The 20 Events That Defined the Greek War of Independence

Metropolitan Germanos of Patras raises the emblem of the Greek Revolution during the War of Independence. Credit: Public Domain

The Greek War of Independence, which brought astir the commencement of the modern Hellenic nation, is afloat of memorable events, astir of them bloody battles and unthinkable feats of heroism.

The warfare outcry “Freedom oregon Death” echoed crossed Greece arsenic a smattering of heroes fought against the immense service and navy of the Ottoman Empire, the underarmed against the well-armed, those hopeless for state against their complacent overlords.

The spark was provided by enlightened Greeks surviving mostly successful Europe and Russia, thirsty for the rebirth of a once-glorious federation that had been deliberately reduced to a onshore of poor, uneducated masses subservient to their Ottoman rulers.

1814: The founding of the Filiki Eteria sparks Greek War of Independence

Insignia of Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends). Public Domain

The Filiki Eteria, oregon Society of Friends, was a concealed enactment founded successful 1814 successful Odessa, Russia (now successful Ukraine) with the intent of overthrowing Ottoman regularisation successful Greece and establishing an autarkic Greek state.

The Society’s members were chiefly educated, young Phanariot Greeks from Constantinople and the Russian Empire, but besides included Greek politicians and subject leaders and affluent academics arsenic good arsenic respective Orthodox Christian leaders from different nations.

March 13, 1821: Bouboulina raises the emblem of revolution

Greek War of Independence heroine Laskarina Boubourina. Credit: Public Domain

The archetypal emblem of the gyration was really raised connected the land of Spetses by Laskarina Bouboulina. Twice widowed, with 7 children, she was highly wealthy, owning respective ships.  

On April 3 Spetses revolted against Ottoman rule, followed by the islands of Hydra and Psara. Between them the islands had a fleet of implicit 300 ships to usage successful the War. Bouboulina and her fleet of 8 ships sailed to Nafplion and took portion successful the siege of the impregnable fortress there.

In the onslaught on Monemvasia later, she adjacent managed to seizure the fortress. She besides took portion successful the blockade of Pylos and brought supplies to the revolutionaries by sea. 

Bouboulina became a nationalist hero, 1 of the archetypal women to play a large relation successful the Greek War of Independence. Without her, and her ships, the Greeks mightiness not person won the war.

March 17, 1821 Mani declares warfare of Independence connected the Ottomans

On March 17, 1821, the Maniots, descendants of the Spartans connected the Mani peninsula successful Peloponnese, declared warfare successful Areopoli. The aforesaid day, a unit of 2,000 Maniots nether the bid of Petros Mavromichalis precocious connected the Messenian municipality of Kalamata.

There, they joined forces with the troops nether the bid of the revolutionaries Theodoros Kolokotronis, Nikitaras and Papaflessas. Kalamata fell to the Greeks connected March 23, portion successful Achaia, the municipality of Kalavryta was besieged connected March 21.

March 25, 1821: Greek War of Independence is declared

The Greek War of Independence was declared connected March 25, 1821 by Metropolitan Germanos of Patras, who raised the Revolutionary banner with its transverse successful the Monastery of Agia Lavra, adjacent Kalavryta.

Although immoderate historians uncertainty the historicity of this event, the day is portion of the consciousness of Greeks arsenic the authoritative day of the declaration of Greece’s War of Independence.

It is besides said that specified was the determination of those present, that they shouted “Eleftheria I thanatos (Freedom oregon death).”

“Athanasios Diakos astatine the Battle of Alamana.” Credit: Public Domain

April 23, 1821: The brutal sidesplitting of Athanasios Diakos

Portrait of Athanasios Diakos by Dionysios Tsokos. 1861. Credit: Dionysios Tsokos / Public Domain / Wikimimedia Commons

Athanasios Diakos, whose existent sanction was Athanasios Grammatikos, starred successful the gyration of Eastern Central Greece, triumphing successful galore battles against the Ottomans successful the region.

He had adjacent managed to instrumentality implicit Livadia, Thebes and Atalanta arsenic a effect of his perspicacity and courage. At the Battle of Alamana, Diakos and his set of conscionable a fewer men confronted Kiose Mehmet and Omer, who had been ordered to suppress the gyration successful Roumeli (as Central Greece was named then).

After a heroic battle, Diakos was wounded and taken prisoner. He was past asked to renounce his Christian religion and collaborate with the Ottomans; but helium refused.

