Greek War of Independence

Setting the scene

The Greek War of Independence began on March 25, 1821 (traditional date), when Greeks rose against Ottoman rule, which had lasted since 1453. The revolt was inspired by Enlightenment ideas, the French Revolution, and Greek nationalism fostered by the Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends), a secret organization founded in 1814. The immediate spark was Ali Pasha of Ioannina's rebellion against the Sultan, which distracted Ottoman forces. Alexander Ypsilantis, a Greek officer in Russian service, led an invasion of Moldavia in February 1821, but it failed.

What happened

The main revolt erupted in the Peloponnese in March 1821, led by Theodoros Kolokotronis and others. Greeks massacred Muslims, and Ottomans retaliated by massacring Greeks, including the hanging of Patriarch Gregory V in Constantinople. The war saw atrocities on both sides. The Greeks won victories at Valtetsi and captured Tripolitsa in 1821, but were divided by factionalism. The Ottomans, unable to suppress the revolt, called on Muhammad Ali of Egypt, whose son Ibrahim Pasha invaded the Peloponnese in 1825 and nearly crushed the rebellion.

Why it still matters

European philhellenism—romantic admiration for ancient Greece—led Britain, France, and Russia to intervene. After the Ottoman-Egyptian fleet was destroyed at Navarino in 1827 by a combined British-French-Russian fleet, the powers forced an armistice. The Treaty of Adrianople (1829) and London Protocol (1830) recognized an independent Greek state, though smaller than modern Greece. The war inspired nationalist movements across Europe and established the principle of humanitarian intervention. It also produced Lord Byron, who died at Missolonghi in 1824, becoming a martyr for Greek freedom.

Background

Great powers later intervened for Greek statehood.