Despite the moderation of Russia’s initial response, the seeds of the future Russo-
Turk conflict were nevertheless discernible at Laibach. For although Alexander condemned
the rebels, he was adamant that the Turkish authorities were not to be permitted to punish
those Greeks who had not taken part in the revolt. Russia would observe a strict neutrality
between the warring factions unless, in Capodistrias words, her ‘friendly interference’ was
needed ‘to protect the Greeks from the vengeance of the Turks’.(33)
Turkish reprisals against the civilian population of the Principalities had, in fact,
begun almost immediately upon the outbreak of the revolt. By March, a flood of refugees
had made its way to the Ottoman frontier, seeking protection in Russian Bessarabia. The
refugee problem was extremely sensitive as their admittance into Russia was bound to be a
cause of friction in Russo-Turkish relations. It is therefore remarkable that for almost a
month, the local authorities in Bessarabia, namely its Governor-General, I. N. Inzov and the
commanders of the Second Army, decided Russia’s immigration policy without any
instructions from the Foreign Ministry or the Tsar.
On 25 February 1821 OS, Sabaneev instructed Inzov to allow refugees to pass the
Russian quarantine and ordered some of his military units to move to the Moldavian
border. (34) The Commander-in-Chief, P. Kh. Wittgenstein, soon confirmed these
orders.(35) Inzov was to admit refugees to save them from ‘a certain death’ and the army
was to fend off any Turkish pursuit into Russian territoiy.(36) Wittgenstein, however,
stressed that despite a plea from the Hospodar of Moldavia M. Sutzo,(37) he had no
authority to send military units into Moldavia itself.(38)
Only on 26 March OS did Wittgenstein receive instructions from Nesselrode.(39)
Alexander agreed that whilst the innocent inhabitants of Moldavia were to be admitted: