Greek Revolution of 1821

[Foinikas]

Since today is the 25th of March and we're celebrating the revolution against the Ottoman Empire,I would like to post some nice paintings and art about it,I'm sure some of you will find it interesting.

25th of March 1821 is considered the official date for the beginning of the ethnoreligious revolution against the Turks.

At first the uprising would start from Moldowallachia,in present day Romania and Moldova,where Prince Alexander Ypsilantis,former officer in the Tsarist Army,marched with the Sacred Band,a small volunteer army made up of Greeks of the diaspora,mainly students. They were supposed to unite with the Romanians of Moldavia and Wallachia and like wikipedia says it better than me:

Beginning the revolution in the Danubian Principalities had the added benefit that they, being autonomous under the joint suzerainty of Russia and the Ottoman Empire, did not have Ottoman garrisons, while in turn the local leaders were entitled to maintain small armed retinues for their own protection. Legally, the Ottomans could not move their forces into Wallachia or Moldavia without Russia's permission, and if the Ottomans sent their forces in unilaterally, Russia might go to war.[4] The Prince of Moldavia, Michael Soutsos was a Phanariot Greek who was secretly a member of the Philiki Eteria, but at the same time however, Soutsos was an opportunist who hedged his bets by secretly informing the Sublime Porte of the planned invasion.[4] Therefore, on 22 February 1821 (O.S.), accompanied by several other Greek officers in Russian service, Ypsilantis crossed the Prut river at Sculeni into the Principalities. Two days later, at Iaşi he issued a proclamation, announcing that he had "the support of a great power" (meaning Russia).

Ypsilantis hoped that a revolt would ultimately lead to a Russian intervention: since the Ottomans would have to invade and quell the rebellion, the Orthodox Russians would certainly intervene in favour of their fellow Orthodox. In this hope he was justified, since eventually, the Greek rebellion led to the Russo-Turkish War of 1828 in which Russian troops marched to the outskirts of Constantinople and forced the Sultan to recognize the autonomy of the new Greek state.

The main points of the plan were:

• to aid the simultaneous revolt of Serbs and Montenegrins.
• to provoke a revolt in Wallachia, by also enlisting rebels from the Serbian lands, battle-hardened from the first and second Serbian uprisings.
• to provoke civil unrest in Constantinople through the use of agents, and burn the Ottoman fleet at the city's port.
• to start the revolution in Greece in the Peloponnese, after Ypsilantis' arrival there.

Ypsilantis issued a declaration on 8 October 1820, announcing that he would soon be starting a revolt against the Ottoman Empire.[3] Ypsilantis began his declaration by praising ancient Greece, writing: "Cast your eyes toward the seas, which are covered by our seafaring cousins, ready to follow the example of Salamis. Look to the land, and everywhere you will see Leonidas at the head of the patriotic Spartans".[3] Ypsilantis went on to say that the Greeks did not need foreign help as they could defeat the Turks on their own before going on to say that Russian support was assured.[3]

However,things didn't work out well between the Romanians and the Greeks and the Sacred Band was defeated in Dragasani,after a series of battles against the Ottomans.

So the revolution really started from the south,in the Peloponnese:

Raising of the standard in the monastery of Agia Lavra

Souliot women

 

[Trango Towers]

Very interesting history.
From the painting it's notable that the Greek men dressed more easten than western.

 

[Foinikas]

Hanging of Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople by the Ottomans

Greek Klepht

"Commander Kephalas plants the flag of Liberty upon the walls of Tripolizza" (Siege of Tripolitsa) by Peter von Hess.

Nikolakis Mitropoulos raises the flag with the cross at Salona on Easter day 1821, Louis Dupre

------------------------------------------------

The death of Markos Botsaris

--------------------------

Kolokotronis and his warband

-------------------------
Athanasios Diakos captured

-------------

Georgios Karaiskakis

Siege of Athens (I think)

 

[Foinikas]

The exodus of Messolonghi (The epic third siege of Messolonghi)

Episode from Messolonghi

Kapsalis blowing up the gunpowder magazines in Messolonghi

-------------
Olympios blowing up the gunpowder magazines in Secu Monstary,Moldova

He took part in the Battle of Sculeni on 29 June 1821, when Ottoman forces chased him (along with Yiannis Pharmakis and a small force of 400 Greeks) to the Secu Monastery in the Neamț County, where the Greeks made their last stand. Olympios died during the Ottoman attack to the monastery, when he blew up the gunpowder storage to not surrender himself.

