British-venetian relations during the second morean war (1714-1718)

Abstract

In this discourse based on British sources - official reports of British representatives in Venice, the author offers a detailed presentation of the relations between the two ocountries in an epoch marked by a new war in the Eastern Mediterranean. The author particularly stresses the fact that these relations have so far been insufficiently researched, except for the part related to the activities of British opposition (Jacobites) on the Apennine peninsular. Venetian authorities tried to preserve as proper relations with British court as possible at the time when this country was at war with the Porte. Though in the period right after he had become king, George I was unwilling to change the diplomatic corps, British state interest soon required a change of this attitude; this affected the choice of a representative in Venice, the one having the rank of resident. The author highlights the fact that Venetian economy - at the time of transition of a kind - endeavoured to match British textile industry; this was something that Nicolo Tron tried to achieve, however with little success and facing resistance of the official British representative in the country. On the whole, in the period from 1714 to 1718, British-Venetian diplomatic relations reached a visible improvement, though they were not supported by the then current economic state.