#Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends)

[gemsofgreece]

Which greek hero (or heroine) of the Greek War of Independence you find underrated, in a sense we don't hear about them as often as some other familiar names, like Kolokotronis, Karaiskakis, Androutsos, Mavrogenou, Bouboulina and countless others I don't have the patience to list?

Ypsilantis, but I mean Demetrios, not Alexander. Demetrios is not well known or he is only known as the little brother of Alexander and for his engagement to Manto Mavrogenous, but he was far more than that. In my opinion, he is way more significant than his brother or at least more successful at what he set out to do.

Demetrios Ypsilantis (1793 - 1832) was a Greek prince, born in Constantinople, and serving as a military officer in the Imperial Russian Army. Ypsilantis was trained in the military schools of France.

After his brother Alexander became the leader of the Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends), the organisation of Greek expats who was conspiring for the Greek Revolution, and made some wrong choices and the rebellion in the Danubian Prinicipalities failed, he was held confined for several years and couldn't come to Greece to join the cause he was the leader of. Hence he sent Demetrios in his place, under full secrecy. Demetrios had to escape many witnesses, obstacles and dangers in order to arrive to Greece. He also went to Odessa first, gathering money from Greek expats there for the cause. He also mortgaged a lot of his own fortune and heirlooms for the cause.

As soon as he arrived to the Peloponnese, he assumed the role of the leader of the revolution and he befriended Kolokotronis, Papaflessas and Anagnostarás. Other war captains weren't very appreciative of him but with his peaceful and reconciling spirit, he managed to be accepted by most. Demetrios didn't have the image of a leader or military officer, he was only 27 year old, balding and of a small and fragile stature.

Demetrios was actually in charge of the Siege of Tripolitsá. However he had to leave as the Turkish army was attempting to reach the Corinthian Gulf and he had to confront them, so the massacre in Tripolitsá broke out in his absence. As soon as he learnt of the bloodshed, he quickly returned to Tripolitsá, ended the atrocities and actually provided refuge to Turkish or other Muslim civilians in danger.

He defended Nafplion against the huge forces of Dramali Mahmud Pasha (~30,000 men) with a tiny garrison of 700 men! Demetrios lasted for 12 days and then the garrison was dissolved. However, these 12 invaluable days gave Kolokotronis the opportunity to prepare his army, take hold of critical positions in the Peloponnese and of course burn the crops. This led to the Battle of Dervenakia against Kolokotronis, in which Dramali lost ~24,000 of his men.

While he was elected leader of the National Assembly, Demetrios refused to take sides in the infighting between the war captains and the intellectuals - this made him less powerful but also earned everyone's respect. He was adamant that all Greeks should fight united.

His biggest success was his second defense of Nafplion alongside General Yannis Makriyannis in the Battle of the Lerna Mills, this time against Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt. Here are the stats in wiki:

Once Greece became an independent state, Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias appointed Demetrios as the General Commader of the troops in Eastern Greece. In this position, he gave several victorious battles against the Turks in Boeotia, most notably including the Battle of Petra, on 25 September 1829, which was the official ending of the active operations of the Greek War of Independence. So, Demetrios completed the war his brother started!

Demetrios was in love and engaged with fellow heroine Mantó Mavrogenous. Ioannis Kolettis, a politician and the forefather of corruption in Greek politics already, fearing that such a marriage between two wealthy heroes could have enormous influence over the Greek populace, defamed Mantó relentlessly to Demetrios. Demetrios was swayed and broke up with her, breaking her heart.

Again, despite his bravery, Yspilantis was frail and prone to illnesses. He died young, at the age of 39, due to illness. Some speculate it might have been some form of muscular dystrophy but nothing is certain. In his funeral, Georgios Tertsetis said "He chose to sacrifice everything for his country, without ever allowing hatred to cast a shadow in his soul". Historian Konstantinos Vaskalopoulos called Ypsilantis as "the potentially purest and most selfless of the captains of the Greek War of Independence".