The defiance of the Greek leader and his devotion to Greece and his religion became legend. His extraordinarily gruesome punishment — decease by impalement — became a awesome of the Ottomans’ barbarism and brutality.

May 8, 1821: Battle astatine Gravia Inn

Just 1 period aft that, Omer Vryonis with his troops continued his beforehand successful Central Greece, portion Chieftain Odysseas Androutsos and his men were locked up successful Gravia Inn, a strategic, constrictive spot connected the road.

When the Ottomans approached, they asked the rebelling Greeks to surrender, sending a messenger to negotiate. Androutsos past started warring the attackers, shooting the messenger dead.

The Ottomans attacked the inn but were repulsed with large ease. Vryonis, seeing his men falling from the Greek bullets, ordered for cannons to stroke up the inn.

But earlier the cannons arrived, the Greeks someway managed to fly the inn. More than 300 Ottomans were killed and 600 were wounded, portion the Greeks mislaid lone six warriors arsenic a effect of the enactment that day.

Statue of Kolokotronis astatine Nafplion. Credit: C Messier CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikipedia

May 13, 1821: The conflict astatine Valtetsi

The Greek Army nether General Theodoros Kolokotronis past began to attack Tripolitsa (today’s Tripolis), the astir important fort of the Ottomans, which was the halfway of their powerfulness successful Morias successful the Peloponnese, with Kehagia Bey ruling astatine the time.

On May 12, Kehagia Bey near Tripolitsa with 12,000 men, heading for Kalamata to instrumentality backmost the metropolis from the Greeks. Kolokotronis was notified and attacked the Ottomans — with conscionable 700 men.

The conflict continued until nighttime without immoderate broadside retreating. In the aboriginal hours of May 13, the Ottomans launched a caller offensive. After 23 hours of fighting, Kehagia Bey ordered a retreat and Kolokotronis forced them to fly erratically, dropping their weapons.

In total, the Ottomans had sustained 300 fatalities and determination were much than 500 wounded, portion the Greeks had lone 2 deaths. The Greeks, who for the archetypal clip fought successful an organized mode and utilizing existent strategy, past gained confidence, realizing their tactical superiority implicit the Ottomans.

September 23, 1821: Greeks seizure Tripolitsa

After months of siege, 15,000 Greek troops had surrounded Tripolitsa, waiting for the close infinitesimal to instrumentality implicit the main fort of the force successful Morias.

On September 23, the 2 sides were negotiating the conditions for the Ottomans to surrender, portion the Albanian troops who fought connected the broadside of the rulers were acceptable to permission the city.

Because of the turmoil, the cannon operation of the Nafplia gross of Nafplia was near unguarded. In the morning, 50 men, connected their ain initiative, started climbing the partition by lasting connected apical of each other’s shoulders. Once in, they opened the gross and raised the Greek flag.

The Greeks past opened different gates, and the full service rushed into the city. The massacre that followed was horrific. “My horses hooves did not interaction the crushed from the walls to the palace”, Kolokotronis wrote aboriginal successful his memoirs.

The Greeks killed thousands of Ottomans. The existent summation for the rebelling Greeks was 11,000 weapons, portion their morale was boosted to the skies.

In different important milestone, the Greek triumph was hailed successful the planetary property arsenic a turning constituent successful the Greek War of Independence.

January 1st, 1822: The provisional Constitution

This archetypal time of the twelvemonth marked the day erstwhile the National Assembly of Epidaurus voted for the archetypal constitution of the Greek War of Independence, amended known arsenic the “Provisional Polity of Greece.” Its preamble proclaims the nation’s determination for “political beingness and independence.”

The substance is intelligibly influenced not lone by the French Constitutions of 1793 and 1795, but besides by the American Declaration of Independence, signed connected July 4, 1776, and the American Constitution of 1787.

“Le Massacre de Chios,” by Eugene Delacroix. Credit: Public Domain

March 30, 1822: The Chios Massacre

Greeks from neighboring islands had arrived connected Chios and encouraged the Chians to articulation the nationalist revolt. Several Greek troops from Samos landed connected the land and attacked the Turks successful the citadel.

Even though galore Chians joined the cause, the immense bulk of the island’s colonisation did not privation to articulation the revolution.

Nevertheless, the Ottoman rulers responded vengefully to the sidesplitting of the soldiers and sent thousands of troops who landed connected the land and killed an estimated 42,000 – 52,000 Chians.

The massacre of Chios provoked planetary outrage and led to expanding enactment for the Greek origin worldwide.

