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Constructing Ionian identities: the Ionian Islands in British official ...

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made public works for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islands</strong> almost impossible to achieve and complete while<br />

concurrently he and Newcastle attempted to improve <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islands</strong>' f<strong>in</strong>ances by<br />

renegotiat<strong>in</strong>g trade rights and duties with <strong>the</strong> Treasury, which failed because of <strong>the</strong><br />

ambiguous nature of <strong>the</strong> Protectorate. Even dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> negotiations concern<strong>in</strong>g<br />

cession of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islands</strong>, Storks believed he could make <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islands</strong> governable.<br />

Throughout his tenure he was considered by many <strong>Ionian</strong>s, and even his own peers,<br />

to be as despotic as Maitland.<br />

When <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islands</strong> were ceded to Greece <strong>in</strong> 1863, it was Brita<strong>in</strong> who determ<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

<strong>the</strong> new Greek monarch <strong>in</strong> order to streng<strong>the</strong>n her supremacy <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mediterranean.<br />

Brita<strong>in</strong> negotiated <strong>the</strong> terms of cession with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r European Powers,<br />

marg<strong>in</strong>alis<strong>in</strong>g Storks and <strong>the</strong> <strong>Ionian</strong>s. While cession to Greece had long been desired<br />

by some <strong>Ionian</strong>s, particularly <strong>the</strong> Risospasti, Storks was ordered to prorogue <strong>the</strong><br />

Assembly to suppress debate and possible opposition to <strong>the</strong> practicalities of <strong>the</strong><br />

union; his voice was also suppressed by Russell and Newcastle, who amended his<br />

speeches to <strong>the</strong> Assembly. Had <strong>the</strong> right political opportunity not presented itself,<br />

Storks and Brita<strong>in</strong> would most likely have cont<strong>in</strong>ued <strong>the</strong>ir experiment with forms of<br />

rule for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islands</strong>.<br />

354

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