Q&A ยท 3:07:09-3:07:52

Why did France, rather than Britain, land troops?

The Allies divided the work: France supplied the expeditionary force, Britain pressured Muhammad Ali, and Russia was denied an opening to occupy Greece.

Question

Why did France land troops in the Peloponnese instead of Britain?

Short answer

The coalition divided the work: France landed the army, Britain handled pressure on Muhammad Ali, and Russia was kept out of Greece.

Notes

The choice reflected coalition division of labour rather than British inability to land troops. The Allies did not want to give Russia an excuse to place its army in Greece. France therefore supplied the Morea expedition while the British naval command dealt directly with Muhammad Ali over his son's evacuation. French influence within the Egyptian army also made it less likely that Ibrahim Pasha's troops would resist the landing in earnest.