Turtledove
Register
Advertisement
Henry Temple, Viscount Palmerston
Palmerston
Historical Figure
Nationality: United Kingdom
Year of Birth: 1784
Year of Death: 1865
Cause of Death: Fever
Religion: Anglicanism
Occupation: Politician
Political Party: Tory Party (1806–1822),
Whig Party (1822–1859),
Liberal Party (1859–1865)
Political Office(s): Member of Parliament for several constituencies between 1807-1865
Foreign Secretary;
Home Secretary
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Fictional Appearances:
Southern Victory
POD: September 10, 1862
Appearance(s): American Front
Type of Appearance: Contemporary reference
Political Office(s): Prime Minister of the UK

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, KG, GCB, PC (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865) was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. He was in government office almost continuously from 1807 until his death in 1865, beginning his parliamentary career as a Tory and concluding it as a Liberal.

He is best remembered for his direction of British foreign policy through a period when the United Kingdom was at the height of its power, serving terms as both Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister. Some of his aggressive actions, now sometimes termed liberal interventionist, were greatly controversial at the time, and remain so today.

Henry Temple Palmerston in Southern Victory[]

Henry Temple Palmerston was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time of the War of Secession. Though he was an opponent of slavery, Palmerston was deeply hostile to the United States and was eager to see it embarrassed and weakened by defeat. Following the fall of Philadelphia to the Army of Northern Virginia in the fall of 1862, Palmerston instructed his Foreign Secretary, John Russell, to extend diplomatic recognition to the Confederate States and to "offer" to mediate a peace between the US and CS. Had President Abraham Lincoln refused his "generous" offer, Palmerston would have dispatched the Royal Navy to assist the C.S. Navy in lifting the U.S. Navy's blockade of its ports. Recognizing the threat, Lincoln agreed to Palmerston's offered mediation, granting the CS diplomatic recognition in the process.[1]

References[]

  1. American Front, pgs. 4-5.
Political offices
(OTL)
Preceded by
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1855-1858
Succeeded by
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Preceded by
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1859-1865
Succeeded by
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
Political offices
(Southern Victory)
Preceded by
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1859-186?
Succeeded by
Unknown,
next known is
Winston Churchill
Advertisement