Greece Independence Day is celebrated on 25th March. Greece got independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. The War of Greek Independence that began in 1821 lasted till 1828. Independence day in Greece is a national holiday.
The history of Greece dates back to 4,000 years. Greeks, originally called Hellenes were renowned for their bravery, intellect, and wisdom. Greece has produced eternal historical figures like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Homer, and Alexander the Great. The history of Greece is earmarked by famous wars beginning from 2000 B.C. to the 20th century.
The seeds of Greek Independence lay in the formation of Philiki Etaireia, a ‘friendly brotherhood’, in Odessa in 1814. The revolt started with Alexandros Ypsilantis, an Etairist leader, entering the Turkish-occupied territory of Moldavia with a small force in March 1821. Ypsilantis was defeated. This motivated various rebel factions to revolt against Turkish domination. Sporadic revolts broke out in Peloponnese and other nearby islands. Peloponnese declared independence in January 1922.
Internal rivalries and civil war prevented Greece to become a consolidated nation. A civil war broke out between Theodoros Kolokotronios, a guerrilla leader, and Georgios Kountouriotis the head of the government. Kountouriotis was established as the leader but was under threat from Egyptian forces led by Ibrahim Pasha. The Ottoman forces with the support of the Egyptian Army captured Peloponnese, Missolonghi, Athens, and Athenian Acropolis between April 1826 and June 1827.
European powers tried to mediate between the Greek and Turkish forces, which the Turks refused. France, Russia, and Great Britain sent their fleet to help Greece defeat the Egyptian forces in Navarino in October 1827. A crippled Ottoman force continued to fight against the Russian army which resulted in the Russo-Turkish War from 1827-1829. The war culminated with a Greco-Turkish Settlement.
Greece Independence Day, which is celebrated on the 25th of March, is a very holy day for the Greek Orthodox Christians. It is believed that on this day Archangel Gabriel professed to Mary that she would give birth to a child.