-----------------------
Episode from the Greek war of Independence, Paul Emil Jacobs

The Young Man's Farewell, Theodoros Vryzakis

A Turk Surrenders to a Greek Horseman, Eugene Delacroix

Combat of the Giaour and the Pasha, Eugene Delacroix

The Captive. Turkish Plunder, Theodoros Rallis

Greek women imploring for assistance

Kanaris blows up the Turkish flagship

Destruction of the Turkish frigate

The Massacre of Chios by Delacroix

Chios massacre

 

[INS_Vikrant]

Is it just me or most Greek men in those paintings resemble Turks?

 

[Foinikas]

Is it just me or most Greek men in those paintings resemble Turks?

Like @Trango Towers said,the Greeks of the time had oriental clothes and if you see their weapons,they used scimitars,yatagans and their flintlocks resembled jazails.Smoking hookah was also common.Usually the Greeks had a blue tuft on their fez.

I've noticed that Serbs had very similar fashion and of course Albanians too. Especially Orthodox Albanians who were closer to Greeks. The Muslim Albanians were called "Turk Albanians" in slang of the era.

Bazaar in Athens

Some more scenes of daily life during the Ottoman occupation

 

[Foinikas]

Palikaria (Brave lads) by Peter von Hess

The storming of Patras

----------------

Capture of Acrocorinth

Petros Mavromichalis raises Messenia in revolt

Nikitaras ambushes the Turksish cavalry at Dervenakia

The surrender of Niokastro

Dimitrios Ypsilantis

Battle of Stafylia

---------------

Battle of Maniaki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Maniaki

The Turco-Egyptian forces under Ibrahim fight defeat the Papaflessas' heroic stand and earn his respect

Battle of Verga where about 1,000 Maniots and 500 other Greeks defeated Ibrahim's Egyptian forces of about 7,000 infantry and cavalry and 1,500 landing party

Lord Byron at the grave of Markos Botsaris

 

[Shehryar Ashraf]

its a funny revolution if you ask me.
the greeks went from being under the Ottoman Monarchy to under a Bavarian Prince, a compromise candidate , chosen by the British and the Russians. Yet it is seen as an "independent" nation, which is pretty funny to think of.
Also the fledgeling nation was saddled with debt made due to the costs of the war, Hence the Greek nation was born with debt, an issue that lasts till this day.
to pay off this debt, the Bavarian Monarch raised taxes to a level never seen in Ottoman times. oh well, at least greeks no longer needed to pay jizya, small comforts.

 

[Foinikas]

its a funny revolution if you ask me.
the greeks went from being under the Ottoman Monarchy to under a Bavarian Prince, a compromise candidate , chosen by the British and the Russians. Yet it is seen as an "independent" nation, which is pretty funny to think of.
Also the fledgeling nation was saddled with debt made due to the costs of the war, Hence the Greek nation was born with debt, an issue that lasts till this day.
to pay off this debt, the Bavarian Monarch raised taxes to a level never seen in Ottoman times. oh well, at least greeks no longer needed to pay jizya, small comforts.

The problem was the politicians. From the beginning of the revolution,there were figures like Mavrokordatos,this guy here in Western clothes,who wanted to organize a government,before the nation was even liberated.

The politicians and the clan chiefs who mostly fought the battles,were often against each other and had different ideas.

Politicians like Mavrokordatos,put emphasis on getting help from Britain and France and would often sign loans and loans for the struggle. Of course,sometimes the loans were wasted by corrupt politicians.

After this small part of land mainly consisting of the Peloponnese,Central Greece and some islands,gained independence (the revolution in northern Greece and Crete was crushed easily by the Ottomans),the government started intrigues against some of the leaders and heroes of the revolution,as well as some of them turned into politicians themselves.

Yes,Otto was a Bavarian prince,given to us by the big countries of Europe,but he strived to be a good king and loved Greece with all his heart. In the end he was exiled and the monarchy was replaced with another House.

Greek debt because of loans went higher because of corruption,but also the need to develop the country and later the disastrous war of 1897.

For decades after the creation of the first modern Greek State,there were three political factions: The British party,the French party and the Russian party.The representatives of which supported one of these European powers and their influence as being best suited for us.

But if you think that it was better to live under slavery,ask yourself if you would have liked it to keep living under British rule or Hindutva occupation.

