BYRON’S GREEK WAR LEGACY: 1825-1832

Philhellenism appeared at the start of the Greek War in 1821. Supportive organisations across Europe and America were formed and members were largely intellectuals and lovers of antiquity. Lord Byron, with his poetry, his liberal ideology, his arrival in Greece with financial support and his untimely death in 1824, became a symbol of Philhellenism. His death played a crucial part in motivating the union of Greek factions against the Ottoman Empire and the increased involvement of western nations.

Byron is remembered as generous and brave - ‘A hero’ ‘A saviour’ ‘A deliverer’.

“Of the purity of his intentions, and the intenseness of his zeal, the dangers he encountered, the privations he submitted to, the time and money he bestowed, and the life he forfeited, there are such proofs as no other man in this age and country has given.’’ (William Parry : The Last Days of Lord Byron)

Lord Byron. The advocate and supporter of the Greek Nation by Adam Friedel

“Nothing can be more serviceable to the cause than all you have done. I can only trust that the great sacrifices which you have made will contribute to the final success of the great cause of the independence of Greece. This will indeed be worth living for and will make your name and character stand far above any contemporary.” (John Cam Hobhouse)

1827

During the premiership in Britain of philhellene George Canning, the first intervention of the Great Powers took place. Britain, France and Russia signed the Convention of London.This provided for a cease-fire and Greek autonomy. The Ottomans refused to agree. As a result, the allied forces blockaded the coasts of the Peloponnese. The Turkish Egyptian fleet was annihilated at the naval battle of Navarino.

1830

The founding of the Modern Greek State was recognised by the Great Powers. Ioannis Kapodistrias was elected by the Third National Assembly of Troizene. He was murdered in 1831, and the following year saw the creation of the Kingdom of Greece and the election of Otto of Bavaria as king. Reporting on the visit of the Greek Prime Minister to Newstead Abbey in July 1931, the Nottingham Journal recorded his speech:

“Many are those who were convinced that if Byron had not come to die facing the lagoon of Missolonghi, during the Easter of 1824, there would not have been a Navarino in 1827. Childe Harold died like a crusader.”

Timeline following Lord Byron’s death (1825 - 1832)

1825

April: The Fall of Missolonghi - The Ottoman forces failed to capture the city in 1822 and returned once more in1823... and again in 1825, led by Kioutahi Pasha and Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt. The Greeks held out for nearly a year before they ran out of food. The Greeks attempted a mass breakout, and only a small number survived. This moving event had a profound effect internationally. It proved a key factor which led to the intervention by the Great Powers, who by then, felt ever more sympathy for the Greek Cause.

May: Battle of Maniaki - Ottoman Egyptian forces defeated the Greek forces.

Grigorios Papaflessas (Greek priest and government official) and Pieros Voidis (military leader) were killed in action.

1826

November: The Church of Agios Georgios, Arachova - One of the most decisive moments in the history of the war. Ottoman forces under the command of Mustafa Bey were defeated by the Greek forces led by Georgios Karaiskakis. Fighting took place around the church and the battle lasted six days.

Frank Abney Hastings, British Naval officer and benefactor of the Hellenic Navy, had realised earlier, that the Greeks in sailing ships were likely to be defeated without steam ships at their disposal. Back in an English shipyard, he used his own money to construct the Karteria (Perseverance) and design state of the art military equipment. The Karteria was the first steam-powered warship in history to be used in combat operations. It arrived in Nafplio in December 1826.

1827

September: Battle of Itea in the Gulf of Corinth – a small Greek squadron commanded by Frank Abney Hastings launched a raid on an Ottoman fleet. The steam-powered warship Karteria played a crucial part in the Greek victory.

October: Battle of Navarino Bay on the Peloponnese peninsula in the Ionian Sea - Allied forces from Britain, France and Russia defeated Ottoman and Egyptian forces.

The Battle of Navarino by George Philip Reinagle - Wikimedia Commons

Thus ended the Greek War against the Ottoman Empire.

Greek Independence

1828

January: Count Ioannis Kapodistrias was elected the first head of state of an independent Greece. He served as governor of Greece until1831.

1830

February: The London Protocol treaty was signed by France, Russia and Great Britain. It was the first official international act that recognized Greece as a sovereign and independent state.

1831

September: Ioannis Kapodistrias was assassinated on his way to the church of St Spyridon in Nafplio.

1832

July: The International London Conference was convened to establish a stable government. Seventeen-year-old Prince Otto of Bavaria was crowned King of Greece. The Kingdom of Greece was ratified in the Treaty of Constantinople, whereby the sultan formally recognised Greek Independence.

Byron’s actions inspired other poets to adopt a political stance. Notably Alexander Pushkin, who in his poems, expressed sympathy for victims of oppression and inequality. He was banished from St Petersburg for publishing poems of political dissent notably, Ode to Liberty.