Title: Happy 25 March
Description: Greek Independance 1821
Description: Greek Independance 1821
Thermopyles - March 25, 2006 10:03 PM (GMT)
Happy 25/3 :tank:
| QUOTE |
| On March 25, 1831, after 400 years of Ottoman rule, the modern state of Greece came into existence. The origin of the rebellion is dated to 1814 with the activities of the "Philikν Etaireνa" (Friendly Brotherhood). It was a patriotic conspiracy founded in Odessa (now in Ukraine). The revolt began in March 25 of 1821. Sporadic revolts against Turkish broken out in the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands by determined guerrilla's fighters. A year later, the rebels gained the Peloponnese and the independence of Greece was declared in January 1822.The Greek cause created a feeling of "philhellenism" from foreigners all over Europe. Many of them also came in Greece to fight and die for the country. The determination of the Greek and the Philhellenes finally won the support of the Great Powers: Russia, Britain and France. The Great power asked to the Turkish Sultan to relent. The Turk refused and the Great Power sent their naval fleets to Navarino. They destroyed the Egyptian fleets that were helping the Turkish force. A Greco-Turkish arrangement was finally adopted in London which declared Greece an independent monarchical state under the Protection of Britain. But the Great Power was not very generous concerning the borders of the newly built state. For the next century, the Greek politics focused their efforts to regain the old Byzantine era and to unify the Greek population scattered around the Mediterranean. Once the War of Independence achieved, Greece felt in a period of disillusion. Very poor, the landowners were asking for their ancient privileges while the peasants asked for a redistribution of the land In 1832, the Turkish Sultan finally recognized the Greek Independence and Prince Otto had accepted the crown. Prince Otto was seventeen years old when he arrived on the throne. He was exiled in 1862 for ignoring the Constitution. Then, the Greeks allowed the installation of the Danish King George I. He ruled over Greece for 50 years and brought stability and a new Constitution in 1864 which specified the monarch's powers. |
| QUOTE |
| On 25 March 1821 Bishop Germanos of Patras hoisted the Greek flag at the monastery of Aghias Lavras in the Peloponnese, an act that marked the beginning of the War of Independence. Hellenes had decided to end the turkish tyranny or to die. Outnumbered 1 to 10 by enemy, they declared LIBERTY or DEATH. Hellenes or Romioi would give an end to the dark years of occupation of their land that started in 1453 after the fall of Constantinople. Dark years,in which Greeks suffered so much and almost were exterminated. The greek population had diminished to one million, after thousands years of existence. During byzantine empire, greeks were estimated to 20 millions. Heavy taxation, kidnapping of young boys and girls, unjustice, terror were the main characteristics of ottoman occupation. The bigest part of state's revenue came from heavy taxation of christians. Education was forbidden, with exception in area of Constantinople, Smyrne and Ioannina. Orthodox Church kept the greeks from loosing their identity and their language. Monasteries had become hidden schools (Krifa sxoleia). In Europe the Holy Alliance - England, Austria (Metternich), France, Russia - opposed any movement that could bring destabilization in the states. Any previous revolts against the tyrants ended in bloodshed. Chios, Messolonghi, Psara, Cassos, Cyprus, Crete, Kudonies (Aivalli), Peloponnese, Chalkidiki and numerous regions were burned to ashes, men killed and women with children were sold to slave-bazaars in Syria and Egypt. Many greeks fled to Europe. Greek communities flourished in Odissos, Venetia, Vienna, Aghia Petroupolis and other cities in Europe. Also in Greece those who could not stand ottoman tyranny, lived on the mountains, where they remained free. They fought all their life against tyrannts and were called Klephtes and Armatoloi. Mountainous regions of Suli in Epirus, Mani in Peloponnese, Sfakia in Crete never stopped to fight the barbarian invaders. |
