Nicholas became the ardent champion of the Greeks, and insisted that the Sultan should put an end to the policy of extermination, and demanded satisfaction for bloody outrages which had been inflicted on Orthodox Christians from time to time, with ever increasing frequency. In March, 1826, he presented his ultimatum to the Porte demanding the evacuation of the Danubian Principalities, the autonomy of Servia, and other things, all tending to diminish the prestige of the Sultan in the European dominions, and a guarantee of the rights of the Orthodox Christians. The other powers of Europe interested themselves in the cause of the Greeks, especially the English Government. The French also energetically supported the Tsar in the demand for Greek autonomy. The Porte resisted these demands and sent an army to the lower peninsula of Greece. Charles X, of France, who was the friend of Nicholas, ordered the landing of troops to resist the Turks, and the French navy fell upon the Turkish squadron, and, at the battle of Naverino, destroyed it. Turkey now declared war on the Powers, and the Russian army advanced to attack the Porte's dominions in both Europe and Asia. Wallachi and Moldavia were occupied, the Danube was crossed, and Shumla, the famous Russia stronghold, was taken. In Asia the Russians stormed the Fortress of Kars. The war ended in a peace at Adrianople, by the terms of which Russia got a little territory about the mouth of the Danube, and the independence of Greece was recognized. This was in 1829.
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From General Nelson A. Miles
Thrilling Stories of The Russian-Japanese War, 1904
