Convention of London (1840): Difference between revisions

The '''Convention of London of 1840''' was a [[treaty]] with the title of ''Convention for the Pacification of the [[Levant]]'', signed on 15 July 1840 between the Great Powers of [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]], [[Austrian Empire|Austria]], [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]] on one hand and the [[Ottoman Empire]] on the other. The Convention lent some support to the Ottoman Empire, which was having difficulties with itsthe Egyptianrebellious possessions[[Wali (administrative title)|Wali]] of Egypt.

The treaty summarized recent agreements concerning the Ottoman Empire under [[Abdulmecid I]], and its [[Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–1841)|second war]] with Muhammad Ali's [[Egypt Eyalet of Egypt|Egypt]]. It was brought about by the Great Powers' fear of the destabilizing effect an Ottoman collapse would have on Europe.

The Ottomans agreed to declare the [[Dardanelles]] closed to all non-Ottoman warships in peacetime. Muhammad Ali was to withdraw immediately his forces from Arabia, the holy cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]], [[Ottoman Crete|Crete]], and the district of [[Adana]], all within the Ottoman Empire. In return, the signatories offered to Muhammad Ali and his heirs permanent control over [[Eyalet of Egypt|Egypt]] and the [[Eyalet of Acre]] if those territories would remain part of the Ottoman Empire. If he did not agree to withdrawal of his forces within ten days, he should lose the offer in [[Ottoman Syria|Southern Syria]]; if he delayed acceptance more than 20 days, he should forfeit everything offered.<ref>Geoffrey G. Butler, Simon Maccoby, [https://books.google.com/books?id=hEK83BhHp-4C&pg=PA440& ''The Development of International Law''], p. 440</ref> He also had to return the [[Ottoman Navy|Ottoman fleet]] that had defected to Egypt and was in [[Alexandria]].

Muhammad Ali finally accepted the terms of the Convention and the ''[[firman (decree)|firmans]]'' subsequently issued by the sultan, confirming his rule over [[Eyalet of Egypt|Egypt]] and the [[SultanateTurco-Egyptian of DarfurSudan|Sudan]]. He withdrew from [[Ottoman Syria|Syria]] and [[Ottoman Crete|Crete]] and sent back the Ottoman fleet. The London Convention and the ''firmans'' were the legal basis for Egypt's status as aan [[Egypt Province, Ottoman Empire|privilegedautonomous Ottoman province]]. Later Egyptian nationalists cited them to discredit claims for the British occupation.