanley, a leader of the Conservative party, made a motion in the House of Lords. He said that while the government should protect British citizens abroad, he regretted that claims against Greece, which were "doubtful in justice or exaggerated in amount," were forced by military action. He felt this action could harm friendly relations with other countries. After a big debate, the House of Lords voted against Lord Palmerston's policies.

However, the House of Commons did not agree with the Lords. A member named John Arthur Roebuck proposed a motion to support Palmerston. He stated that the government's foreign policy had kept Britain's honor and dignity. He said it had also kept peace between Britain and other nations during difficult times.

A debate followed that lasted four nights. Palmerston gave a famous five-hour speech. In it, he defended not only his actions regarding Don Pacifico but all his foreign policies. He famously said, "Just as the Roman felt safe from insult by saying, Civis Romanus sum (I am a Roman citizen), so too a British subject, wherever he may be, shall feel confident that the watchful eye and the strong arm of England will protect him from injustice and wrong."

Sir Robert Peel and W. E. Gladstone spoke against Palmerston. This was Sir Robert Peel's last speech in the Commons. In the end, the government won the vote by 310 to 264. This meant the House of Commons supported Palmerston's handling of foreign affairs.

Pacifico Gets Paid

The British government's claims were settled by an agreement on July 18, 1850. The King of Greece agreed to pay Pacifico for any real damage that could be proven. This would happen after a full and fair investigation.

Don Pacifico's remaining claims were sent to a special group called a Commission. This group included the French, British, and Greek ministers in Lisbon. The Commissioners met in Lisbon in February 1851.

The Commission found old documents in Lisbon that Pacifico had sent to the Portuguese government in 1839. These documents proved his claims against Portugal. The Portuguese government had not yet dealt with these claims.

The Commission decided that the Greek government owed Pacifico £150. In total, Pacifico received 120,000 drachmas and £500 in the final settlement.

See also

• History of nationality in Gibraltar