Case Study Circassian Migration FV - EUROCLIO

“It is true that we left the Circassians
alone with their terrible misfortune. Yet
we needed help from them and we used
them.”
Lord Palmerston, Minister for War, addressing
the British Parliament, 1856
Lord Palmerston, British Prime Minister (1855-58 and 18599-1865). In his long
political career he had also served as Secretary of State for War, Foreign Secretary
and Home Secretary.
Throughout the mid-19 th century British military and
diplomatic advisers and spies were operating in the
Caucasus and throughout the Ottoman Empire to
keep their government informed about Russian
activities in the region. During the Crimean War
Britain was encouraging Circassian resistance to
Russia particularly during the Crimean War. Two
British military spies who were particularly active in
the Caucasusin the 1830s and then in Afghanistan
and Uzbekjstan were Arthur Conolly (who travelled
under the name of Khan Ali) and Charles Stoddart.
Both were executed as spies in 1842 by the Emir of
Bokhara.
In 1856, not long after the end of the Crimean War,
Lord Palmerston, admitted in Parliament that in its
attempts to frustrate Russian policy in the Caucasus
the British Government had made use of the
Circassians when it suited them but had not gone to
their aid when it was needed during the Russo-
Circassian War.
“This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the Anna Lindh Foundation. The contents of this document are the
sole responsibility of EUROCLIO and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the Anna Lindh Foundation”