HEADING TO THE 20TH CENTURY

OTTO’S & REGENCY’S KINGDOM

January of 1833 AD: Arrival of king Otto (17 years old) in Nafplio – Awaited as a savior, because of:

o Bringing fundso Being supported by the European Powerso Bringing regular German army forces with

himo Being accompanied by some of the

most efficient German politicians, scientists & artists

Council of Regency (1831-1837 AD):o Joseph Ludwig Graf von Armansperg o Georg Ludwig von Maurero Karl Gulielm Heideck

OTTO’S & REGENCY’S KINGDOM Main difficulties:o Albanian gangs in Central Greeceo Inner trouble caused by the former klefts &

armatoloi, as a demonstration of their power, in order to keep or gain privileges

o Refusal of the former warriors to cooperate with the new government by attending the newly formed national army or gendarmerie

o Destroyed infrastructure (land, boats, transportation, etc.)

o Inner political conflicts among the social groups, which were represented by three political parties:

the Russian (more conservative) the French (more liberal, demanding a

Constitution) the English (supporting the king, but also

demanding radical changes)

OTTO’S & REGENCY’S KINGDOM

Distribution:o Athens as the new capital city of Greeceo Institution of regular army &

gendarmerieo Administrative independence of the

Greek Orthodox Church (1850), which was till then under the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople

o Division in municipalities & prefectureso Change of place-names into Greeko Institution of the National &

Kapodistrian University of Athens (1837 AD)

o Decoration of Athens with beautiful neoclassic buildings, etc.

OTTO’S & REGENCY’S KINGDOM

BUT Limited financial development Incapability to distribute the “national

estates” to the poor farmers, because of the loans

Limited population Irredentism (= un-redemption) or “Megali Idea” (= Great

Idea): Vision of liberating former Greek areas with still vivid Greek population Unfortunately, politically exploited issue

Transformation of some Greek refuges from the Ottoman territory to thieves – Partial corruption of gendarmerie Extreme attitudes, politically presented as brave acts of irredentism

European impression of Greece as a non-safe state

THE 1ST CONSTITUTION OF THE INDEPENDENT STATE

Revolutionary act of the 3rd September 1843 AD against the monarch (organized by the former elders, the liberal politicians & the intellectuals) Demand of Constitution

Constitution of 1844 AD(quite liberal ATHOUGH with the king still determining the administrative authorities & strongly influencing the political balance)

1862 AD: Resignation of King Otto

THE NEW DYNASTY – GEORGE 1ST October of 1863 AD: Arrival of Prince William of

Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gluecksburg (Prince of Denmark), later called George 1st , as the new King of Greece

Condition of Greece: More developedstate BUT with similar problems, ALTHOUGH with more limited irredentism& romantic revolutionary ideas – Political flexibility of the new monarch

Constitution of 1864 AD (friendly to the monarch)

Annexation of the Ionian Islands (1864 AD) Ionian members of the Parliament, educated in Europe

THE AGE OF TRIKOUPIS Charilaos Trikoupis: The most

significant politician & 7 timesPrime Minister of Greece during the period of 1875-1894 AD

Contribution:o 1875 AD: Constitution of the political principle

of the declared confidence ( Order of conforming a new government to the leader of the 1st political party in the elections)

o Radical reforms in administration, justice system, education, etc.

o Important public works & infrastructure, such as the Canal of Corinth (1880-1883 AD)

BUTo Declaration of national bankruptcy (1893

AD), because of the high national debt

FURTHER CHANGES Annexation of Thessaly &

Arta (Southern Epirus) (1881 AD)

Increase of the population & the arable land

Improvement of the Greek diplomatic prestige

Formation of two different attitudes against irredentism:

o For: Impossible the modernization & financial development of the country in such a limited region – National duty

o Against: Hopeless & expensive foreign policy – Obstacle for any other kind of development

THE CRETAN ISSUE Till 1865 AD: Four revolutionary attempts

of the Cretans against the Ottoman Empire Harder oppression & massive forced islamization of the Christian population Fanaticism of both sides

1866-1869 AD: 5th revolutionary attempt, aiming the union with Greece

o Charachteristics: Heroism of the rebels Religious hatred of both sides Wild & unlimited devastation of human

beings & fortunes Military help, sent from Greece High

financial compensation to the Ottoman Empire & deployment of International Auditing in Greece for the next decades

1898 AD: Independence of Crete

THE MACEDONIAN ISSUE

Geographical area of Macedonia: The area of the historical Greek kingdom of Philipp the 2nd & Alexander the Great in the Balkan Peninsular, extended in the North up to the borders of the Roman Macedonia

Inhabitants during the 19th century:

o Greekso Albanians, assimilated to Greekso Vlachso Bulgarianso Southern Slavs, assimilated to

Bulgarianso Hebrewso Turks

THE MACEDONIAN ISSUE

Main opponents during the 19th & the 1st half of the 20th c. AD: Greece & Bulgaria

1870 AD: Institution of the National Holy Church of Bulgaria (“Exarchia”), independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople – Rise of the Bulgarian Nationalism (under the support of the Russian dream of Pan-Slavism)

Bulgarian claims in Macedonia & Thrace, even for historical Greek regions

Further enforcement of the Bulgarian claims after the Treaty of St. Stefano (1878 AD), which was promising the “Great Bulgaria”

THE MACEDONIAN ISSUE Criteria & arguments:o Older “historical” rights in the

area, in a period when the basicdiplomatic principle was “prior tempore, fortiori iuris” (Greece)

o Spoken language of the Bulgarian & Slav inhabitants & historical rights on the assimilated by the Slavs former population (Bulgaria)

Southern Slavs then thought as Bulgarians, DESPITE the Serbian claims on the Southwestern Macedonia & the Southern Slavs (claims supported by Greece at the beginning)

Very limited issue, because of the weak claim of Romania for the Vlachs, mainly based on the Latin routs of their language

THE MACEDONIAN ISSUE 1878 AD: Limitation of the “Great

Bulgaria” by the Congress & Treaty of Berlin Newly independent kingdoms of Romania (1881), Serbia (1882), Montenegro (1910) & Bulgaria (1908), after uniting with Eastern Rumelia (1885)

Greek worries about the Greek minority in Filippoupolis (Plovdiv) & the increased closeness to the “Greek part” of Macedonia & Thrace

Bulgarian attempt to annex the local population through education & religion OR even by force – Violent acts of Bulgarian & Greek guerilla groups, unofficially supported by their governments (mainly in 1904-1908 AD)

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PERIOD

Partial conflict between the State & the Church Constant political conflict between the State &

the former local authorities (elders) Mainly agricultural society (64% farmers),

ALTHOUGH 83% of the farmers didn’t own any land BUT were working as serves to wealthy & powerful landowners

Partial distribute of the “national estates” (1871 AD) BUT constant encroachment of the properties

Raisin as the main agricultural Greek product New loans (1880 AD) Increase of the national

debt Financial help by national benefactors