# Canonical recap data for Greek War of Independence begins (1821)
# Source: https://recap.at/1821/greek-war-of-independence
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: greek-war-of-independence
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1821/greek-war-of-independence"
title: Greek War of Independence begins
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1821-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1821
decade: 1820
country:
name: Greece
slug: greece
summaryShort: On March 25, 1821, Greek nationalists launched an armed uprising against Ottoman rule, igniting a decade-long war that would establish an independent Greek state and reshape the Eastern Mediterranean.
summaryLong: Ottoman occupation had lasted approximately 300-350 years by 1821, not 'nearly four centuries.'.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/In_Greek_waters%3B_a_story_of_the_Grecian_war_of_independence_%281821-1827%29_%28IA_ingreekwaterssto00hent_0%29.pdf/page1-960px-In_Greek_waters%3B_a_story_of_the_Grecian_war_of_independence_%281821-1827%29_%28IA_ingreekwaterssto00hent_0%29.pdf.jpg"
heroImageCredit: "\"Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, Roma, LZ, IT\" by w_lemay is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/."
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Duration
  value: 1821–1829 (8 years)
- label: Estimated Greek deaths
  value: Approximately 30,000–40,000
- label: Key Ottoman commander
  value: Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
- label: Naval battle (Greek victory)
  value: Battle of Navarino, October 1827
- label: Treaty recognizing independence
  value: Treaty of Adrianople, September 1829
- label: First President of Greece
  value: Ioannis Kapodistrias (1828–1831)
- label: Foreign volunteer corps
  value: Philhellenic brigades (est. 500–1,000 from Western Europe)
timeline:
- date: 1821-03-25
  title: Uprising begins in Peloponnese
  description: Greek revolutionaries, led by figures including Theodoros Kolokotronis, launch coordinated revolts across southern Greece on the Feast of the Annunciation, marking the formal start of the War of Independence.
- date: 1821-04-22
  title: Massacre of Chios
  description: Ottoman forces execute an estimated 25,000–30,000 Greek civilians on the island of Chios, drawing international condemnation and strengthening European support for the Greek cause.
- date: 1823-06-20
  title: Battle of Phaleron
  description: Greek naval forces under Admiral Konstantinos Kanaris achieve a significant naval victory, boosting morale and establishing Greek naval presence in the Aegean.
- date: 1825-02-21
  title: Ibrahim Pasha lands in Peloponnese
  description: Ottoman Egypt's Ibrahim Pasha arrives with a powerful army to suppress the rebellion, marking a major escalation and temporary Ottoman resurgence.
- date: 1826-05-27
  title: Fall of Missolonghi
  description: The strategic fortress city of Missolonghi falls to Ottoman forces after a year-long siege, resulting in mass casualties but galvanizing international philhellenic sentiment, including the death of English Romantic poet Lord Byron in April during the campaign.
- date: 1827-10-20
  title: Battle of Navarino
  description: Allied British, French, and Russian naval forces decisively defeat the Ottoman-Egyptian fleet in the Bay of Navarino, effectively securing Greek independence and establishing a buffer zone in southern Greece.
- date: 1829-09-14
  title: Treaty of Adrianople signed
  description: Russia and the Ottoman Empire sign the Treaty of Adrianople, formally recognizing Greek autonomy and territorial boundaries, effectively ending the war.
- date: 1830-01-30
  title: London Protocol establishes independent Greece
  description: Britain, France, and Russia formally recognize Greece as an independent kingdom under the London Protocol, setting borders that exclude much of Greek-majority territory in Asia Minor and the Mediterranean islands.
sources: []
related: []
gallery:
- url: "https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48064960182_0944a0e791_b.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48064960182_0944a0e791_b.jpg"
  caption: (Previous hero, demoted by topical-relevance swap)
  credit: ""
  width: 0
  height: 0
  alt: A Renaissance-style brick palace with a prominent tower dominates a wet plaza in what appears to be Rome, with visitors holding colorful umbrellas scattered across the rain-soaked square on a cloudy day.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- war
- revolution
metaDescription: Greeks rise against Ottoman rule in 1821. A brutal, messy fight for freedom that reshapes the Mediterranean. Blood, fire, and the birth of a modern nation.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:1821/greek-war-of-independence"
lede: In 1821, Greek revolutionaries launched an armed rebellion against Ottoman rule, kicking off a decade-long war that would eventually establish an independent Greek nation. The conflict drew international attention and volunteers, reshaping the map of southeastern Europe and ending nearly 400 years of Ottoman dominion over the Greek territories.
impactStatement: The Greek War of Independence shattered the myth of Ottoman invincibility and handed European powers a template for intervention in regional conflicts. It also created a modern Greek nation-state-though one geographically smaller and far poorer than the Byzantine and Classical territories Greeks believed they were reclaiming-and established patterns of foreign dependency that would haunt Greek politics for generations.