“Kanaris Burns the Turkish Flagship,” by Nikiforos Lytras. Credit: Public Domain

June 6, 1822: Constantine Kanaris destroys Turkish flagship

At Chios, Greek forces nether the bid of admiral Constantine Kanaris destroyed the flagship of the Turkish admiral Nasuhzade Ali Pasha (or Kara-Ali Pasha) successful retaliation for the Chios Massacre.

While the Turkish admiral was holding a celebration, Kanaris and his men managed to spot a occurrence vessel adjacent to it. When the flagship’s pulverization store caught fire, each the men aboard were instantly killed successful the resulting explosion.

The Ottoman casualties were 2,000 men, including some naval officers and communal sailors, arsenic good arsenic Kara-Ali himself.

July 26, 1822: The Battle astatine Dervenakia

The result of the victorious Battle astatine Dervenakia, besides known arsenic the Dramalis Massacre, was the demolition of a important portion of the Ottoman forces nether General Mahmut Pasha Dramalis.

Coming from Drama successful the northbound of Greece to the Peloponnesian peninsula with 30,000 men, Dramalis (Drama Ali) wanted to instrumentality backmost the metropolis of Tripolitsa. They  took Corinth by tempest and moved towards Argolis.

Kolokotronis and his men were positioned successful 2 of the 4 tiny upland passes, called Dervenakia, betwixt Corinth and the Argos valley.

Trapped successful the constrictive passages, the Ottoman soldiers were soon the prey of the hidden Greeks. The Ottomans counted 2,500-3,000 dormant and wounded, portion Kolokotronis established his sanction arsenic a large wide successful the action.

July 5, 1824: The demolition of Psara

The demolition of Psara was 1 of the astir moving tragedies of the Greek War of Independence, arsenic the Ottomans wholly laid discarded the civilian colonisation of the land of Psara.

At the time, the full island’s colonisation was astir 7,000. After the massacre, the colonisation of the land ne'er roseate implicit 1,000.

Papaflessas astatine Maniaki. Credit: Public Domain

May 20, 1825: The autumn of Papaflessas astatine Maniaki

On February 26, 1825, the Egyptian service of Ibrahim Pasha landed undisturbed successful Methoni, successful the Peloponnese, with 4,000 infantry and 400 cavalry and took implicit the city’s castle. His program was to instrumentality backmost the full Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greeks.

In the pursuing days helium was reinforced with much troops and the full fig of his infantry reached 15,000. By the extremity of April helium had occupied the strategical castles of Koroni and Pylos (Neokastro).

On May 20, the Greek leader Papaflessas decided to repulse the Egyptians himself. With a unit of 3,000 Greeks, Papaflessas marched southbound to onslaught Ibrahim. However, fractional of his men unluckily deserted erstwhile they saw the Egyptian Army approaching.

Ibrahim was starring a unit of implicit 6,000 soldiers. Papaflessas gave an eloquent code that shored up the morale of the remaining Greeks who had decided to enactment and fight.

As the Egyptians attacked, the Greeks bravely held their positions but were yet overwhelmed. About 1,000 Greeks, including Papaflessas, fell.

The caput and assemblage of Papaflessas were recovered and placed upright connected a post, arsenic a people of respect for a valiant foe. Legends accidental that Ibrahim adjacent kissed Papaflessas’ caput and said “If each Greeks were similar him, I would not instrumentality complaint of this campaign.”

June 13, 1825: The victorious Battle astatine the Lerna Mills

The conflict astatine the Lerna Mills successful Argolis, Peloponnese, was 1 of the astir crucial, yet small known, victories of the Greek rebellion.

By aboriginal June, the Ibrahim Pasha’s mighty service had beaten Papaflessas’ Greek Army astatine Maniaki and connected June 7 recaptured Tripolitsa, which had been abandoned by the Greeks.

Ibrahim Pasha past sent 5,000 troops to instrumentality implicit Nafplion, the spot of the Greek government.

Yet, somehow, the Greek forces of astir 500 men, led by Captain Yannis Makriyannis, Demetrios Ypsilantis, Andreas Metaxas and Konstantinos Mavromichalis, defeated the Egyptian army. This, the archetypal Greek occurrence against Ibrahim, saved the metropolis of Nafplion.

“The Exodus of Missolonghi,” by Theodoros Vryzakis. Credit: Public Domain

April 10, 1826: The heroic exodus and autumn of Missolonghi

In April 1825, Reshid Mehmed Pasha received the pursuing bid from the Sultan: “Either Missolonghi falls oregon your caput falls.” It would beryllium the 3rd siege of the occidental Greece city, aft 2 failed attempts.

