The Battle of Navarino took place on October 20, 1827, on the western coast of the Peloponnese. There, the allied fleets – British, Russian, and French – under the command of British Admiral Edward Codrington almost wiped out the Turkish-Egyptian fleet.

“In this battle, which resulted in the independence of the Greeks, if it was not intentionally given for this purpose, the latter simply participated as individuals and the same happened with many others who either took part or attended as spectators: the Austrian fleet, Italians, Americans, Bavarians, Arabs, and others [...].”

“The battle itself was characterized in the Throne Speech at the opening of Parliament on January 29, 1828, as ‘this unfortunate event,’ and the Supreme Lord lamented that this conflict had to occur with the naval force ‘of an old ally,’ namely the Sultan.

The British government managed with great effort to pretend that the destruction of the Turkish-Egyptian fleet at Navarino did not bring about any substantial change to the status quo, and the same stance was maintained by the other Great Powers of Europe, though less convincingly [...].

However, this was not the case with the Turks and the Greeks, who recognized the decisive importance of the event. Although over a year passed to end the war, and about five years for the Kingdom of Greece to be established with a young Bavarian monarch on the throne, there was no longer any doubt about the outcome. With the Battle of Navarino, a new nation-state had been added to the map of Europe.” K. M. GUNTHAUS