[justforbooks]

The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution, was a successful war of independence waged by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1830. The Greeks were later assisted by Great Britain, France and Russia, while the Ottomans were aided by their North African vassals, particularly the eyalet of Egypt. The war led to the formation of modern Greece. The revolution is celebrated by Greeks around the world as independence day on 25 March.

Greece came under Ottoman rule in the 15th century, in the decades before and after the fall of Constantinople. During the following centuries, there were sporadic but unsuccessful Greek uprisings against Ottoman rule. In 1814, a secret organization called Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends) was founded with the aim of liberating Greece, encouraged by the revolutionary fervor gripping Europe in that period. The Filiki Eteria planned to launch revolts in the Peloponnese, the Danubian Principalities, and Constantinople itself. The insurrection was planned for 25 March 1821 (on the Julian Calendar), the Orthodox Christian Feast of the Annunciation. However, the plans of Filiki Eteria were discovered by the Ottoman authorities, forcing the revolution to start earlier. The first revolt began on 6 March/21 February 1821 in the Danubian Principalities, but it was soon put down by the Ottomans. The events in the north urged the Greeks in the Peloponnese (Morea) into action and on 17 March 1821, the Maniots were first to declare war. In September 1821, the Greeks under the leadership of Theodoros Kolokotronis captured Tripolitsa. Revolts in Crete, Macedonia, and Central Greece broke out, but were eventually suppressed. Meanwhile, makeshift Greek fleets achieved success against the Ottoman navy in the Aegean Sea and prevented Ottoman reinforcements from arriving by sea.

Tensions soon developed among different Greek factions, leading to two consecutive civil wars. The Ottoman Sultan called in his vassal Muhammad Ali of Egypt, who agreed to send his son Ibrahim Pasha to Greece with an army to suppress the revolt in return for territorial gains. Ibrahim landed in the Peloponnese in February 1825 and brought most of the peninsula under Egyptian control by the end of that year. The town of Missolonghi fell in April 1826 after a year-long siege by the Turks. Despite a failed invasion of Mani, Athens also fell and the revolution looked all but lost.

At that point, the three Great powers—Russia, Britain and France—decided to intervene, sending their naval squadrons to Greece in 1827. Following news that the combined Ottoman–Egyptian fleet was going to attack the island of Hydra, the allied European fleets intercepted the Ottoman navy at Navarino. After a tense week-long standoff, the Battle of Navarino led to the destruction of the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet and turned the tide in favor of the revolutionaries. In 1828 the Egyptian army withdrew under pressure of a French expeditionary force. The Ottoman garrisons in the Peloponnese surrendered, and the Greek revolutionaries proceeded to retake central Greece. Russia invaded the Ottoman Empire and forced it to accept Greek autonomy in the Treaty of Adrianople (1829). After nine years of war, Greece was finally recognized as an independent state under the London Protocol of February 1830. Further negotiations in 1832 led to the London Conference and the Treaty of Constantinople; these defined the final borders of the new state and established Prince Otto of Bavaria as the first king of Greece.

The consequences of the Greek revolution were somewhat ambiguous in the immediate aftermath. An independent Greek state had been established, but with Britain, Russia and France having significant influence in Greek politics, an imported Bavarian dynast as ruler, and a mercenary army. The country had been ravaged by ten years of fighting and was full of displaced refugees and empty Turkish estates, necessitating a series of land reforms over several decades.

The population of the new state numbered 800,000, representing less than one-third of the 2.5 million Greek inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire. During a great part of the next century, the Greek state sought the liberation of the “unredeemed” Greeks of the Ottoman Empire, in accordance with the Megali Idea, i.e., the goal of uniting all Greeks in one country.