​

 

[Shehryar Ashraf]

Yes,Otto was a Bavarian prince,given to us by the big countries of Europe,but he strived to be a good king and loved Greece with all his heart. In the end he was exiled and the monarchy was replaced with another House.

loved Greece? a Catholic King loving an Orthodox people? Such a good king that he got exiled?
If he loved Greece, surely, the least he could have done was to become Orthodox, the only thing he loved was taxing Greece to the max.

But if you think that it was better to live under slavery,ask yourself if you would have liked it to keep living under British rule or Hindutva occupation.

do not put British rule and Hindtva Occupation in the same sentence. We only asked for our independence because the British were leaving and couldnt trust Congress to uphold any of their promises. Also foreign rule != Slavery, if it were slavery, then you were a slave to Otto, since he was a foreigner. You were under foreign rule even after 1821 under a king with a different religion, culture and language to you.

Equating Ottoman Rule to Hindvta Occupation is highly emotive and incorrect. you still have your religion, language and culture intact after 400 years of Ottoman rule, the Hindvtas if they had their way would destroy our language, religion and culture within a generation or two.

 

[Foinikas]

loved Greece? a Catholic King loving an Orthodox people? Such a good king that he got exiled?
If he loved Greece, surely, the least he could have done was to become Orthodox, the only thing he loved was taxing Greece to the max.

Otto was a good man,he loved Greece like his own country,but his regency and reign had a lot of problems. Some historians said "He loved Greece more than anything,but not the Greeks". He was an honest man,trying to do good,but in the end he was exiled. The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg,was later installed and its first king,the Danish Prince who converted to Orthodoxy and became King George I,was one of the most beloved and popular kings in Greek history.

do not put British rule and Hindtva Occupation in the same sentence. We only asked for our independence because the British were leaving and couldnt trust Congress to uphold any of their promises. Also foreign rule != Slavery, if it were slavery, then you were a slave to Otto, since he was a foreigner.

I thought a looooooooooooot of Pakistanis and Indians considered British rule as slavery and occupation...

Equating Ottoman Rule to Hindvta Occupation is highly emotive and incorrect. you still have your religion, language and culture intact after 400 years of Ottoman rule, the Hindvtas if they had their way would destroy our language, religion and culture within a generation or two.

Intact but at what degree? There was relative freedom of religion,but often forced conversions,devshirme,being second class citizens and having less privilidges,many churches were turned into mosques or closed,there were hardly any schools in mainland Greece,there were frequent massacres and sometimes slavery. Sure,some had it good,especially the highly educated Greeks who served in high posts in the Empire,but most were normal people. As soon as the Turk got mad,he acted like a rabid dog. For example the pogroms in Constantinople as soon as the Revolution started.

Also don't forget that Russia was a factor of protection that made the Ottomans be moderate sometimes.

 

[Shehryar Ashraf]

I thought a looooooooooooot of Pakistanis and Indians considered British rule as slavery and occupation...

when faced with a bunch of terrible options, such as the Marathas, and the Sikhs, allying, or being a British Protectorate might seemed like a better option. Not an optimal one, that is true, but Britain conquered the region with the help of native soldiers for a reason. Surely you Greeks could relate, you used to say "better the Turkish Turban than the Papal Tiara".
Besides I would say that several of our Prime Ministers have been no different to Colonial era viceroys, extracting taxes from the citizens and laundering all their wealth overseas to places like Panama and London. Did anything really change from independence?

As soon as the Turk got mad,he acted like a rabid dog. For example the pogroms in Constantinople as soon as the Revolution started.

As soon as the Greek got mad he acted like a rabid dog, According to historian William St. Clair, during the beginning of the Greek revolution upwards of twenty thousand Turkish men, women and children were killed by their Greek neighbors in a few weeks of slaughter.[27] William St. Clair also argued that: "with the beginning of the revolt, the bishops and priests exhorted their parishioners to exterminate infidel Muslims."

we could sit here and argue on who acted like a rabid dog, and who didn't all day. Greeks have fought and built empires by killing and enslaving entire cities since the days of Alexander, the Spartans built a brutal police state ,even for the morals of the era they were in, so this whole attempt to claim victimhood and claim the moral high ground is not going to work.

 

[Foinikas]

As soon as the Greek got mad he acted like a rabid dog, According to historian William St. Clair, during the beginning of the Greek revolution upwards of twenty thousand Turkish men, women and children were killed by their Greek neighbors in a few weeks of slaughter.[27] William St. Clair also argued that: "with the beginning of the revolt, the bishops and priests exhorted their parishioners to exterminate infidel Muslims."

we could sit here and argue on who acted like a rabid dog, and who didn't all day. Greeks have fought and built empires by killing and enslaving entire cities since the days of Alexander, the Spartans built a brutal police state ,even for the morals of the era they were in, so this whole attempt to claim victimhood and claim the moral high ground is not going to work.

