In 1821, the Greeks had revolted against the Ottoman Empire. As the Greek plight attracted much sympathy, in 1827 the British, French and Russian fleets had destroyed the Ottoman and Egyptian fleets at the Battle of Navarino. After the battle, the London conference, consisting of the British Foreign Secretary and the French and Russian ambassadors to the court of St. James, met to determine what were to be the borders of Greece, once independence was gained from the Ottoman Empire.