aliases:
- Greek Independence War
- Greek Revolution
- Hellenic War of Independence
- 1821 Uprising
relationships:
- targetSlug: monroe-doctrine
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 72
  evidence: The Greek War of Independence (1821-1829) was actively unfolding when President James Monroe announced the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, which reframed European intervention in the Americas-a contemporaneous geopolitical moment.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: 1896-athens-olympics
  type: evolved_into
  confidence: 78
  evidence: Greece's successful independence from Ottoman rule in 1829 established the modern nation-state that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, directly enabling Greek national sovereignty over its own territories and cultural institutions.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: american-civil-war-begins
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Greek War of Independence begins" references "American Civil War" (3 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: storming-of-bastille
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Greek War of Independence begins" references "French Revolution Begins (Storming of the Bastille)" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: revolutions-of-1848
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Greek War of Independence begins" references "Revolutions across Europe" (4 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Greek population
  thenValue: ~1 million
  thenYear: 1821
  nowValue: ~10.7 million
  nowYear: 2024
- metric: Ottoman territorial control in Europe
  thenValue: Balkans, Greece, Albania, parts of modern Serbia and Romania
  thenYear: 1821
  nowValue: None (Ottoman Empire dissolved 1922)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Greece's 1821 uprising accelerated Ottoman decline across the region
- metric: Greek literacy rate
  thenValue: <5%
  thenYear: 1821
  nowValue: ~97.3%
  nowYear: 2023
- metric: Years of continuous independent Greek statehood
  thenValue: 0 (independence achieved 1829)
  thenYear: 1821
  nowValue: "195"
  nowYear: 2024
consequences:
- title: Treaty of Bucharest expands Russian influence
  year: 1829
  description: Russia secured territorial gains and protectorate status over Ottoman Christian subjects, shifting Eastern Mediterranean power dynamics and establishing Russia as a guarantor of Greek independence
- title: Greek Kingdom established under Bavarian rule
  year: 1833
  description: Otto of Bavaria became the first king of independent Greece under the London Protocol, imposing foreign governance on a nation that had just fought for self-determination
- title: Byron's death romanticizes the cause
  year: 1824
  description: English poet Lord Byron died at Missolonghi fighting for Greek independence, becoming a martyr figure that galvanized European Philhellenic support and turned the war into a continental cultural phenomenon
- title: Ottoman Empire enters terminal decline
  year: 1830
  description: Greece's successful independence set a precedent for nationalist uprisings across the Balkans; the Ottomans would lose territories steadily over the next century, culminating in their 1922 dissolution
- title: European balance of power redrawn
  year: 1832
  description: The London Protocol formally recognized Greek independence with guarantees from Britain, France, and Russia, establishing great-power intervention in Ottoman affairs as standard practice and foreshadowing future Eastern Question crises
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Ode to Liberty (Ymnos is tin Eleftherian)
  artist: Dionysios Solomos (lyrics), Nikolaos Mantzaros (music)
  year: 1823
  note: Became the Greek national anthem in 1865; composed during the war itself
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-06-05T07:51:26.372Z"
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: The 1821 uprising captured European Romantic imagination as a David-vs-Goliath struggle between Christian civilization and Ottoman despotism. Philhellenic societies formed across Britain, France, and Germany; educated Europeans saw Greek independence as a restoration of classical antiquity. The conflict proved that nationalist movements could succeed against empires, reshaping 19th-century political thought from Italy to the Balkans.
geo:
lat: 38.9953683
lng: 21.9877132
place: Greece
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
heroImageAlt: A Renaissance palazzo with terracotta brick facade and crenellated tower stands in a wet plaza during rainy weather, with visitors holding blue umbrellas and colorful parasols gathered in the flooded square in front of the historic Italian building.
translations:
es:
lede: En 1821, revolucionarios griegos lanzaron una rebelión armada contra el dominio otomano, iniciando una guerra de una década que eventualmente establecería una nación griega independiente. El conflicto atrajo atención internacional y voluntarios, remodelando el mapa del sureste europeo y terminando casi 400 años de dominio otomano sobre los territorios griegos.
summaryShort: El 25 de marzo de 1821, nacionalistas griegos lanzaron una insurrección armada contra el dominio otomano, encendiendo una guerra de una década que establecería un estado griego independiente y remodelaría el Mediterráneo Oriental.
summaryLong: La ocupación otomana había durado aproximadamente 300-350 años para 1821, no 'casi cuatro siglos'.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T13:17:39.957Z"
fr:
lede: En 1821, des révolutionnaires grecs lancèrent une rébellion armée contre la domination ottomane, déclenchant une guerre d'une décennie qui établirait finalement une nation grecque indépendante. Le conflit attira l'attention internationale et des volontaires, redessina la carte du sud-est de l'Europe et mit fin à près de 400 ans de domination ottomane sur les territoires grecs.
summaryShort: Le 25 mars 1821, des nationalistes grecs lancèrent un soulèvement armé contre la domination ottomane, déclenchant une guerre d'une décennie qui établirait un État grec indépendant et redessinerait la Méditerranée orientale.
summaryLong: L'occupation ottomane avait duré approximativement 300-350 ans en 1821, et non « près de quatre siècles ».
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T13:17:42.030Z"
de:
lede: 1821 starteten griechische Revolutionäre einen bewaffneten Aufstand gegen die osmanische Herrschaft und lösten einen zehnjährigen Krieg aus, der schließlich zur Gründung einer unabhängigen griechischen Nation führte. Der Konflikt zog internationale Aufmerksamkeit und Freiwillige an und veränderte die Landkarte Südosteuropas, wodurch fast 400 Jahre osmanischer Herrschaft über die griechischen Territorien endeten.
summaryShort: Am 25. März 1821 starteten griechische Nationalisten einen bewaffneten Aufstand gegen die osmanische Herrschaft und entfesselten einen zehnjährigen Krieg, der einen unabhängigen griechischen Staat begründen und das östliche Mittelmeer umgestalten würde.
summaryLong: Die osmanische Besetzung hatte 1821 etwa 300-350 Jahre gedauert, nicht "fast vier Jahrhunderte".
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T13:17:44.387Z"
