Brainshare: Exploring the Complexities of the Eastern Question
The Greek war of independence was the first phase of the Eastern Question
that started in 1821 up to 1832. The Greeks were forcefully conquered andincorporated in the Turkish Empire during the Century. This deprived the
Greeks of their former position and privileges hitherto enjoyed in Europe and
the World at large. The Greeks were forced to be under Turkish Moslem
administrators. In spite of the privileges the Greeks enjoyed in the empire
such as freedom of education and commerce, the Greeks rose up
demanding for greater freedom and independence. The rebellion was
therefore a nationalistic movement by the Greeks against Turkey in which
religion was used as a tool of resistance against the Moslem Turks. It was
due to political, economic, social and religious factors within and outside
Greece.
CAUSES
1. The growth of Greek nationalism for independence was primarily
responsible for the Greek revolt. The Turks had forcefully conquered the
Greeks in the 14th century and the Greeks remained discontented longing
for a day when they would liberate themselves from Turkish domination.
Although the Greeks had much privileges and favours compared to other
subjects within the Turkish Empire, they considered such concessions
(privileges) as an appeasement that was intended to frustrate their attempt
to regain their independence When peaceful means could not bring forth
their independence, the Greeks resorted to violence hence the Greek war
of revolt.
2. Libralism was also responsible for the outbreak of the revolution in
Greece. The Turks who conquered the Greeks in the 14th century denied
them basic rights and fundamental political, economic and social
freedoms. Press freedom was violated by forbidding publication of
newspapers. Other basic rights like freedom of the speech, association and
movement were seriously restricted. This provided a long term
disgruntlement that was used by Greek liberals and nationalists like and
mobilize the Greeks for a revolution against the Turks.
3. The arrogance and superiority complex of the Ottoman administrators
towards the Greeks forced the Greeks into the revolution. The Greeks bated
the Turks for abusing them as an inferior race because they were
conquered and calling them infidels because they were Christians. This
made the Greeks who believed historically that they were a superior race
and the mother of civilization to rise up for their freedom.
4. Taxation was yet another burning issue amongst the Greeks that caused
the revolt. The Greeks were subjected to land tax and a tax on commerce
which reduced their profit margins. They were also forced to living withinthe Turkish Empire. Although these taxes were not exorbitant, the Greeks
rejected them because the money was swindled by corrupt Turkish officials
and very little was used to provide basic services. Besides, the tax defaulters
were heavily punished to the extent of death, which arose the Greek
concern for independence.
5. A sick man of Europe gave the Greeks the opportunity to rebel and
regain their independence. Turkey had conquered the Greeks in the 14"^
Century but when her military and political control weakened in the 19"^
Century, the Greeks saw no reason of remaining under Turkish foreign
domination. Besides, the Greeks had acquired naval supremacy and
dominated the Ottoman navy.
It was this naval superiority over their masters that encouraged the Greeks
to face the Turks in the war of independence.
6. The success of the French revolution of 1789 and the spread of the French
revolutionary ideas to Western Europe also inspired the Greeks to revolt.
Revolutionary ideas of equality, liberty, fraternity and nationalism were
popularized throughout Europe by radical revolutionaries during the
revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. These revolutionary ideas were used
by Greek nationalists to mobilize the Greeks to fight for their independence.
7. Influence of the Serbian revolt also inspired the Greeks to revolt by 1821.
In 1804, the Serbians started a revolt against Turkey in demand for their
independence. By 1817, they had successfully regained their
independence under the leadership of Milosh from the obrenovitch ruling
dynasty. This weakened Turkey's control of her subjects and provided a
practical example for the Greeks of how to regain their independence. The
Serbian success was used fey Greek patriots and nationalists to mobilize the
Greeks to begin the rebellion by 1821.
8. Other rebellions and violent events within the Ottoman Empire also
contributed to the outbreak of the Greek revolt. Sultans Mehemet Ali of
Egypt and Ali Pasha of Jenina had by 1821 revolted against Turkey and
declared their independence. Mehemet Ali had declared himself Pasha of
Egypt, conquered Sudan and Arabia. Ali Pasha had created his own
independent state of Albania by amalgamating several states around
Adriatic Sea. The activities and successes of Sultans Mehemet Ali and Ali
Pasha weakened Ottoman Empire and morale boosted the Greeks to
revolt and regain their independence.