Thermopyles - March 25, 2006 10:07 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy, 2003 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation After nearly 400 years of rule by the Ottomans, Greece declared its independence on March 25, 1821. Long before that, ancient Athenians created a Greek culture that valued human liberty and dignity, and modern Greeks have demonstrated that preserving freedom is a powerful motivating force. Today, on Greek Independence Day, we recognize the ancient Greek influence in framing our own Constitution and celebrate the Greek-American heritage that continues to strengthen our communities and enrich our society. Bound by history, mutual respect, and common ideals, America and Greece have been firm allies in the great struggles for liberty. Our countries fought together in every major twentieth-century war, and today, we remain united in the war against terror that threatens the future of every nation. We are working together to achieve peace and prosperity in the Balkans and southeastern Mediterranean. As the current president of the European Union, Greece is also playing a critical role in our efforts to confront many other global problems that affect our nations and our world. Our commitment to the friendship between our two nations has grown from strong bonds of tradition and shared fundamental values. On Greek Independence Day, I encourage all Americans to recognize the countless contributions Greek Americans have made to our country. Embodying the independence and creativity that have made our country strong, their proud history is a source of inspiration for our Nation and our world. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 25, 2003, as Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy. I call upon all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh. GEORGE W. BUSH |
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/20...3/20030318.html
If it came from someone else, it would be worth something :roflmao:
Lord - March 26, 2006 05:05 PM (GMT)
ΜΕ ΤΗ ΣΤΡΑΤΙΩΤΙΚΗ ΠΑΡΕΛΑΣΗ ΚΟΡΥΦΩΘΗΚΑΝ ΟΙ ΕΚΔΗΛΩΣΕΙΣ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ 25Η ΜΑΡΤΙΟΥΑθήνα, 25 Μαρτίου 2006 (14:24 UTC+2)
Με τη μεγαλειώδη και επιβλητική παρέλαση των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων και των Σωμάτων Ασφαλείας, ενώπιον του Προέδρου της Δημοκρατίας Κάρολου Παπούλια, κορυφώθηκαν σήμερα οι εορταστικές εκδηλώσεις για την 185η επέτειο της εθνικής παλιγγενεσίας και του Ευαγγελισμού της Θεοτόκου.
"Γιορτάζουμε σήμερα το μεγαλύτερο ιστορικό γεγονός της σύγχρονης Ελλάδας. Ένας λαός σχεδόν άοπλος, αλλά με τη φλόγα της ψυχής και με πάθος για την ελευθερία, ξεσηκώθηκε εναντίον μιας αυτοκρατορίας και κατέκτησε την ελευθερία του", τόνισε ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας, σε δήλωσή του αμέσως μετά την παρέλαση.
"Αυτό μας δίνει το μήνυμα", συνέχισε, "ότι η ελευθερία δεν χαρίζεται, αλλά κατακτιέται. Σήμερα λαός και Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις είναι η εγγύηση για την πρόοδο της Ελλάδας, για την ειρηνική συνύπαρξη με όλους τους λαούς της περιοχής, για την ειρήνη στην περιοχή, που είναι απαραίτητη".
Παράλληλα εξέφρασε τη βεβαιότητα ότι "ο λαός με τον πατριωτισμό του και οι Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις με την ετοιμότητά τους θα πράξουν το επιβαλλόμενο καθήκον".
Εξάλλου, ο πρωθυπουργός Κώστας Καραμανλής σε δήλωσή του τόνισε ότι η γιορτή του Ευαγγελισμού και της εθνικής παλιγγενεσίας βρίσκει τους Έλληνες και τις Ελληνίδες "αποφασισμένους να κάνουμε πράξη τα οράματά μας για μία Ελλάδα ισχυρή και ευημερούσα, για μία Ελλάδα παράγοντα ειρήνης και σταθερότητας στην ευρύτερη περιοχή, για μία κοινωνία συνοχής και αλληλεγγύης".
Ο Κώστας Καραμανλής πρόσθεσε ότι "είμαστε στο μέσο μίας μεγάλης συλλογικής προσπάθειας. Μιας προσπάθειας δύσκολης, που όμως οφείλουμε να ολοκληρώσουμε"
"Τα όσα έχουμε πετύχει μέχρι σήμερα μας κάνουν πιο δυνατούς, πιο αισιόδοξους. Με πίστη και αυτοπεποίθηση προχωρούμε ενωμένοι μπροστά", συμπλήρωσε.
Ο Πρόεδρος του ΠΑΣΟΚ Γιώργος Παπανδρέου δήλωσε ότι "η γιορτή της εθνικής παλιγγενεσίας είναι πάντα επίκαιρη. Ενσαρκώνει τους αγώνες και τα οράματα του ελληνισμού, τόσων γενεών. Οράματα για κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη, ελευθερία, δημοκρατία, για μία κοινωνία αλληλεγγύης. Αυτό το όραμα έχουμε και σήμερα και είμαστε προσηλωμένοι προς αυτούς τους στόχους".
Την παρέλαση άνοιξαν οι ανάπηροι πολέμου και ακολούθησαν οι αδελφές νοσοκόμοι του Ελληνικού Ερυθρού Σταυρού.
