Page 201 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

1UJS51ANS IS A.14t~CA 167

sessions in America as a rrump-card in the diplomaric rug-of-war becween Russia
and England. The Russian diplomaric servicc jusdy bclieved thac ir was b(;ru:r co
allow commerciai accivicy or Amcrican businessmen rhan co observe thc penerra·
t.ion or Bricish companies into that area <9l. Thus the Russian govcrnment gavc some
concessions co rhc Unired Srates, keeping good relarions wirh ir and continuing irs
policy in Western Europe.
In the 1860's the inrernational sicuarion bccame very criticai. The Civil War,
1860-186.5, flared up in the Uniced States. Russia favoured unity for the Americnn
stares and fully supporred che position of President A. Lincoln. Russia was rrying
ro ace as a counrerweighr ro Brirain and France, whicb in relations wirh the Russi-
an state rried co kecp the humiliaring Par.is governmenr dcci d cd w oppose che plans
of the Brirish aod l'rench cabiocrs, whicb had raken rhe side of d1e rebels of che
Sourh and tried co desrroy che nadonal uniry of che Uniced Scates. Wirh cha.t ai m
Russia organi.:ted the America n e:xpcdicion. l t was made up of che Atlancic and Pa-
cifìc squadroos. The formcr and more important was under the command of Rear-
Admiral Srcpan Lesov&ki, rhe most cducarcd perso n of his rime. A m an who knew
che siruacion io me Unired Srares very well, as be had visircd che cou ntry. Tbe lar·
ree, an nuxiliary force. was commandcd by rear-adrniral Andrei Popov, ·a future
founder of the Russiao armored fleec.
[n SeptembeJ: 1863 Lesovski's squadron ofsix sbips arrivedar New York bar-
bar, and in Ocrobcr 6 ships led by admiral Popov carne to San Francisco.
The Russian sailors wcrc rcceived wim greac enthusiasm by che Americans,
who exprcsscd their rcspcct and grarirude forche goodwill support ro rhe Unired
Srares "especiaUy considering unforruoare difficuJrics whicb rhe American oation
now faces < >".
10
The 6-month sray of rhc Russian ships in mc Unired Srares produced on En-
gland and France tbc cffcct char Russiao govcrnmenr had counced upon. The ren-
sion in che im:crnational siruacion was relicved. Aod Anglo-Fre.nch- inrcrvencion in
supporr of the slave-owning Sourh was frusrratcd, helping che Norch ro ach icve vic-
rory ìn rhe Civil War.
In August 1866 a rerurn visit of three ships of the America n Navy tq Russia
rook piace. On board one of rhcm rhere was the exrraordinary ambassador of thc
Unitcd Srarcs, Gusrav Fox - depucy secrerary of the Navy miniscry and recired
oaval officer. The American sailors wece mer with cord.iality and friendship in Perers·
burg, Moscow, Ni:thoi Novgorod and Kostroma. On me lasr day of che Ain.eri-
cans' sray in Pet~rsburg a state dinner was hdd àt which thc chancellor A.M.
Gorchakov made a spcech. Hc poioced our rhat in his opinion the cordial relarions
bcrwecm the cwo pcoples, which "do not represenr for anybody a threat or a dangcr ...
God granted both countries su eh conditions of living, char rhey ca n be completely
sarisfìed wirh rheir grear internai l ife ( I l ) "', were especially valuable.
As proof of good intentions, negotiations bega n abouc conccssions of Russian-
Amcrican colonies ro che Uoited Stares. 1'hey wcre conducred in secrecy · rhc rsarist