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Three British Prime Ministers and the Survival of the Ottoman Empire, 1855–1902

Throughout the nineteenth century British statesmen had to concern themselves with the condition and prospects of the Ottoman Empire, both in Europe and the Near East. This article concentrates on the views and attitudes of Lord Palmerston, W.E. Gladstone, and the third Marquess of Salisbury, all of whom were in high office for over 30 years. Palmerston, who considered the Ottoman Empire an essential component in the balance of power, was the most Turcophile of the three. Gladstone attempted to bring into existence a Concert of Europe with authority to support the continued existence of the empire. Salisbury was prepared to contemplate an orderly dismemberment of it, in such a way as to reduce rivalry between the greater powers.