Some help required: Byron in Greece

[Justin Pickard]

I know this has been done before, but I am looking for ideas to flesh out this previously skipped over timeline seed.

In OTL, Lord Byron (178 died of marshfever (malaria) on April 19 1824.

WI: Byron survives his encounter with malaria in 1824, going on to play a major role in successfully rallying the Greek forces into overthrowing the Turks.

Without the death of Byron in 1824, he was able to hurry negotiations for the deployment of British and allied troops, leading to the direct intervention of Britain, France and Russia on the side of the Greeks by late 1825.

[Should this erupt into full-scale war?]

Britain, France, Russia, Greek Rebels vs. The Ottoman Empire, Egypt

Either way, when it comes to the consolidation of Greek power at the end of the conflict, the newly independent nation will find itself leaderless. Without Bavaria at the bargaining table (as in OTL), Otto von Wittelsbach simply wouldn't be an option.

What is the likelihood of Lord Byron being supported as leader, even if it is only a figurehead role? What powers would he have?

What happens next?

All ideas are welcome...

 

[Prunesquallor]

Not quite relevant but you might be amused by Harold Nicholson's IF BYRON HAD BECOME KING OF GREECE. It's in the old J.C.Squire anthology.

 

[NapoleonXIV]

I doubt if Byron would accept the kingship if offered. It doesn't seem to fit his personality

He would probably still be killed when Greece was invaded by the Egyptians, who were asked in by the Turks in 1826. This might bring strong British action to the area and possibly a much earlier British occupation of Egypt.

OTOH he might easily have left by this time. If so, he would be instrumental in bringing the British in to negotiate the peace that they did in 1827-29. Again here, he might very well be offered the kingship and he might just take it this time, seeing it as one way to hold off further Turkish incursions.

I see some very interesting changes for this area of Europe if he did stay. The British would try to use him as a catspaw in their games with Russia and the Ottomans but Byron was noone's man but his own. He confessed to more sympathy for the Turks than most Europeans did at the time. I think his foreign policy would be to play the powers off against each other but to keep England as his 'hole card'

 

[Lysander]

I know this has been done before, but I am looking for ideas to flesh out this previously skipped over timeline seed.

In OTL, Lord Byron (178 died of marshfever (malaria) on April 19 1824.

WI: Byron survives his encounter with malaria in 1824, going on to play a major role in successfully rallying the Greek forces into overthrowing the Turks.

Without the death of Byron in 1824, he was able to hurry negotiations for the deployment of British and allied troops, leading to the direct intervention of Britain, France and Russia on the side of the Greeks by late 1825.

[Should this erupt into full-scale war?]

Britain, France, Russia, Greek Rebels vs. The Ottoman Empire, Egypt

Either way, when it comes to the consolidation of Greek power at the end of the conflict, the newly independent nation will find itself leaderless. Without Bavaria at the bargaining table (as in OTL), Otto von Wittelsbach simply wouldn't be an option.

What is the likelihood of Lord Byron being supported as leader, even if it is only a figurehead role? What powers would he have?

What happens next?

All ideas are welcome...

Assuming the war ended sooner Greece would avoid all the destruction of the egyptian intervention and a lot of the problems that were created from internal infighting which would propably leave the Greek state in a mach better state than it was in OTL. I´m not sure how likely it would be that more area would be liberated.

On the matter of the head of state i should remind you that at the very beginning Greece did not have a king. A governor was appointed who in later stage would be democratecally ellected. The first (and last) was Ioannis Kapodistrias, a greek who lived in Russia and was foreign minister of Russia at a time. His murder and consequent chaos brought the decision by the powers to apoint a king.

In this timeline it is possible that the better position of the Greek state could help avoid the murder and the change to constitutional monarchy that brought so many political problems later on allowing for a faster Greek expansion towards northern and still occupied Greece. It is possible the Balkan wars would be precipitated and Greece would have a more leading role in the Balkans