Greece buys Creta from Egypt in 1838

[Hecatee]

In 1826 the Ottomans asked their Egyptian vassal to provide help in the difficult greek campaign, which the Egyptian agreed in exchange for various lands including Creta. Then the relations between Muhammad Ali and the Ottomans took a turn for the worse, Muhammad Ali invading all of the Levant. A period of tensions followed. It is here that is asked the question "what if ?"

The question is what would have happened if, looking for any form of cash and technological help the Egyptian ruler had offered the control of Creta to the Greeks in exchange for as much money as the poor nation could provide as well as technical advisers coming from the court of king George. The rationale of Muhammad being that since his fleet had been destroyed by the western powers in 1827 he could not maintain his control over the islands and he wanted to bring the men he had there back to Egypt as a prelude to the Syrian campaign.

The Greeks of course would be most happy to get back a greek land without war, especially one which had fought so much for it's freedom and suffered a lot during the 1820's

So, is this plausible and should it be what now ?

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

It's not possible. Egypt controlled Crete, but the Ottomans were still the sovereign power. None of the powers would ever recognize such a transaction, Greece had no money at all, and Mehmed Ali would have been overthrown for trying to sell a part of the Dar ul Islam to the infidel.

In 1826 the Ottomans asked their Egyptian vassal to provide help in the difficult greek campaign, which the Egyptian agreed in exchange for various lands including Creta. Then the relations between Muhammad Ali and the Ottomans took a turn for the worse, Muhammad Ali invading all of the Levant. A period of tensions followed. It is here that is asked the question "what if ?"

The question is what would have happened if, looking for any form of cash and technological help the Egyptian ruler had offered the control of Creta to the Greeks in exchange for as much money as the poor nation could provide as well as technical advisers coming from the court of king George. The rationale of Muhammad being that since his fleet had been destroyed by the western powers in 1827 he could not maintain his control over the islands and he wanted to bring the men he had there back to Egypt as a prelude to the Syrian campaign.

The Greeks of course would be most happy to get back a greek land without war, especially one which had fought so much for it's freedom and suffered a lot during the 1820's

So, is this plausible and should it be what now ?

 

[Don_Giorgio]

Even if they agreed in buying Crete (and Protector Powers agreed to rcognise that) Greece had NO money at the time... They were trying to organise the state and King Otto had just got rid of the Regency Council...
Greece had to take a loan to pay for the island (probably from England) and this would have put more debt in the new country... if this was done bankruptcy (sic) is near...

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

Even if they agreed in buying Crete (and Protector Powers agreed to rcognise that) Greece had NO money at the time... They were trying to organise the state and King Otto had just got rid of the Regency Council...
Greece had to take a loan to pay for the island (probably from England) and this would have put more debt in the new country... if this was done bankruptcy (sic) is near...

Actually, I believe Greece WAS in bankruptcy at this time. As its loans were guaranteed by the Powers, which had to pay the coupons, that's another reason why they would never allow this to happen.

 

[Hecatee]

Well the western powers could be interested to get a base in Crete which would be free of the Ottomans. I could see the British being very interested for example. Also they could see it as a way to make sure the Greeks could repay their taxes since Creta is an important point for the trade in the area, especially at this time : by giving it to Greece they provide the nation with a small fleet of merchants ships that own most of the trade in the area.

Money could also come, at least in part, from the King's personal treasuary as a gift to his nation, in an attempt to get more internal stability by prooving he is a good Greek patriot.

About A.H. Pasha's argument that selling it would mean being overthrown I'm not so sure because the Islamic presence on the island was not so important ( less than 50% and a lot of those who said they were Muslim were in fact hidden Christians ) and the island had not been in Muslim hands for so much time ( 2 or 3 centuries at most ) and is not a truly Islamic area.

 

[Tizoc]

Well the western powers could be interested to get a base in Crete which would be free of the Ottomans. I could see the British being very interested for example. Also they could see it as a way to make sure the Greeks could repay their taxes since Creta is an important point for the trade in the area, especially at this time : by giving it to Greece they provide the nation with a small fleet of merchants ships that own most of the trade in the area.

UK had the Ionian Islands at the time. They didn't need another place, what, mere 200 (?) miles away for a naval base.

About A.H. Pasha's argument that selling it would mean being overthrown I'm not so sure because the Islamic presence on the island was not so important ( less than 50% and a lot of those who said they were Muslim were in fact hidden Christians ) and the island had not been in Muslim hands for so much time ( 2 or 3 centuries at most ) and is not a truly Islamic area.

So what - selling land to Christian country could be seen as betrayal, even if all the places' inhabitians were, say, revolutionary marxists and atheists...

 

[Leo Caesius]

Less than 50% and a lot of those who said they were Muslim were in fact hidden Christians.

So well hidden, in fact, that in 1923 they allowed themselves to be deported en masse to Turkey rather than give up the ruse.

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

Britain's policy was to maintain the Ottoman Empire intact. As Crete was legally a part of the Ottoman Empire, to allow Egypt to sell it to another power would be akin to the Indian Viceroy selling off parts of India to France. It's just not something that would be considered.

The religious makeup of the island is irrelevant, but there were not a lot of "hidden Christians" - I'm not sure why that keeps coming up.

Crete was a relatively poor place, and having to buy it would entail greater debt for Greece, and the King didn't have a personal treasury to speak of. Also, having to defend it would be a huge burden on Greece. We're talking about 1839 here, not 1912.

I can assure you that it would be politically impossible for the governor of Egypt to sell off part of the Islamic world to a Christian country. First of all, this would be an act of treason, and second, it would undermine any legitimacy he had to be an Islamic leader. It's just not something that could be considered by anyone.

Well the western powers could be interested to get a base in Crete which would be free of the Ottomans. I could see the British being very interested for example. Also they could see it as a way to make sure the Greeks could repay their taxes since Creta is an important point for the trade in the area, especially at this time : by giving it to Greece they provide the nation with a small fleet of merchants ships that own most of the trade in the area.

Money could also come, at least in part, from the King's personal treasuary as a gift to his nation, in an attempt to get more internal stability by prooving he is a good Greek patriot.

About A.H. Pasha's argument that selling it would mean being overthrown I'm not so sure because the Islamic presence on the island was not so important ( less than 50% and a lot of those who said they were Muslim were in fact hidden Christians ) and the island had not been in Muslim hands for so much time ( 2 or 3 centuries at most ) and is not a truly Islamic area.