9. The role of European powers was yet another instrumental factor in the
Greek quest for independence.
In the past, Britain and France had tried to restrain Russia from inciting and
assisting the Greeks but they turned round and started supporting the
Greeks when they realized that Russia could not stop assisting the Greeks.
Russia had religious interest of protecting fellow orthodox Greek Christians
who were suffering persecution from the Turks. She also had political
ambitions to have a lion’s share from the crumbling Ottoman Empire. Russia
had employed Capodistrious as her foreign minister and H5q5slanti as her
army officer and used them to form the Heterophilika (Society of Friends)
that began the revolt in 1821.
10. The weakness of the congress system encouraged the Greeks to revolt
against Turkey. The congress system was established to maintain peace
against the threatening forces of liberalism and nationalism.
However, by 1821 disagreement between the members had made it
impossible to adopt a common policy against revolutions, which greatly
threatened European peace. The Greeks were thus motivated by
differences amongst the congress powers to launch a nationalistic war of
independence against Turkey by 1821
11. Religious difference between the Greeks and the Turks also, contributed
to the revolt. The Greeks were Christians and the Turks were Muslims, most
of them were radicals. The Turks apart from under looking and
discriminating Christians embarked on persecutions. This is why the 1822
Morean revolt was mobilized by a Bishop. The Turks heavy massacres of
Christians in Morea, Chios, the hanging of Greek Orthodox patriarch and
two bishops outside their Church on Easter Sunday aggravated the revolt.
It attracted the sympathy and intervention of Christian powers like Russia,
France and Britain who supported the Greeks in their movement for total
liberty and independence.
12. The ancient culture and glory of the Greeks made them to develop a
superiority complex that inspired them to revolt against the Turks. The
Greeks were a highly educated and well-known people. They were the
ones "who started Olympics, Arithmetic's and Civilization. Philosophers like
Koreas emphasized that the Greeks were descendants of ancient Greece
and inheritors of a great civilization. This provoked the Greek concern for
independence. Besides, Greek writers like Constantine, Regas and Byron
emphasized the Greek history i.e. how the Greeks were mothers of world
knowledge and civilization and how they were unfairly brought underinferior Turks due to historical accident. This consolidated the Greeks desire
for independence and made them to start the war in 1821.
13. The evolution of a common Greek language in the 19th century also
contributed to the outbreak of the Greek revolt. By 1821, Greek language
had evolved into a single dialect and was popularity used by the Greeks.
The new language integrated local vocabularies and broke down
differences that existed between the Greek dialects. Patriotic and
nationalistic songs, poems, drama and proverbs in Greek language were
very popular amongst the Greeks. These consolidated the spirit of
nationalism and patriotism that helped to bind /unite the Greeks to fight for
their independence. The common language that evolved was used by
Greek nationalists to sensitize the Greeks against Turkey's exploitation and
oppression and mobilization for the revolt by 1821.
14. The privileges and prosperity of Greeks gave a stimulus to the revolt. The
Greeks accumulated a lot of wealth from trade which led to the
emergence of a powerful middle class who formed and financed the
Heterophilika movement. The Greeks were also educated and some of
them were holding sensitive positions in the army. For instance,
Capodistrious was the Russian foreign minister and Hypslanti the leader of
the Heterophilika was the Russian army officer. They used their political and
military experiences in Russia to champion the Greek war of rebellion
against the Turks. In Greece, some Greek children who were conscripted in
the army, got promotion and experiences that were used for the revolt.
For example, the governors of Walachia and Moldavia were Greeks who
used their positions to trigger the rebellion.
15. The formation of Heterophilika society (Society of Friends) was also
responsible for the outbreak of the Greek war of independence. In 1814,
Heterophilika, a secret society was formed by nationalistic Greeks at
Oddessa to mobilize the Greeks to fight the Turkish oppressive rule and
regain their independence. The society was also used to spread anti Turkish
propaganda that helped to provoke revolutionary emotions of the Greeks
to fight for their freedom. By 1821 the society had about 20,000 volunteers
who began the rebellion.
16. Lastly, the rise and role of Greek nationalistic leaders was influential in
sparking the rebellion.
Alexander Hypslanti and Capodistrious provided the leadership and
secretly mobilized the Greeks through Heterophika for the rebellion
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