Greek War of Independence; 200th year anniversary

The Greek War of Independence led to the establishment of a national state for the first time in Europe.  It was in 1814 that several young Greek intellectuals of the diaspora formed a secret society called Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends).  One of its leaders was Alexander Ypisilantis.  He and his brother Dimitrios Ypsilantis played major roles in the revolution that started in 1821.

Battle scene from the Greek War of Independence by Georg Perlberg.

Today, March 25th, Greek Independence Day, our country will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the revolt against the Ottoman Empire.  It was on that day, the day of the Annunciation, Greeks swore to "fight or perish" in 1821.  Four hundred years had elapsed since the Ottoman Turks had conquered Constantinople and brought the end of the Byzantine Empire.

  As in every revolt, many battles were important but the Siege(s) and Exodus from Missolonghi were renowned for their heroism.  Although most Greeks, men, and women perished, their sacrifice raised strong feelings among Europe's philhellenes the most notable of whom was Lord Byron who moved to Greece joined the revolution lived and died in Missolonghi.

Two of the protagonists in the struggle to establish the new country of Greece were; Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770-1843) the commander-in-chief of the Greek forces in Peloponnese or Morea and Ioannis Kapodistrias (1776-1831) a distinguished statesman and diplomat who had served as the Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire.  Kapodistrias was elected as the first Head of State of the newly independent  Greece.  He found a country that was totally destroyed.  In his brief tenure, he instituted reforms to modernize the country and jump-start its moribund economy.  He was assassinated on September 27th, 1831.

  Although most of the rebels were men, I will mention two women, Laskarina "Bouboulina" Pinotsi and Manto Mavrogenous who contributed as much to the cause as any of the men.  It was Bouboulina who raised the first flag of the revolution on the mast of her ship.  Mavrogenous was a wealthy and well-educated woman who spent her entire estate for the cause and died penniless.

Land battles were important but it was in the sea battles that Greeks excelled.  Konstantinos Kanaris (1790-1877) contributed his ship to the Greek Navy and achieved fame because of his effective use of fire-ships.  In 1822 he blew up the Turkish admiral's flagship.  In the years that followed he burned several Turkish ships off the coast of Asian Minor and the Eastern Aegean islands.  In addition to Kanaris, several other seamen such as Miaoulis, Koudouriotis, and Bouboulina managed to cut the supply lines from Turkey to their forces fighting against the rebels in the Greek mainland thus helping immensely the outnumbered and outgunned Greeks succeed against superior forces and win their freedom.

Painting of Burning of the Turkish Frigate by Constantine Volanakis

The revolt lasted between 1821 and 1830.  As in every revolution, many battles and events took place but the sea battle that concluded the war took place in the bay of Navarino where the naval forces of France, Brittain, and Russia defeated the Ottoman fleet following which the new country of Greece was born.

Ζητω η Ελλας!

Painting of the sea battle of Navarino by Ambroise Louis Garneray (1827)