Great Britain and the Recognition of the River Plate

Abstract

On 6 April 1823 French troops invaded Spain for the second time in fourteen years, seeking to restore Ferdinand VII’s absolute powers and to end the Constitutionalists’ rule. This measure had negative epercussions among the other members of the Holy Alliance, especially in Great Britain. From this moment Britian’s Latin American policy would take a more consistent course. Canning was at this stage clearly set against the Holy Alliance. The fact that Austria, Prussia, and Russia reacted negatively against the French occupation of Spain did not impress him. It was clear that these nations were not against France for intervening in Spain, but for not having done so in concert with the other members of the Alliance.But such concertation was precisely what provoked Canning’s criticism of the Holy Alliance. He was insistent that his Government should adopt a more independent stand, and therefore preferred a policy of every nation for itself.²