Ah so we should have stayed enslaved to the Turks? Because Pakistan is muslim and loves Turks.

Spartans didn't have a police State,they had a military State. A military mindset and life. Alexander didn't only "enslave",he treated the majority of his subjects very well,allowed them to practice their religion,adopted some of their customs,brought civilization to some tribes and nations that were savage when compared to Greek,Persian and Egyptian standards.

Greeks were brought to this point of being vengeful by 400 years of injustices and occupation. They didn't wake up one day and say "Right,let's all kill Turks". Many of Greek leaders and men were against the atrocities that happened in Tripolitsa.
Kolokotronis for example.

Kolokotronis says in his memoirs:

Inside the town they had begun to massacre. ... I rushed to the place ... If you wish to hurt these Albanians, I cried, "kill me rather; for, while I am a living man, whoever first makes the attempt, him will I kill the first." ... I was faithful to my word of honor ... Tripolitsa was three miles in circumference. The [Greek] host which entered it, cut down and were slaying men, women, and children from Friday till Sunday. Thirty-two thousand were reported to have been slain. One Hydriote [boasted that he had] killed ninety. About a hundred Greeks were killed; but the end came [thus]: a proclamation was issued that the slaughter must cease. ... When I entered Tripolitsa, they showed me a plane tree in the market-place where the Greeks had always been hanged. I sighed. "Alas!" I said, "how many of my own clan — of my own race — have been hanged there!" And I ordered it to be cut down. I felt some consolation then from the slaughter of the Turks. ... [Before the fall] we had formed a plan of proposing to the Turks that they should deliver Tripolitsa into our hands, and that we should, in that case, send persons into it to gather the spoils together, which were then to be apportioned and divided among the different districts for the benefit of the nation; but who would listen?

There were great heroes and pure-hearted people among the Greek revolutionaries and then there were some scheming and sneaky bastards from hardcore areas,usually from famous Houses,acting like tribal leaders of Arabia or Afghanistan.
Reference to Mani for example,Maniotes were notoriously tough people,as both brave but also hardcore and proud.

 

[Shehryar Ashraf]

Ah so we should have stayed enslaved to the Turks? Because Pakistan is muslim and loves Turks.

you keep missing my point, the whole point that i was originally making, and then you just go on a side quest rather than addressing the main point. that Greece didnt get its independence in 1821. You cant even call it a revolution. it merely traded masters, from Ottoman to a German Catholic, and then a debt slave to the banks after accruing loans to cover the costs of war. That cant be called a revolution nor can it be called an independence movement.
My point is the Greece got nominal independence in name while being ruled by outside powers, the playthings of Britain and Russia, and the price it paid for was taxation, heavy taxation, they exchanged their slavery to the Porte, to become debt salves to the Rothchild bank, the Brilliance of Western Propaganda is such that people like you actually geniunely believe it, that Greece became free after 1821.

brought civilization to some tribes and nations that were savage when compared to Greek,Persian and Egyptian standards.

Theres the Greek ethno racism showing itself right here. It was a mistake to engage in conversation with such a person. goodbye.

 

[Falcon34]

Otto was a good man,he loved Greece like his own country,but his regency and reign had a lot of problems. Some historians said "He loved Greece more than anything,but not the Greeks". He was an honest man,trying to do good,but in the end he was exiled. The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg,was later installed and its first king,the Danish Prince who converted to Orthodoxy and became King George I,was one of the most beloved and popular kings in Greek history.



I thought a looooooooooooot of Pakistanis and Indians considered British rule as slavery and occupation...


Intact but at what degree? There was relative freedom of religion,but often forced conversions,devshirme,being second class citizens and having less privilidges,many churches were turned into mosques or closed,there were hardly any schools in mainland Greece,there were frequent massacres and sometimes slavery. Sure,some had it good,especially the highly educated Greeks who served in high posts in the Empire,but most were normal people. As soon as the Turk got mad,he acted like a rabid dog. For example the pogroms in Constantinople as soon as the Revolution started.

Also don't forget that Russia was a factor of protection that made the Ottomans be moderate sometimes.

Really The turks were the supreme power in europe from Selim 1 to Murad iv. Had they wanted to screw your culture and religion during that time they easily could have, there was no russia, britian or france factor during that period.