Εντυπωσιακή ήταν η παρέλαση των μηχανοκινήτων τμημάτων των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων,ενώ για άλλη μια φορά τα χειροκροτήματα των επισήμων και του κόσμου απέσπασαν οι άνδρες των Ειδικών Δυνάμεων και οι Εύζωνες.
Πάνω από το χώρο της παρελάσεως διήλθαν σε άψογους σχηματισμούς πολεμικά αεροσκάφη "Mιράζ 2000", "F-16", "F- 4", "Φάντομ", "A-7 Κορσέρ", "Ραίμς F-4006", καθώς και ελικόπτερα Απάτσι, Σινούκ και Πυροσβεστικά αεροσκάφη.
Το γενικό πρόσταγμα είχε ο υποστράτηγος Εμμανουήλ Ξυδερής, διοικητής της Στρατιωτικής Σχολής Ευελπίδων, τον οποίο συνεχάρη ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας για την άψογη εμφάνιση των μηχανοκινήτων και πεζοπόρων τμημάτων της παρέλασης.
Thermopyles - March 26, 2006 09:04 PM (GMT)
ZHTW H ELLAS
Please tell me someone got some pics from the parade?
Please tell me someone got some pics from the parade?
saladin - March 26, 2006 10:58 PM (GMT)
Happy 25 March guys. However, I don't understand, why you have accepted a foreign king (I know he has some small fraction of greek blood in him), after the revolt. As far as I understand, he doesn't have anything to do with the revolt.
I have also heard from one of my friend that the Greece flag came from his Bavarian family. I know the other stories (i.e., ortodox cross, 9 strips=9 letters from freedom or death etc).
After a brief search, I found this website
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gr!hist.html
The claim was that original flag was red and white and later it was adapted light blue and white. They also mention about the rumor above. So is there a definitive story behind the greek flag?
I have also heard from one of my friend that the Greece flag came from his Bavarian family. I know the other stories (i.e., ortodox cross, 9 strips=9 letters from freedom or death etc).
After a brief search, I found this website
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gr!hist.html
The claim was that original flag was red and white and later it was adapted light blue and white. They also mention about the rumor above. So is there a definitive story behind the greek flag?
Thermopyles - March 26, 2006 11:56 PM (GMT)
The blue and white are the colours of the sea (blue for sea, white for the tips of the waves in the wind. Greek flag is supposed to look loke the sea in the wind), not because they are from Bavaria. As far as the 9 stripes for "freedom or death" that is correct.
Also the blue and white have the longest history of any modern greek flag colours, back to 1769. From your source: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gr_indep.html
Also the blue and white have the longest history of any modern greek flag colours, back to 1769. From your source: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gr_indep.html
Lord - March 27, 2006 07:40 AM (GMT)
Yes Thermopyles is right...thats the story about our flag...
an unofficial story is also ...that in the revolt days...the colours of the fighters were...white for the skirts of the Kleftes...and blue of the sailors of our ships...
so Kolokotronis...riped a piece of hes Foustanela (scotish like skirt) and kanaris a strip of hes blue Braka (sailors ) and they created the revolution cross...(as i said this is an unofficial history...)
About the King...
After the revolution...they were Kotsabasides (rich Greek families) who wanted to rule the Country...but like allways it would be a problem ...(we haid even in the revolution days a civil war like problem...) so the best solution was to be "ruled" by a foreighner...till we managed to rule our selfs... :damn:
The best that happenend to 'young" greece...was the first President...Kapodistrias...he was one of the real founders of the modern greece state...
till they (the Kotsabasides) killed hem...
You see...it is a real miracle how we managed to Free our selfs...with so much problems after all... ;)
anyway...
The indepented War should allways remind us...Not to lose again our FREEDOM...
Regards
an unofficial story is also ...that in the revolt days...the colours of the fighters were...white for the skirts of the Kleftes...and blue of the sailors of our ships...
so Kolokotronis...riped a piece of hes Foustanela (scotish like skirt) and kanaris a strip of hes blue Braka (sailors ) and they created the revolution cross...(as i said this is an unofficial history...)
About the King...
After the revolution...they were Kotsabasides (rich Greek families) who wanted to rule the Country...but like allways it would be a problem ...(we haid even in the revolution days a civil war like problem...) so the best solution was to be "ruled" by a foreighner...till we managed to rule our selfs... :damn:
The best that happenend to 'young" greece...was the first President...Kapodistrias...he was one of the real founders of the modern greece state...
till they (the Kotsabasides) killed hem...
You see...it is a real miracle how we managed to Free our selfs...with so much problems after all... ;)
anyway...
