- Date:
- March 1821 - July 1832
- Location:
- Greece
- Participants:
- Egypt
- France
- Greece
- Ottoman Empire
- Russia
- United Kingdom
- Major Events:
- Battle of Drăgăşani
- Battle of Navarino
War of Greek Independence
-
What was the War of Greek Independence?
The War of Greek Independence (1821–32) was a revolt by Greeks within the Ottoman Empire that led to the establishment of an independent kingdom of Greece. Sparked by the Philikí Etaireía, a patriotic society, the rebellion commenced in February 1821. It gained momentum on March 25, 1821, now celebrated as Greek Independence Day, with widespread revolts against Turkish rule.
Initially, the Greeks gained control of the Peloponnese and declared independence in January 1822. However, internal rivalries and the intervention of Egyptian forces threatened the revolution. The European powers intervened, and after the destruction of the Egyptian fleet at Navarino in 1827, Greece was declared an independent monarchical state in 1830.
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When and where did the War of Greek Independence take place?
The War of Greek Independence occurred from 1821 to 1832, as Greeks within the Ottoman Empire rebelled to establish an independent kingdom. The revolt began in February 1821, when Alexander Ypsilantis invaded Turkish-held Moldavia. Sporadic revolts followed in March 1821 in the Peloponnese, north of the Gulf of Corinth, and on several islands. Within a year, rebels gained control of the Peloponnese and declared independence in January 1822. The European powers mediated, forming an autonomous Greek state, and by 1832, Turkish Sultan recognized Greek independence.
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Who were the main groups fighting in the war?
The main groups involved in the War of Greek Independence were the Greeks, who sought independence from the Ottoman Empire, and the Ottoman forces, who aimed to maintain control. The Greek Orthodox Church played a significant role in fostering Greek nationality, while the Philikí Etaireía, a patriotic society, initiated the rebellion.
The conflict also drew in other powers, including Great Britain, France, and Russia, who intervened to mediate and ultimately support the formation of an autonomous Greek state. Additionally, Egyptian forces aided the Ottomans in suppressing the revolt until European intervention.
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Why did the Greeks want independence from the Ottoman Empire?
Greeks desired independence from the Ottoman Empire due to a rising sense of Greek nationality, or Hellenism, fostered by the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek language, and Ottoman administrative practices. Western revolutionary ideas and economic progress further fueled this desire. The Philike Etaireia ("Friendly Brotherhood"), a patriotic society founded in 1814, also contributed to the rebellion. By 1821, independence was a widespread aspiration among Greeks of all social classes.
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How did other countries help or influence the war?
During the War of Greek Independence (1821–32), other countries, especially European powers, played a crucial role. Sympathy for the Greek cause grew in Britain and France, while Russia had historic hostility towards Turkey and affinity with Orthodox Greeks.
Unable to resolve the conflict between the Greeks and the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France, and Russia intervened, and their combined naval fleet destroyed the Egyptian fleet in 1827. This intervention was decisive, leading to the establishment of Greece as an independent kingdom in 1832.
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What were the main outcomes or results of the War of Greek Independence?
The War of Greek Independence (1821–32) resulted in the establishment of an independent kingdom of Greece. The war saw Greeks revolt against the Ottoman Empire, driven by a desire for independence fueled by a sense of Greek nationality, the Greek Orthodox Church, the survival of the Greek language, and Ottoman administrative arrangements.
European powers intervened, favoring an autonomous Greek state and offering to mediate between the Turks and the Greeks. Greece gained formal recognition as an independent state in 1832. Greece was established as a monarchy under the protection of the great powers. However, the new state included less than a third of the Greek population, leading to a continued struggle to expand its borders.
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War of Greek Independence, (1821–32), rebellion of Greeks within the Ottoman Empire, a struggle which resulted in the establishment of an independent kingdom of Greece.
The rebellion originated in the activities of the Philikí Etaireía (“Friendly Brotherhood”), a patriotic conspiracy founded in Odessa (now in Ukraine) in 1814. By that time the desire for some form of independence was common among Greeks of all classes, whose Hellenism, or sense of Greek nationality, had long been fostered by the Greek Orthodox Church, by the survival of the Greek language, and by the administrative arrangements of the Ottoman Empire. Their economic progress and the impact of Western revolutionary ideas further intensified their Hellenism. The revolt began in February 1821 when Alexander Ypsilantis, leader of the Etairists, crossed the Prut River into Turkish-held Moldavia with a small force of troops. Ypsilantis was soon defeated by the Turks, but, in the meantime, on March 25, 1821 (the traditional date of Greek independence), sporadic revolts against Turkish rule had broken out in the Peloponnese (Modern Greek: Pelopónnisos), in Greece north of the Gulf of Corinth (Korinthiakós), and on several islands. Within a year the rebels had gained control of the Peloponnese, and in January 1822 they declared the independence of Greece. The Turks attempted three times (1822–24) to invade the Peloponnese but were unable to retrieve the area.
Internal rivalries, however, prevented the Greeks from extending their control and from firmly consolidating their position in the Peloponnese. In 1823 civil war broke out between the guerrilla leader Theódoros Kolokotrónis and Geórgios Kountouriótis, who was head of the government that had been formed in January 1822 but that was forced to flee to the island of Hydra (Ýdra) in December 1822. After a second civil war (1824), Kountouriótis was firmly established as leader, but his government and the entire revolution were gravely threatened by the arrival of Egyptian forces, led by Ibrahim Pasha, which had been sent to aid the Turks (1825). With the support of Egyptian sea power, the Ottoman forces successfully invaded the Peloponnese; they furthermore captured Missolonghi in April 1826, the town of Athens (Athína) in August 1826, and the Athenian acropolis in June 1827.
The Greek cause, however, was saved by the intervention of the European powers. Favouring the formation of an autonomous Greek state, they offered to mediate between the Turks and the Greeks (1826 and 1827). When the Turks refused, Great Britain, France, and Russia sent their naval fleets to Navarino, where, on October 20, 1827, they destroyed the Egyptian fleet. Although this severely crippled the Ottoman forces, the war continued, complicated by the Russo-Turkish War (1828–29). A Greco-Turkish settlement was finally determined by the European powers at a conference in London; they adopted a London protocol (February 3, 1830), declaring Greece an independent monarchical state under their protection. By mid-1832 the northern frontier of the new state had been set along the line extending from south of Vólos to south of Árta; Prince Otto of Bavaria had accepted the crown, and the Turkish sultan had recognized Greek independence (Treaty of Constantinople; July 1832).