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As the first official U.S. contacts with Islamic potentates tied / 3

A memorable story in several episodes of - Part 3

A historical essay by Marco Schöller

V

On 14 May 1798 died of old Dey of Algiers, Hasan, stepped up to the consequences of illness, and his nephew Mustafa as new Dey in his place. Five days later, stabbed the French fleet - the largest expeditionary force by sea since the 16th Century! - From Toulon towards Egypt in the lake. Napoleon, then known as Bonaparte was on his way to the Orient.

The new Dey Mustafa 'Ali was a "tough guy", the tendency was for each of diplomacy, as Ḥasan his uncle still to some degree been his own, utterly lacked. As arrogant, violent, greedy, served as the point of cruelty, if not mad, contemporary observers described him prone. He himself was not eager to take up the post because he was afraid for his life and knew what to ejection seat, he found himself. Shortly before he was forced to watch as Turkish troops had entered the palace of the Dey and then looted, while Dey Hasan was on his sick bed. But no sooner had died Dey Hasan, Mustafa made himself the first "official act" at the looting of the family of his uncle, where he locked up his relatives, among other things, had to learn from them where Hasan had hidden his wealth.

was no less squeamish, the new Dey to the consuls of the European powers. He demanded of them new gifts of money, as indeed was even common for a new Dey inaugurating a considerable Total surrender. Otherwise, he was at audiences also palpable, and when he wanted to put the Swedish consul fire a saber cut (or stab), escaped this by the presence of mind drew his own weapon, "More than once he sat down the whole fury of the Dey by his suggestions: that even stabbed once with a dagger at him, and only one chance saved him from this obvious danger "( Political Journal 1800, 1st volume, month left in February, p. 202) This new

. unpredictable Dey got it now, the representatives of the United States to do that in this period were the way to Algiers. As a foreign policy greenhorn they had all this trouble to find their way in this North African intrigue nest. How all this was happening, and what you could expect from Dey Mustafa, one can see a description from the pen of William Eaton, who was awarded in February 1799 an audience with the new Dey. But the short history: Eaton had been Consul of the United States in July 1797 in Tunis, and had with James L. Cathcart, the newly appointed consul in Tripoli, left the United States in late December 1798 on the brig Sophia . In tow, they had several American vessels which had to be delivered in Algiers. Eaton and Cathcart came on 9 February 1799 in Algiers and lived there on 22, after they passed the ships had an audience with the Dey. Eaton later described the events in the style of Mark Twain: The consuls

O'Brien, Cathcart and myself, the captains Geddes, Smith, Penrose and Maley went from American house in the courtyard of the palace. We took off our hats, entered the hall and climbed a winding maze with five flights of stairs up, until we reached a narrow, dark inlet that led into a narrow room, about twelve to eight feet. That was the space for private audiences. We took off our shoes and went into the cave (for such it seemed), in the light of small, was reinforced with iron bars openings. We were presented a huge, unkempt beast that sat on a low bench on his torso, covered with an embroidered velvet cushions, one above the other hit the back legs like a tailor or a bear. When we approached him, it put out his paw, as it may have something to eat. Our guide exclaimed, "He kisses the hand of the Dey's" The consul general bowed very gallantly and kissed her, as one after another followed his example!. The animal seemed especially good mood and therefore to be harmless, and it grinned several times, but gave only a few sounds. After we carry out this ceremony and had been standing a few moments in silent agony, we could go, to take our shoes and other items and leave the building. (...) Could anyone believe that pay seven kings of Europe, two republics and a continent to this highly Asked beast tribute, his whole naval force is not equal but two ships of the line? And yet it is so! ( Life of General Eaton [Brookfield 1813], p. 59 f.;. Still quoted in Allen, Our Navy , p. 63 f.)

William Eaton was right insofar as the pecuniary aspects of relations with the European countries, the new Dey particularly at heart. Already at the first audience he granted to the French Consul Moltedo, he demanded that France should finally settle his debts, it had to settle with him. He also struck in his first letter to the Board in Paris, in June 1798, immediately a demanding tone, which did not bode well. He brought an outstanding loan repayment openly discussed and complained about other abuses.