The indepented War should allways remind us...Not to lose again our FREEDOM...
Regards
Lord - March 27, 2006 07:46 AM (GMT)
Modern-Day Greece Formed By Historic Struggles
by linda j. wilson
Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770 - 1834). Kolokotronis, above, is considered the most important figure of the Greek revolution.
Greeks all over the world, but especially here in New York City, will celebrate Greek Independence Day this Saturday, Mar. 25. Parades and speeches will mark a struggle which began early in the 19th century and continued well into the 20th, fueled by the desire of the Greek nation to follow the traditions of self-government of the world's first democracy.
The 1821-32 rebellion of Greeks within the Ottoman Empire resulted in the establishment of an independent kingdom of Greece. The rebellion originated in the activities of the Philikν Etaireνa ("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. Greeks’ economic progress and the impact of Western revolutionary ideas further intensified Hellenism.
The revolt began in March 1821 when Alexandros Ypsilantis, the 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 Mar. 25, 1821, (the traditional date of Greek independence), sporadic revolts against Turkish rule had broken out in the Peloponnese, in Greece north of the Gulf of Corinth, 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 from 1822 to 1824 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 Theσdoros Kolokotrσnis and Geσrgios Kountouriσtis, who was head of the government that had been formed in January 1822 but was forced to flee to the island of Hydra in December 1822. After a second civil war in 1824, Kountouriσtis was firmly established as leader, but his government and the entire revolution were gravely threatened by the arrival of Egyptian forces led by Ibrahim Pash, which had been sent to aid the Turks in 1825. With the support of Egyptian sea power, the Ottoman forces successfully invaded the Peloponnese, captured Missolonghi in April 1826, the town of Athens in August 1826 and the Athenian acropolis in June 1827.
Georgios Karaiskakis (1782 - 1827). He was killed in a clash with the Turks at Faliro. Karaiskakis is considered the second most important military figure of the revolution, after Kolokotronis.
The Greek cause, however, was saved by the intervention of the European powers. Favoring the formation of an autonomous Greek state, they offered to mediate between the Turks and the Greeks in 1826 and 1827. When the Turks refused, Great Britain, France, and Russia sent their naval fleets to Navarino, where on Oct. 20, 1827, they destroyed the Egyptian fleet. Although this severely crippled the Ottoman forces, the war continued, complicated by the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29. In 1828 a small, independent Greek state was formed with 800,000 inhabitants. It was a penniless state of extremely small size, consisting of the Peloponnese, Central Greece and the Cyclades. It would take another century of struggle before all the Greeks were freed.
A Greco-Turkish settlement was finally determined by the European powers. At a conference in London, they adopted a protocol on Feb. 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 Volos to south of Arta; Prince Otto of Bavaria had accepted the crown and the Turkish sultan had recognized Greek independence and signed the Treaty of Constantinople in July 1832.
The first man to govern the country was a Greek former minister of the Tsar, Ioannis Kapodistrias. His first task was to organize the state - its internal administration, the army, the questions of the national territories and independence and the border question. However, his clash with the local aristocracy provoked intense reactions which led to his assassination in 1831.
The 19th century was a long and trying time for the Greeks. It was a period during which Greek society, through myriad difficulties, was trying to define its national image and bring about its national fulfillment. The liberality and democracy of the first Greek Constitutions were replaced by an absolute monarchy guided by foreigners. In 1843 Otto, under popular pressure, granted a conservative Constitution (1844) which, however, was often ignored. Otto was finally driven out of the country in 1862.
Manto Mavrogenous was among the notable heroines of the Greek revolution.
With the Constitution of 1864 the regime of a constitutional monarchy was established. The new king was George I, a scion of the Danish dynasty of the Glucksburgs. In the same year, the Ionian islands were united with Greece and progressive political customs and organized social frameworks for Greece’s political and social life introduced.
There was relative calm during the period that ensued up to the end of the century. Political battles were often relegated to the Chamber of Deputies while public opinion was more occupied by national and Balkan affairs. These were the Cretan Revolution of 1866-69; the establishment of a Bulgarian Church that was independent of the Patriarchate, the Bulgarian Hexarchy of 1870, and which, in turn, created a Macedonian problem when the limits of its authority had to be defined; the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-88 and the rise of panslavism; the establishment of a large Bulgarian state which stretched into Greek Macedonia by the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878, the invasion of Thessaly by the Greek army and its annexation in 1881 and new uprisings in Epirus and Crete.
