LORD PALMERSTON AND THE "CIVIS ROMANUS SUM" PRINCIPLE: AN ANALYSIS OF BRITAIN'S INTERVENTIONISM IN THE DON PACIFICO AFFAIR

Lord Palmerston, one of the most important political figures in British history, introduced the “civis Romanus sum” (I am a Roman citizen) principle in his long and historic speech in the House of Commons on June 25, 1850. This principle was an explicit declaration that Britain would protect its citizens worldwide. This foreign policy principle resulted from efforts to compensate for the injustice suffered by Don Pacifico in Greece. Palmerston implemented gunboat diplomacy against Greece at the expense of disrupting the European balance of power, and Greece compensated British citizens who suffered injustice, especially Don Pacifico. The article claims that Palmerston's interest in the Pacifico incident is not a simple demand for compensation and that he attaches importance to this issue for many reasons concerning domestic and foreign policy. At this point, the article aims to examine the reasons and consequences of Palmerston's interventionism in a multifaceted manner, focusing on the Pacifico Affair. In addition, the article emphasizes the imperialism dimension of the issue by providing examples of whether Palmerston's principle was adequately implemented by his successors.