The Road to Freedom
No doubt the Greeks had wanted their freedom from the very beginning of the Ottoman rule, but in the 18th century the idea of a free Greece grew into an organised plan. With Russian help, a revolt started in 1770, which failed. Inspired by the French Revolution and the heroic poems (thourios) of Rigas Feraios, the Greeks did not give up, and the secret society Filiki Eteria ("Friendly Union") was founded in 1814 in Odessa of Russia by Nikolaos Skoufas, Emmanuel Xanthos and Antonios Tsakalof. Weapons and funds were collected, and help was sent from Greeks in exile as well as other countries on the Balkan and the Mediterranean sea.The revolution started when Alexander Ypsilantis invaded Jassy and declared Greece a free country. In the Peloponnese, the Archbishop of Patras Paleon Patron Germanos led the uprising on 23 March 1821. The Greek army of the Peloponesse was led by Theodoros Kolokotronis. Other famous Greek leaders of the revolution were Georgios Karaiskakis, Athanassios Diakos, Odysseas Androutsos, Grigorios Dikaios or Papaflessas, while in the seas, Konstantinos Kanaris, Laskarina Bouboulina and Andreas Miaoulis fought the Turkish fleet with their ships. The Greeks may have got certain aid from abroad, but they had to fight on their own. The Turks got help from Egypt, and the Egyptian army captured the whole of the Peloponnese by 1826.
The following year, a republic was proclaimed, and Ioannis Kapodistrias was declared as the first governor of Greece. The same year European countries decided to help Greece and after the failure of negotiations with Turkey, Britain, France and Russia sent naval forces to Greece. Turkey was forced to accept peace, and the so-called London Protocol declared the independence of Greece in 1830. Many parts of Greece were soon given back to the Ottoman empire, though, and several parts of Greece were not free until the beginning of the 20th century.
For a long time, Lord Byron had supported attempts by the Greek people to free themselves from Turkish rule. This included writing poems such as The Isles of Greece. In 1823, he formed the Byron Brigade and joined the Greek insurgents who had risen against the Turks. The Isles of Greece is part of Lord Byron's Don Juan, Canto the Third - LXXXVI. The Third Canto was completed in 1819 but not published until 1821.
The following year, a republic was proclaimed, and Ioannis Kapodistrias was declared as the first governor of Greece. The same year European countries decided to help Greece and after the failure of negotiations with Turkey, Britain, France and Russia sent naval forces to Greece. Turkey was forced to accept peace, and the so-called London Protocol declared the independence of Greece in 1830. Many parts of Greece were soon given back to the Ottoman empire, though, and several parts of Greece were not free until the beginning of the 20th century.
For a long time, Lord Byron had supported attempts by the Greek people to free themselves from Turkish rule. This included writing poems such as The Isles of Greece. In 1823, he formed the Byron Brigade and joined the Greek insurgents who had risen against the Turks. The Isles of Greece is part of Lord Byron's Don Juan, Canto the Third - LXXXVI. The Third Canto was completed in 1819 but not published until 1821.
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