VI

was by the expedition of Bonaparte in the summer of 1798, the entire Mediterranean region has been placed in turmoil, and the French attack on Egypt and the Ottoman Empire to the French revolutionary wars has been drawn. The Dey of Algiers, brought the French expedition to Egypt in a difficult position: on the one he was working, albeit only formally, the sovereignty of the Ottoman Sultan, on the other hand, he benefited from the friendship and trade relations with France. But with two sides maintained good relations, which are now faced as enemies? And France was in this period, both in Europe and in Algiers somewhat isolated, while Britain and other European countries struggled about the Dey of Algiers entirely on the side of the Ottomans and thus draw in an anti-French coalition. It finally succeeded, and on 21 December 1798 declared war on France Dey.

But relations between the regency of Algiers and France only cools, but were not hostile: both sides offset the pin holes, but there was no open conflict. The year 1799 was spent in this state of "cold war", and from the spring of 1800 France was again a major effort to end the war. French promises and the hope of the Dey, to benefit from a change of front, led on 20 July 1800 to a permanent ceasefire, signed in Algiers by the French consul and Dey Mustafa Thai Ville. On 30 September, it then concluded, "a" Vorfriedensvertrag, and Dey Mustafa wrote to Bonaparte, he recognized him as the rightful ruler of France as consul.

The renewed agreement between the Regency of Algiers and France once again brought Britain and the Ottoman Empire to the plan, which was the Algiers agreement with France of course not located. Both powers then exercised pressure on the Dey, so that once again turn away from France. The British government came to the Sultan in Istanbul in touch and asked him to act forcefully against the Regency and the Dey to call to reason. This concerted threat scenario, which lasted until the year 1801 into it, led eventually to the Dey of the Ottoman-British pressure gave way again and his attitude towards France again revised.

In this dicey situation in the autumn of 1800 - as the Dey had again allied with France and Britain started and the Ottoman Empire had to agitate against France in Algiers - the U.S. was more or less randomly drawn into this explosive situation. It was a very strange incident, during which the Dey was the foreign policy inexperience of the United States exploited. In September 1800 namely the frigate George Washington under Captain William Bainbridge had come to Algiers, there to pass the overdue tribute. The necessary business was done until October, the Dey demanded by the American Consul O'Brien, one had his frigate for a mission set to Istanbul. The background was just the Ottoman-British pressure on the reign of Algiers, which had increased since the conclusion of the preliminary peace with France again - and the Sultan and Britain were at war with France.

To make sure the favor of the Sultan and avoid imminent penalties, he thought of the Dey gifts to be sent. For the American side of this issue was problematic because it had no relations with the Ottoman Empire and Istanbul or a consul or a contact person. And although the Dey the desired mission constituted as a special honor for the United States, which in previous years, England and Spain had fallen, the Americans were little flattered. Consul O'Brien and Captain Bainbridge tried to all sorts of arguments to pull himself from the affair: "We have no treaties with Portugal, the Italian State or the Ottoman Empire, so the waters are unsafe to ride on, you do not know, etc. First, the water they could convince the Dey actually the fact that he prefers his mission was to settle on a British ship. The British, which was so concerned that the Dey himself as soon as possible again to strike the side of the Ottoman Empire sent a warship, but the Dey changed his mind again and again insisted on the American Ship. The Americans were still reluctant to sail to Istanbul on behalf of Dey.

The Dey was not, however, change her and now threatened so that George Washington shoot capturing the crew and to muster all American merchant vessels, if the mission was not carried out, and he would declare war on the USA. The Americans relented. Captain Bainbridge to say later that he had preferred not to relent, instead of risking the outbreak of war. And so sailed in October 1800, U.S. frigate Algerian "Captain Blood" to Istanbul ...

CONTINUED
(The full literature the fourth and last part included)