The Greek War of Independence

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The Greek War of Independence began in 1821. The Greek fighters overtook the Ottomans, who had been in power for hundreds of years, in many parts of the country. In many repeated attempts, the Ottomans, who allied with the Egyptians, tried to gain back control of the cities that were freed, but they could not defeat the Greeks or end the revolution. On October 20, 1827, France, Russia, and Britain destroyed the Ottoman and Egyptian fleet. Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire, and the Ottoman left Greece. The Egyptians then withdrew, and in 1829 Greece became independent.
King Otto, who was only 17, then took the throne. In 1843, a peaceful revolution forced Otto to accept a constitution that established Greece as a constitutional monarchy. A revolt in 1862 forced Otto to give up the throne. Replacing him was George I. George I gave Greece a much more democratic government. In 1864, a new constitution limited royal power and gave much power to a Parliament. During the 1880's and 1890's, Greece made great progress. Roads and railroads were built and education and other social services were improved.
In 1909, a group of young Greek army officers called the Military League organized a peaceful revolt. The league was protesting against political confusion and economic difficulties. The league called on Eleutherios Venizelo to be their advisor. The Parliament agreed to the league's demands for changes in the constitution, and Venizelos became Prime Minister in 1910.
Venizelos helped organize the Balkan alliance of Greece with Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Serbia. This alliance led to the two Balkan Wars in 1912 and in 1913. In the first war, the four Balkan countries defeated the Ottoman Empire and took most of its European territory. In the second war, Bulgaria attacked its allies but was defeated. As a result of the Balkan Wars, Greece gained the island of Crete, southern Epirus, part of Macedonia, and many Aegean Islands. In 1913, an ...