The new ideology which took root in the decade of the 1840s and which dictated Greece’s foreign policy for a long time was the concept of the "Great Idea". It aimed at freeing all the Greeks who were still under the Ottoman yoke and creating a greater Greece. It started as an ideology of the urban middle and lower-middle classes, passed through various phases and several ups and downs before becoming at the beginning of the following century the ideology of the urban upper class, acting as an inspiration for the liberation of enslaved Greeks and ending, finally, in national disasters and most acute internal conflicts.
In the years after 1864, the man who prevailed on the political scene was Harilaos Trikoupis. The first socialist ideas and organizations made their appearance at this time. The continuous failures of national policy made it obvious that a general rearrangement of the country’s political structure was needed, together with its dissociation from the royal court.
There were many flags used by Greek forces during the 1821 revolution. The flag pictured was one of them. It is known to have been used by forces connected with the Kolokotronis family, as well as the Cypriot forces of Hadjigeorgios.
In May 1909 a Military League was formed. It demanded the reorganization of the army and the navy, the dismissal of the princes from any military command and the cleaning up of political life. The military coup of 1909, which was to leave its mark on the nation’s development, broke out at Goudi and was marked by total success. The political parties were exiled, and in August 1910 power handed over to a new politician from Crete, Eleftherios Venizelos. From 1910 to 1935 the Greek political scene was dominated by Venizelos' personality .
There were many flags used by Greek forces during the 1821 revolution. The flag pictured was one of them. It is known to have been used by forces connected with the Kolokotronis family, as well as the Cypriot forces of Hadjigeorgios.
A brief summery of the Indepented War...
Regards
by linda j. wilson
Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770 - 1834). Kolokotronis, above, is considered the most important figure of the Greek revolution.
Greeks all over the world, but especially here in New York City, will celebrate Greek Independence Day this Saturday, Mar. 25. Parades and speeches will mark a struggle which began early in the 19th century and continued well into the 20th, fueled by the desire of the Greek nation to follow the traditions of self-government of the world's first democracy.
The 1821-32 rebellion of Greeks within the Ottoman Empire resulted in the establishment of an independent kingdom of Greece. The rebellion originated in the activities of the Philikν Etaireνa ("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. Greeks’ economic progress and the impact of Western revolutionary ideas further intensified Hellenism.
The revolt began in March 1821 when Alexandros Ypsilantis, the 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 Mar. 25, 1821, (the traditional date of Greek independence), sporadic revolts against Turkish rule had broken out in the Peloponnese, in Greece north of the Gulf of Corinth, 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 from 1822 to 1824 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 Theσdoros Kolokotrσnis and Geσrgios Kountouriσtis, who was head of the government that had been formed in January 1822 but was forced to flee to the island of Hydra in December 1822. After a second civil war in 1824, Kountouriσtis was firmly established as leader, but his government and the entire revolution were gravely threatened by the arrival of Egyptian forces led by Ibrahim Pash, which had been sent to aid the Turks in 1825. With the support of Egyptian sea power, the Ottoman forces successfully invaded the Peloponnese, captured Missolonghi in April 1826, the town of Athens in August 1826 and the Athenian acropolis in June 1827.
Georgios Karaiskakis (1782 - 1827). He was killed in a clash with the Turks at Faliro. Karaiskakis is considered the second most important military figure of the revolution, after Kolokotronis.
The Greek cause, however, was saved by the intervention of the European powers. Favoring the formation of an autonomous Greek state, they offered to mediate between the Turks and the Greeks in 1826 and 1827. When the Turks refused, Great Britain, France, and Russia sent their naval fleets to Navarino, where on Oct. 20, 1827, they destroyed the Egyptian fleet. Although this severely crippled the Ottoman forces, the war continued, complicated by the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29. In 1828 a small, independent Greek state was formed with 800,000 inhabitants. It was a penniless state of extremely small size, consisting of the Peloponnese, Central Greece and the Cyclades. It would take another century of struggle before all the Greeks were freed.
A Greco-Turkish settlement was finally determined by the European powers. At a conference in London, they adopted a protocol on Feb. 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 Volos to south of Arta; Prince Otto of Bavaria had accepted the crown and the Turkish sultan had recognized Greek independence and signed the Treaty of Constantinople in July 1832.
The first man to govern the country was a Greek former minister of the Tsar, Ioannis Kapodistrias. His first task was to organize the state - its internal administration, the army, the questions of the national territories and independence and the border question. However, his clash with the local aristocracy provoked intense reactions which led to his assassination in 1831.