As a people, the Greeks no longer provided the princes for the Danubian Principalities, and were regarded within the Ottoman Empire, especially by the Muslim population, as traitors. Phanariotes, who had until then held high office within the Ottoman Empire, were thenceforth regarded as suspect, and lost their special, privileged status. In Constantinople and the rest of the Ottoman Empire where Greek banking and merchant presence had been dominant, Armenians mostly replaced Greeks in banking, and Jewish merchants gained importance.

In the long-term historical perspective, this marked a seminal event in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, despite the small size and the impoverishment of the new Greek state. For the first time, a Christian subject people had achieved independence from Ottoman rule and established a fully independent state, recognized by Europe. Whereas previously, only large nations (such as the Prussians or Austrians) were judged worthy of national self-determination by the Great Powers of Europe, the Greek Revolt legitimized the concept of small, ethnically-based nation-states, and emboldened nationalist movements among other subject peoples of the Ottoman Empire. The Serbs, Bulgarians, Albanians, Romanians and Armenians all subsequently fought for and won their independence.

Shortly after the war ended, the people of the Russian-dependent Poland, encouraged by the Greek victory, started the November Uprising, hoping to regain their independence. The uprising, however, failed, and Polish independence had to wait until 1918 at Versailles. The newly established Greek state would become a catalyst for further expansion and, over the course of a century, parts of Macedonia, Crete, Epirus, many Aegean Islands, the Ionian Islands and other Greek-speaking territories would unite with the new Greek state. The Greek rebels won the sympathy of even the conservative powers of Europe.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[suetravelblog]

Yiannis Psychopedis: Heroes of '21 Athens Greece

Yiannis Psychopedis: Heroes of ’21 Athens Greece

Jannis Psychopedis Kavafi – Piasa Feeling a bit disconcerted during my last few days in Athens, I went to view Jannis Psychopedis’ Exhibition Heroes of ’21. The exhibition includes the artists’ most recent paintings, engravings, and drawings “created during long months of covid lockdown”. His works are “inspired by thoughts and contemplations triggered and creatively brought into being by the…

[archaeologyinbulgaria]

For Another’s Freedom: Bulgarian Rebel Leaders Who Fought to Liberate Greece

For Another’s Freedom: Bulgarian Rebel Leaders Who Fought to Liberate Greece

On March 25 (6 April, Greg.Calendar), the Feast of Annunciation, 1821, Bishop Palaion Patron Germanos proclaimed the national uprising against the Ottoman Empire and blessed the flag of the Greek War of Independence at the Monastery of Agia Lavra. Painting by Ludovico Lipparini (1800-1856), National Historic Museum Greece

Bulgaria and Greece are (the) two European countries that are about as…

[atlasseon]

Φιλική Εταιρία | Filiki Eteria | Society of Friends was a secret organization founded in 1814 in Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek state. Purpose: Preparation of the Greek War of Independence Motto: Ελευθερία ή θάνατος | Freedom or Death Founders: Nikolaos Skoufas, Emmanuil Xanthos, Athanasios Tsakalov [swipe left] #statues #blue #bluewatersailing #aegean #aegeansea #thisisgreece #greece #travel_greece #travel #travelphotography #traveltheworld #traveling #travellerlife #avidtraveler #travelblogger #travelpassport #travelguide #travelover #traveldiaries #traveltoexplore #travels #travelmania #travelanddestinations #traveleurope (at Kolonaki, Athens) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGYaMX8DGVZ/?igshid=16gt88hrnr1e7

[dailynationalflag]