It was a hard task to instrumentality implicit the fortified city, which was surrounded by lakes. The brave chieftains Notis Botsaris and Kitsos Tzavellas led the defence of the metropolis with forces comprised of 3,000 men — with respective philhellenes among them.

The siege lasted an full year, with Ibrahim Pasha joining the onslaught aft the archetypal months. Yet, what the immense Egyptian service could not achieve, was successful the extremity achieved by starvation and disease.

The defending captains decided to pb the starving civilians to a heroic exodus, portion those who could not travel would enactment and support the metropolis to the death.

When the Greeks charged retired of the metropolis gates they were fired upon by Turks and Egyptians. Many panicked and fled backmost wrong the walls portion the Ottoman-Egyptian forces had already entered the city, killing, looting and raping.

Of the 7,000 radical who attempted to escape, lone 1,000 made it to safety. The remainder were slaughtered oregon sold into slavery, with galore of the surviving Greek Christian women becoming enactment slaves to Egyptian soldiers. In an particularly grisly act, the Turks displayed 3,000 severed heads connected the walls of the city.

Yet the Missolonghi massacre proved a triumph for the Greek origin successful the end, and the Ottomans paid dearly for their harsh attraction of Missolonghi. After this atrocity, galore Western Europeans felt accrued sympathy for the Greek cause.

The horrific lawsuit influenced the eventual determination of Britain, France and Russia to intervene militarily successful the Battle of Navarino.

“Georgios Karaiskakis,” by Georgios Margariris. Credit: Public Domain

November 18-24, 1826: The Battle of Arachova

The Battle of Arachova brought the sanction of Georgios Karaiskakis to the forefront, making him 1 of the astir well-known heroes of the Greek Revolution.

The Turkish troops nether the bid of Mustafa Bey were astir to recapture a large portion of Roumeli (today’s Central Greece). Yet, aft receiving quality of the Ottoman army’s manoeuvres, Karaiskakis prepared a astonishment onslaught adjacent the colony of Arachova.

On November 18, Mustafa Bey’s 2,000 Ottoman troops were blockaded successful Arachova by the Greek Army. An 800-man unit that attempted to relieve the defenders 3 days aboriginal failed.

On November 22, Mustafa Bey was mortally wounded and Ottoman morale plunged, arsenic acold upwind and dense rainfall plagued the hunger-stricken defenders.

At midday, connected November 24 the Ottomans made an effort astatine breaking out. Most were killed successful the warring oregon perished from the cold. The Greek triumph astatine Arachova gained the rebels invaluable clip earlier the Great Powers came to their assistance a twelvemonth later.

“Battle astatine Navarino,” by Ambroise Louis Garneray. Credit: Wikipedia/Public Domain

October 20, 1827: The Battle of Navarino seals triumph successful the Greek War of Independence

On that fateful day, British, French and Russian squadrons entered the harbor astatine Navarino Bay connected the westbound seashore of the Peloponnese peninsula, successful the Ionian Sea.

An Ottoman armada which, successful summation to imperial warships, included squadrons from Egypt and Tunis, was destroyed by the Allied forces. Virtually the full Ottoman fleet was decimated, contempt the large bravery of the Ottoman crews.

It was to beryllium the past large naval conflict successful past to beryllium fought wholly with sailing ships, though astir ships fought astatine anchor.

The Allied naval forces fundamentally enactment an extremity to Turkish plans to recapture the parts of Greece they had mislaid aft centuries of rule. The casualties were highly precocious and morale was astatine a debased constituent aft that day.

April 26, 1828: Russia declares warfare connected Turkey

The Russo-Turkish War was sparked by the Greek War of Independence, breaking retired aft the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II closed the Dardanelles to Russian ships and revoked the 1826 Akkerman Convention.

The Turkish determination was related to the Greek War of Independence due to the fact that the closing of the Dardanelles was successful retaliation for the Russian information successful the Battle of Navarino. Greeks welcomed the warfare due to the fact that the Ottoman troops would beryllium leaving the newly-founded authorities to combat the Russians.

May 7, 1832: The Treaty of London establishes the authorities of Greece

The Treaty of London, signed by Britain, France and Russia, established a caller Greek state, making Otto of Bavaria the caller King of Greece, and defining Greece arsenic an autarkic kingdom.