The 19th century was a long and trying time for the Greeks. It was a period during which Greek society, through myriad difficulties, was trying to define its national image and bring about its national fulfillment. The liberality and democracy of the first Greek Constitutions were replaced by an absolute monarchy guided by foreigners. In 1843 Otto, under popular pressure, granted a conservative Constitution (1844) which, however, was often ignored. Otto was finally driven out of the country in 1862.
Manto Mavrogenous was among the notable heroines of the Greek revolution.
With the Constitution of 1864 the regime of a constitutional monarchy was established. The new king was George I, a scion of the Danish dynasty of the Glucksburgs. In the same year, the Ionian islands were united with Greece and progressive political customs and organized social frameworks for Greece’s political and social life introduced.
There was relative calm during the period that ensued up to the end of the century. Political battles were often relegated to the Chamber of Deputies while public opinion was more occupied by national and Balkan affairs. These were the Cretan Revolution of 1866-69; the establishment of a Bulgarian Church that was independent of the Patriarchate, the Bulgarian Hexarchy of 1870, and which, in turn, created a Macedonian problem when the limits of its authority had to be defined; the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-88 and the rise of panslavism; the establishment of a large Bulgarian state which stretched into Greek Macedonia by the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878, the invasion of Thessaly by the Greek army and its annexation in 1881 and new uprisings in Epirus and Crete.
The new ideology which took root in the decade of the 1840s and which dictated Greece’s foreign policy for a long time was the concept of the "Great Idea". It aimed at freeing all the Greeks who were still under the Ottoman yoke and creating a greater Greece. It started as an ideology of the urban middle and lower-middle classes, passed through various phases and several ups and downs before becoming at the beginning of the following century the ideology of the urban upper class, acting as an inspiration for the liberation of enslaved Greeks and ending, finally, in national disasters and most acute internal conflicts.
In the years after 1864, the man who prevailed on the political scene was Harilaos Trikoupis. The first socialist ideas and organizations made their appearance at this time. The continuous failures of national policy made it obvious that a general rearrangement of the country’s political structure was needed, together with its dissociation from the royal court.
There were many flags used by Greek forces during the 1821 revolution. The flag pictured was one of them. It is known to have been used by forces connected with the Kolokotronis family, as well as the Cypriot forces of Hadjigeorgios.
In May 1909 a Military League was formed. It demanded the reorganization of the army and the navy, the dismissal of the princes from any military command and the cleaning up of political life. The military coup of 1909, which was to leave its mark on the nation’s development, broke out at Goudi and was marked by total success. The political parties were exiled, and in August 1910 power handed over to a new politician from Crete, Eleftherios Venizelos. From 1910 to 1935 the Greek political scene was dominated by Venizelos' personality .
There were many flags used by Greek forces during the 1821 revolution. The flag pictured was one of them. It is known to have been used by forces connected with the Kolokotronis family, as well as the Cypriot forces of Hadjigeorgios.A brief summery of the Indepented War...
Regards
Saturn5 - March 27, 2006 12:38 PM (GMT)
Any photos of the military parade from Syntagma?
Cid - March 27, 2006 02:53 PM (GMT)
Happy Independance day for the Greeks!
Hades - March 27, 2006 06:09 PM (GMT)
saladin - March 27, 2006 06:31 PM (GMT)
Thanks Lord for the brief history. I'm suprised that there were greeks in Ukraine (or were they ortodox brothers?)
Lord - March 28, 2006 08:11 AM (GMT)
@Hades
Right Pic Brotherrrrrrrrr.... :applause:
@Saladin
Yes indeed...especially around Odessa ...were alot of Greeks...
here are some links..
http://www.eie.gr/nhrf/institutes/inr/databases-en.html
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/dat.../0880335459.HTM
Right Pic Brotherrrrrrrrr.... :applause:
@Saladin
Yes indeed...especially around Odessa ...were alot of Greeks...
here are some links..