Flag of Greece

Aspect Ratio 2:3

The current flag of Greece was adopted in 1978. The origins of the blue and white cross color scheme date back to the early 19th century. At the time, Greece was under Ottoman rule, and in 1821 the nation entered a war of independence, which was ultimately successful. The revolt was organized by Filiki Eteria (the Society of Friends), a secret society. Since the various Monarchies of the "Concert of Europe" were suspicious of social revolutionary movements like the Filiki Eteria, the newly established National Assembly began disassociating from the more radical elements during the war, wishing to promote Greece as a more conventional and ordered nation state. One step they took was replacing the revolutionary flag with a neutral national flag. This was the first instance of the basic blue and white cross design, which evolved throughout various governments. The current design was adopted in 1978 following the restoration of democracy after the period of dictatorship commonly known as the Regime of Colonels. The exact origin of the colors is unknown, with some theories including the shield of Achilles, the banners of Alexander the Great, and various emblems from the Byzantine era. Regardless of origin, they are commonly thought to be representative of Greece's sky and sea. The cross symbolizes Eastern Orthodox Christianity. According to popular tradition the nine stripes represent the nine syllables of the phrase "Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος" ("Freedom or Death").

x.x.x.x.x.

[leshellenes]

Greek War of Independence (1821–1832) In 1814, a secret organization called the Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends) was founded with the aim of liberating Greece. The Filiki Eteria planned to launch revolution in the Peloponnese, the Danubian Principalities and Constantinople. The first of these revolts began on 6 March 1821 in the Danubian Principalities under the lea... Altro...Viva il 25 marzo 1821! Guerra d'indipendenza greca (1821-1832) Nel 1814, fu fondata un'organizzazione segreta chiamata Filikí Etería (Società degli Amici) con l'obiettivo di liberare la Grecia. I Etería Filikí previsto di lanciare la rivoluzione nel Peloponneso, nei principati danubiana e a Istanbul. La prima di queste rivolte ebbe inizio il 6 marzo 1821 nei principati danubiana sotto la guida di Alexandros Ypsilanti, ma fu presto messo dagli ottomano. Gli eventi del nord hanno spinto i greci del Peloponneso in azione e il 17 marzo 1821 i Manioti hanno dichiarato guerra agli ottomano.[66] Entro la fine del mese, il Peloponneso era in aperta rivolta contro gli ottomani e nell'ottobre del 1821 i greci sotto Theodoros Kolokotronis avevano catturato Tripolitsa. La rivolta del Peloponneso fu rapidamente seguita da rivolte a Creta, Macedonia e Grecia centrale, che presto sarebbero state repressi. Nel frattempo, la marina greca di fortuna stava raggiungendo il successo contro la marina ottomano nel Mar Egeo e ha impedito ai rinforzi ottomano di arrivare via mare. Nel 1822 e nel 1824 i Turchi e egiziani devastato le isole, tra cui Chios e Psara, commettono massacri all'ingrosso della popolazione.[66] Questo ha avuto l'effetto di zincatura l'opinione pubblica nell'Europa occidentale a favore della Grecia ribelli.[61][pagina necessaria]

[justforbooks]

The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution, was a successful war of independence waged by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1830. The Greeks were later assisted by Great Britain, France and Russia, while the Ottomans were aided by their North African vassals, particularly the eyalet of Egypt. The war led to the formation of modern Greece. The revolution is celebrated by Greeks around the world as independence day on 25 March.

Greece came under Ottoman rule in the 15th century, in the decades before and after the fall of Constantinople. During the following centuries, there were sporadic but unsuccessful Greek uprisings against Ottoman rule. In 1814, a secret organization called Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends) was founded with the aim of liberating Greece, encouraged by the revolutionary fervor gripping Europe in that period. The Filiki Eteria planned to launch revolts in the Peloponnese, the Danubian Principalities, and Constantinople itself. The insurrection was planned for 25 March 1821 (on the Julian Calendar), the Orthodox Christian Feast of the Annunciation. However, the plans of Filiki Eteria were discovered by the Ottoman authorities, forcing the revolution to start earlier. The first revolt began on 6 March/21 February 1821 in the Danubian Principalities, but it was soon put down by the Ottomans. The events in the north urged the Greeks in the Peloponnese (Morea) into action and on 17 March 1821, the Maniots were first to declare war. In September 1821, the Greeks under the leadership of Theodoros Kolokotronis captured Tripolitsa. Revolts in Crete, Macedonia, and Central Greece broke out, but were eventually suppressed. Meanwhile, makeshift Greek fleets achieved success against the Ottoman navy in the Aegean Sea and prevented Ottoman reinforcements from arriving by sea.

