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How the U.S. for the first time official contacts with Islamic potentates tied / 4

A memorable story in several episodes - The fourth and last part

A historical essay by Marco Schöller

It will be remembered: For the favor of the Ottoman to insure Sultan and avoid imminent penalties, because he had formed an alliance against the interests of the Ottoman Empire with France, was planning Dey of Algiers, Mustafa, to be sent in the autumn of 1800 the Sultan gifts. Because the Dey to no big enough or sufficiently armed ship had available, he held on to the Americans, who had arrived with the great frigate » George Washington " in Algiers, and asked them the gifts to get to Istanbul. The U.S. representative O'Brien and Bainbridge tried to dissuade the Dey of that idea, but without success. And so sailed in October 1800, U.S. frigate in Algerian "Captain Blood" to Istanbul ...

VII

The George Washington made after they had been to some extent by Dey "hijacked on 19 October 1800 on its way from Algiers to Istanbul. At the top of the middle main mast - the tallest point in the rigging of a three-master - the Americans had to raise the Algerian flag. This is supposedly the head of 'Ali have shown, including a turban, but surely that is not in fact, we do not know the flag of the Dey. must regard the raising of the flag to know that among the seamen as driving under foreign flags maximum Was considered shameful. Before departure, therefore O'Brien with the Dey had unsuccessfully discussed whether or not we could hoist the flag on the foremast. This would have signaled that the ship sailed under a flag other than the actual, because it captured ships with flags on the foremast: So would have been clear that the ship by force as O'Brien put it, and not under its own was but another flag on the go. The flag at the mainmast had, however, the ship "as a" flagship, as it actually state only the commanding officer or an admiral. But the Dey could not change his mind, and so was the flag raised at the main mast. But no sooner had to leave the harbor of Algiers, is said to have obtained the Bainbridge flag again, when you were out of sight.

to Malta by it sailed towards the Bosphorus and the sea journey was less because of the autumnal weather, but mainly because of the overcrowding of the ship is a nightmare. On board were in fact, in addition to the regular crew of 131 men, the Algerian ambassador and his company of 100 people, 100 black women and their children, four horses, 151 sheep, 25 cattle, four lions, tigers (!) And antelope , twelve parrots and prizes worth over $ 1,000,000. If it is found during the three-week trip that the ship is in had crossed zigzag into the wind, then took up position on a Muslim prayer time at the ship's compass and conducted from there the prayer, which direction to Mecca, they had to take. On 9 November ran a ship in the straits off Istanbul.

Bainbridge and the Americans were not sure how they would be received in Istanbul. After all, it was thus the first contact between the United States and the Ottoman Empire, which was officially halfway. The frigate was under American flag in front of Istanbul, and the reception was that concerned the Americans warmly. Although the Turkish officer who came on board, never heard of a nation called United States had he brought as a lamb of peace and a bouquet of flowers as a welcome gift. It is also reported that the Sultan saw from his palace which starred American flag and it concluded that the United States have similar customs and laws such as the Turks, who even wore a star on their flag.

were on site then minor mishaps and misunderstandings, but with the help of the British Consul, Lord Elgin could be resolved quickly. All in all, the stay of the Americans in Istanbul a great success, for it closed many friends. The Americans were known among other things, a German count who the gardens of the Sultan, supervised and with the English East travelers Edward Daniel Clarke. (Clarke reported on the arrival of the American ship and the other events of the third volume of his travel books: Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia and Africa ... Fourth Edition, Volume III, p. 77-79.) Agreed for the future is an exchange of diplomats between the U.S. and the Ottoman Empire, and for now the Americans were given Turkish passports protection for their further journeys.

The reception for the Ambassador of the Dey, however, was chilly. This itself and the 100 who traveled on the George Washington Turks were taken hostage and up to Another interned, whether this happened at the instigation of the British, as is claimed in some places, is not guaranteed, but likely. But the Sultan had good reasons to Dey in Algiers not to be good to talk, because he resented his vassals in Algiers to the flexible attitude to France. The Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Navy spat on the letter from the Dey, which was handed over to him and then stomped it around - according to other reports of the Sultan himself had done so, but this is hardly credible. As a concrete measure of the Sultan decreed in any case, the Dey would immediately declare war on France and also a new "reparations" from a Million of piastres to pay, which was to be delivered within 60 days in Istanbul. The Algerian gifts had been able so nothing to be done and the Dey was in a difficult position, as on the George Washington 21st January 1801 re-anchored in the bay of Algiers.

VIII

obviously now had all the Dey, he wanted to submit to the will of the Sultan and take the required sum to Istanbul to make, once again the service of the U.S. ship to deliver. But this had also suspected Captain Bainbridge, who had therefore not thrown from the pier, but in the bay outside the reach of the Port anchor batteries. The claim of the Dey, he had in his Order a second time to sail to Istanbul, he refused categorically. This time, however, the Dey gave in and guaranteed the frigate safe entry into the port of Algiers. In an audience with the Dey, the first was stormy, Bainbridge presented the Turkish letter of protection in this way and saved the situation and himself the next day, 24 January 1801, Dey said the France, the second time after 1799, the war.

The Dey, who had in his attitude towards France now for several years fluctuated back and forth, once again yielded to the Ottoman-British pressure. After the declaration of war against France, he gave 400 Venetian, Sicilian and Maltese prisoners free, who had been kidnapped and at the time of their capture British had letters of protection. All the French, including the Commissaire général Thai Ville, he was put in chains, and only the intercession of the American Bainbridge and O'Brien was able to achieve that the Dey changed his mind and ordered the French to leave the regency within 48 hours . Thai Ville was reported, as has been demanded by Britain in August 1800, and embarked on 30 January in the company of some 60 compatriots to Alicante, where they were brought by the American frigate George Washington .

Thus ended the first Contact the U.S. with the Dey in Algiers and the Ottoman Empire. In retrospect, it seems curious that the U.S. was dragged unwillingly into most events - and certainly did not want to establish a diplomatic contacts with the Ottoman Empire. But the U.S. got in the Mediterranean, no respite, because in the spring of 1801 led to the first "official" war between an Islamic power and the U.S.: After a dispute about the amount of the annual tribute to pay to the United States in Tripoli, had Bey said there in March 1801 the United States to war. But it took some time before the Americans in their role as a belligerent power in the Mediterranean with a little self-consciousness assembled at. First seen still as a "low power", which is hardly in a position against Algiers (and not least against the other European powers who were working there) to fight back. In this sense, the American consul O'Brien wrote on 7 February 1801 to Lisbon:

"I am shivering in fear for our valuable ships and citizens in this sea. We are with our tribute in default, have no money and no pirates, and are threatened by all the vultures. Algiers, a pirate state investigated, employment for its corsairs (...) and we are the victims of it "(State Papers and Publick Documents of the United States IV, p. 362)

And when one then in early summer 1801 with the regency of Tripoli during the war was that required the use of all available forces of the United States, it was more cautious. In May 1801 therefore had to Consul O'Brien that he would do everything to avoid a breach with the Dey, because you could use the face of conflict with Tripoli no sideshow. With the dey of Algiers, it was therefore necessary to remain in agreement. The U.S. led in 1801 its first war against an Islamic power, the Dey of Tripoli. This is no longer in our history. But must remember in our days, that Libya's capital is once again plagued by bloody violence, particularly traurig stimmen.

ENDE


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