http://www.eie.gr/nhrf/institutes/inr/databases-en.html
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/dat.../0880335459.HTM
| QUOTE |
| The term "Greek" is applied today to persons who speak variants of modern Greek, and to members of diaspora communities who consider themselves Greek. Greeks have been involved in the lands of the Black Sea region of Russia and the CIS for more than 2000 years, since before the foundation of the first Russian state. Greeks developed trade relations with the Scythians in the years between 750 and 500 B.C. Greek city states established colonies along the Black Sea coast, and it is likely that Greeks have resided among the Scythians in the interior as commercial wayfarers or settlers. The conquests of Alexander the Great brought hellenized eastern rulers to power in the Greek Black Sea colonies until the Romans had conquested the area by the 1st c. A.D. The Roman and later Byzantine provinces on the Black Sea maintained active trade relations with the interior regions to the north and east for centuries. The Black Sea trade became increasingly important for the Byzantine empire as Constantinople became the imperial capital, and as Egypt and Syria was lost to Islam in the 7th c. At the same time, Byzantium was becoming more Greek than Roman in its official character. Byzantine missionaries were active among the steppe peoples north of the Black Sea, like the Alans and the Khazars. Most notable were Cyril and Methodius of Thessalonica, who later became known as the apostles of the Slavs. |
| QUOTE |
| With the fall of the Byzantine empire in the 15th c., there was an exodus of Greeks both to the West and to Russia. Together with the marriage of Byzantine Sophia and Russian Ivan III, this provided a historical precedent for the Muscovite political theory of the Third Rome, positing Moscow as the legitimate successor to Rome and Byzantium. Greeks continued to migrate to Russia in the following centuries. Many sought protection, aid and livelihood in a country with a culture related to their own. Greek clerics and soldiers and diplomats found employment in Russia and Ukraine. Many Greek merchants came to make use of privileges that were extended to them in Ottoman-Russian trade. Russian military operations in Greek lands during the Russo-Turkish wars of the late 18th c. brought many Greeks to settle within Russian boundaries, primarily people who collaborated with the Russians in these wars. Many also came to settle in newly acquired Russian lands as part of military settler regiments. According to Greek sources, there were over 500.000 Greeks in tsarist Russia prior to the Russian Revolution, between 150.000 and 200.000 of them within the borders of the present-day Russian Federation. The numbers and general condition of Greeks in Russia changed drastically with the Russian Revolution and the subsequent Civil War. Most of the Greeks were engaged in trade or other occupations that made them "class enemies" of the Bolshevik government. In addition, Greek forces participated in the Civil War against the Bolsheviks in 1919. Appr. 50000 Greeks emigrated between 1919 and 1924. When diplomatic relations were established between the Soviet Union and Greece in 1924, the Soviets pressed Greece to repatriate more Greeks from Russia, although Greece already had more than 1,5 million refugees from Turkey to take care of. An agreement was reached, however, allowing Armenian refugees in Greece to settle in Soviet Armenia in exchange for some 70.000 Greeks repatriated from the Soviet union. In the Stalin era, many Greeks were deported to remote parts of the Soviet union, and Greek Orthodox churches, Greek-language schools and other cultural institutions were closed. During World War II, the Greeks first suffered under Nazi occupation of the Black Sea area. Then in 1944, when Crimea was liberated in 1944, most of the Greeks of Crimea were exiled to Kazakhstan, along with the Crimean Tatars. The last major immigration of Greeks to Russia and the Soviet Union began in 1950, as supporters of the Communists in the Greek civil war of 1949 became political refugees. Over 10.000 of them ended up in the Soviet Union. After de-Stalinization under Khrushchov, Greeks were gradually allowed to return to their homes in the Black Sea region. Many have emigrated to Greece since 1956. |
Regards
Lord - March 28, 2006 08:16 AM (GMT)
ODESSA: MUSEUM OF THE PHILIKI ETAIRIA
The Museum of the Philiki Etairia has been operating since 1979 as part of the Historical and Folk Art Museum of Odessa. In 1994 the museum moved to its historic location, where the members of the Philiki Etairia ('Friendly Society') once met and the HFC is today headquartered.
In its new form, the museum was created and organised by the HFC in cooperation with the Historical and Folk Art Museum of Odessa, which provided the collection of exhibits relating to the Philiki Etairia that was then supplemented with replicas of exhibits on display at museums in Greece. A new gallery with a focus on folk art was recently inaugurated in the inner courtyard area, featuring authentic artefacts which recreate the appearance of the residence of G.I. Maraslis, owner of the building in the first half of the 19th century.
The museum is open to the public and attracts many foreigners visiting Odessa as well as local people from the wider region. In cooperation with the Education Department of Odessa Municipality, the Branch regularly organises free tours and lectures for pupils of the city's schools and students at Odessa National University.
www.hfc.gr/parartimata/ mouseio_filet_en.asp
ODESSA: PHILIKI ETAIRIA
The Philiki Etairia was founded in 1814 by three Greek merchants living abroad: Nikolaos Skoufas, Athanasios Tsakalof and Emmanuel Xanthos.