Tensions soon developed among different Greek factions, leading to two consecutive civil wars. The Ottoman Sultan called in his vassal Muhammad Ali of Egypt, who agreed to send his son Ibrahim Pasha to Greece with an army to suppress the revolt in return for territorial gains. Ibrahim landed in the Peloponnese in February 1825 and brought most of the peninsula under Egyptian control by the end of that year. The town of Missolonghi fell in April 1826 after a year-long siege by the Turks. Despite a failed invasion of Mani, Athens also fell and the revolution looked all but lost.

At that point, the three Great powers—Russia, Britain and France—decided to intervene, sending their naval squadrons to Greece in 1827. Following news that the combined Ottoman–Egyptian fleet was going to attack the island of Hydra, the allied European fleets intercepted the Ottoman navy at Navarino. After a tense week-long standoff, the Battle of Navarino led to the destruction of the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet and turned the tide in favor of the revolutionaries. In 1828 the Egyptian army withdrew under pressure of a French expeditionary force. The Ottoman garrisons in the Peloponnese surrendered, and the Greek revolutionaries proceeded to retake central Greece. Russia invaded the Ottoman Empire and forced it to accept Greek autonomy in the Treaty of Adrianople (1829). After nine years of war, Greece was finally recognized as an independent state under the London Protocol of February 1830. Further negotiations in 1832 led to the London Conference and the Treaty of Constantinople; these defined the final borders of the new state and established Prince Otto of Bavaria as the first king of Greece.

The consequences of the Greek revolution were somewhat ambiguous in the immediate aftermath. An independent Greek state had been established, but with Britain, Russia and France having significant influence in Greek politics, an imported Bavarian dynast as ruler, and a mercenary army. The country had been ravaged by ten years of fighting and was full of displaced refugees and empty Turkish estates, necessitating a series of land reforms over several decades.

The population of the new state numbered 800,000, representing less than one-third of the 2.5 million Greek inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire. During a great part of the next century, the Greek state sought the liberation of the "unredeemed" Greeks of the Ottoman Empire, in accordance with the Megali Idea, i.e., the goal of uniting all Greeks in one country.

As a people, the Greeks no longer provided the princes for the Danubian Principalities, and were regarded within the Ottoman Empire, especially by the Muslim population, as traitors. Phanariotes, who had until then held high office within the Ottoman Empire, were thenceforth regarded as suspect, and lost their special, privileged status. In Constantinople and the rest of the Ottoman Empire where Greek banking and merchant presence had been dominant, Armenians mostly replaced Greeks in banking, and Jewish merchants gained importance.

In the long-term historical perspective, this marked a seminal event in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, despite the small size and the impoverishment of the new Greek state. For the first time, a Christian subject people had achieved independence from Ottoman rule and established a fully independent state, recognized by Europe. Whereas previously, only large nations (such as the Prussians or Austrians) were judged worthy of national self-determination by the Great Powers of Europe, the Greek Revolt legitimized the concept of small, ethnically-based nation-states, and emboldened nationalist movements among other subject peoples of the Ottoman Empire. The Serbs, Bulgarians, Albanians, Romanians and Armenians all subsequently fought for and won their independence.

Shortly after the war ended, the people of the Russian-dependent Poland, encouraged by the Greek victory, started the November Uprising, hoping to regain their independence. The uprising, however, failed, and Polish independence had to wait until 1918 at Versailles. The newly established Greek state would become a catalyst for further expansion and, over the course of a century, parts of Macedonia, Crete, Epirus, many Aegean Islands, the Ionian Islands and other Greek-speaking territories would unite with the new Greek state. The Greek rebels won the sympathy of even the conservative powers of Europe.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com