Fear of Russian influence, not trade loss, drove Palmerston against Mehmed Ali

Evidence

Palmerston, however, was concerned above all about the dangers that the Pasha’s territorial expansion were causing to Istanbul. These military activities, Palmerston rightly believed, were pushing Istanbul to seek assistance from the Russians who were only too eager to provide the Sultan with all the help he needed, thus giving them the perfect opportunity to interfere in Ottoman affairs. It was the prospect of Russia’s increased influence in Istanbul and its southward expansion towards India rather than any loss of actual or potential markets in the eastern Mediterranean that inflamed Palmerston’s feelings against Mehmed Ali’s monopoly policies. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1569 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Fear of Russian expansion, not lost Mediterranean markets, drove Palmerston’s opposition to Mehmed Ali — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1569; Palmerston decided by September 1832 that Russia, not France, was the chief threat; Britain opposed Ali because his expansion risked Russian interference in its Asian possessions (+2 more)

Related

• Fear of Russian expansion, not lost Mediterranean markets, drove Palmerston’s opposition to Mehmed Ali (similarity 0.95)
• Fear of Russian expansion toward India, not lost markets, drove Palmerston’s opposition. (similarity 0.89)
• Britain defended Ottoman integrity chiefly to block Russian expansion (similarity 0.89)
• Britain opposed Ali because his expansion risked Russian interference in its Asian possessions (similarity 0.88)
• Palmerston’s hostility to Mehmed Ali stemmed from commercial rivalry fears (similarity 0.84)
• British refusal of naval aid pushed the Sultan into a Russian alliance in 1833 (similarity 0.84)
• Palmerston decided by September 1832 that Russia, not France, was the chief threat (similarity 0.83)
• Palmerston weighed French influence in Egypt against Ottoman survival when choosing sides. (similarity 0.82)
• Mehmed Ali’s expansion policy cost him essential British support (similarity 0.82)
• Britain opposed Mehmed Ali because his expansion threatened British India and Istanbul influence (similarity 0.82)
• Mehmed Ali mistakenly believed his expansion could shield British India from Russia (similarity 0.81)
• Palmerston opposed Arab independence only because it would dismember Turkey. (similarity 0.81)
• British hostility targeted Mehmed Ali’s expansion, not his industrialization or trade (similarity 0.81)
• Britain opposed Mehmed Ali over his Ottoman expansion, not his industries (similarity 0.81)
• Palmerston saw Mehmed Ali’s monopolies as the lever to cripple his army (similarity 0.81)

Broader Connections

• Fear of Russian expansion, not lost Mediterranean markets, drove Palmerston’s opposition to Mehmed Ali #corroborates (1.00) — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1569
• Britain opposed Ali because his expansion risked Russian interference in its Asian possessions #corroborates (0.90)
• Marsot attributes Palmerston’s hostility to commercial rivalry #contradicts (0.80)
• Palmerston decided by September 1832 that Russia, not France, was the chief threat #expands (0.70)
• Britain defended Ottoman integrity chiefly to block Russian expansion #expands (0.65)