The aim of the 'Friendly Society' was to liberate Greece from the Ottoman Turkish yoke of oppression. As was common at the time, the society was organised along Masonic lines, although its members, who quickly grew in number, did not all belong to Masonic lodges. Moreover, the members came from all walks of life, representing socially and ideologically heterogenous groups of the Greek diaspora and Turkish-occupied territories.
Among its ranks were 'aristocratic' Phanariots and conservative landed gentry (kotzabasides), military oligarchs serving in Western Europe and Czarist Russia, senior members of the clergy, ordinary priests and monks, intellectual radicals, merchants and sailors. Membership of the society also extended to quite a number of Balkan patriots of different origins, who regarded the struggle against the Ottomans as the common cause of all the Christian peoples of southeast Europe. It was therefore only natural that these different social and geographical backgrounds and diversity of interests of the society's members would lead to disagreements about the methods and strategy of the organisation. Some believed that the Revolution should be postponed for some years so that suitable preparations could be made, favourable diplomatic conditions shaped and foreign support secured, while others were in favour of immediate action.
In the end, the first group managed to win the top leadership of the organisation, but the second group was able to secure key positions, albeit lower in rank. In March 1820, the bolder members hastened to take advantage of the preoccupation of the Ottomans with the serious rebellion of Ali Pasha, but also the general revolutionary spirit prevailing throughout Europe at the time following the revolts in Naples and Spain. By means of a variety of initiatives, they eventually managed to carry along not only the Filiki Etairia but also the entire Greek world into the Revolution.
Sources: I.C. Hasiotis: 'Between the Ottoman and European challenge. The Greek world at the time of the Turkish occupation'. University Studio Press, Thessaloniki 2001, p. 181.
The Museum of the Philiki Etairia has been operating since 1979 as part of the Historical and Folk Art Museum of Odessa. In 1994 the museum moved to its historic location, where the members of the Philiki Etairia ('Friendly Society') once met and the HFC is today headquartered.
In its new form, the museum was created and organised by the HFC in cooperation with the Historical and Folk Art Museum of Odessa, which provided the collection of exhibits relating to the Philiki Etairia that was then supplemented with replicas of exhibits on display at museums in Greece. A new gallery with a focus on folk art was recently inaugurated in the inner courtyard area, featuring authentic artefacts which recreate the appearance of the residence of G.I. Maraslis, owner of the building in the first half of the 19th century.
The museum is open to the public and attracts many foreigners visiting Odessa as well as local people from the wider region. In cooperation with the Education Department of Odessa Municipality, the Branch regularly organises free tours and lectures for pupils of the city's schools and students at Odessa National University.
www.hfc.gr/parartimata/ mouseio_filet_en.asp
ODESSA: PHILIKI ETAIRIA
The Philiki Etairia was founded in 1814 by three Greek merchants living abroad: Nikolaos Skoufas, Athanasios Tsakalof and Emmanuel Xanthos.
The aim of the 'Friendly Society' was to liberate Greece from the Ottoman Turkish yoke of oppression. As was common at the time, the society was organised along Masonic lines, although its members, who quickly grew in number, did not all belong to Masonic lodges. Moreover, the members came from all walks of life, representing socially and ideologically heterogenous groups of the Greek diaspora and Turkish-occupied territories.
Among its ranks were 'aristocratic' Phanariots and conservative landed gentry (kotzabasides), military oligarchs serving in Western Europe and Czarist Russia, senior members of the clergy, ordinary priests and monks, intellectual radicals, merchants and sailors. Membership of the society also extended to quite a number of Balkan patriots of different origins, who regarded the struggle against the Ottomans as the common cause of all the Christian peoples of southeast Europe. It was therefore only natural that these different social and geographical backgrounds and diversity of interests of the society's members would lead to disagreements about the methods and strategy of the organisation. Some believed that the Revolution should be postponed for some years so that suitable preparations could be made, favourable diplomatic conditions shaped and foreign support secured, while others were in favour of immediate action.
In the end, the first group managed to win the top leadership of the organisation, but the second group was able to secure key positions, albeit lower in rank. In March 1820, the bolder members hastened to take advantage of the preoccupation of the Ottomans with the serious rebellion of Ali Pasha, but also the general revolutionary spirit prevailing throughout Europe at the time following the revolts in Naples and Spain. By means of a variety of initiatives, they eventually managed to carry along not only the Filiki Etairia but also the entire Greek world into the Revolution.
Sources: I.C. Hasiotis: 'Between the Ottoman and European challenge. The Greek world at the time of the Turkish occupation'. University Studio Press, Thessaloniki 2001, p. 181.