Greek Independence Day
Greek Independence Day is celebrated on March 25 each year, marking the commencement of Greece's struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821. This day holds significant cultural importance, especially for Greek Americans, as it symbolizes a long-cherished desire for freedom that had persisted for generations. The movement for independence gained momentum under the leadership of Alexander Ypsilanti, a member of the Phanariot class of educated Greeks, who proclaimed Greece's independence, igniting a series of wars that lasted nearly a decade.
The fight for liberation was characterized by both internal and external conflicts, as various Greek factions sought autonomy while facing challenges from the Ottoman forces and local populations. Despite early successes, the Greek revolutionaries encountered fierce resistance, particularly from Egyptians allied with the Ottomans. The tide turned in favor of the Greeks when Britain, France, and Russia intervened between 1827 and 1829, ultimately leading to international recognition of Greece's independence.
This day not only commemorates the struggles and sacrifices made during the independence movement but also serves as a reminder of the interconnected histories of various nations involved in the region. Through celebrations, parades, and cultural events, Greek Independence Day continues to foster a sense of pride and heritage among Greeks and their descendants worldwide.
Greek Independence Day
Greek Independence Day, commemorating March 25, 1821, the day the Greeks began their long struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), which had ruled Greece for almost 400 years, is a day of celebration for millions of Greek Americans.
Greek freedom from the subjugation of the Ottoman Turks had been dreamed of for many generations before Alexander Ypsilanti (1792–1828) proclaimed Greece independent in 1821, thus beginning the wars which stretched over almost a decade before freedom was at last obtained. Ypsilanti was a Phanariot, that is, a member of an educated class of Greeks who lived in Constantinople in the Greek quarter, which was called the Phanar. Since the Moslem Turks generally would not condescend to learn foreign languages, the sultan customarily chose from among the educated Greeks of Constantinople when he sought a governor for one of the Ottoman Empire's many provinces. In these positions, the Phanariots earned a reputation as greedy and unjust rulers, often more despised by their subjects than the Moslem conquerors.
Control of many of these provinces passed, at times, from Ottoman to other Asian or European powers. Often the same provinces were ruled alternately by Turkey and Russia. Two such provinces were Moldavia and Walachia, now regions in modern Rumania, which at that time had sizable Greek populations. The Ypsilanti family had held high official pots in both Moldavia and Walachia for many years. Alexander Ypsilanti's grandfather, who was also named Alexander (circa 1725–1807), had served as governor of each of the two provinces and was ultimately executed by the sultan for alleged conspiracy.
His son, Constantine (1760–1816), served as governor as well, first of Moldavia and then of Walachia. Although the Greeks, many of whom had scattered throughout Europe after the Turkish conquest of Greece in the fifteenth century, preferred independence, lacking that they preferred the rule of Christian Russians to that of Moslem Turks. Because of his suspected pro-Russian inclinations, Constantine, then governor of Walachia, was deposed by the Turkish sultan but was reinstated shortly thereafter when Russia occupied the province during one of its wars with Turkey.
Constantine had supported the Serbian insurrection against the Turks in 1804 and hoped to gather an army to fight for Greek independence. His plans were foiled by the Treaty of Tilsit between Russia and France in 1807, and he instead found himself a political exile, seeking refuge in Russia. His hopes were carried to completion by his two sons, Alexander and Demetrios (1793–1832).
The brothers had gone with their exiled father to Russia and had both served in the Russian army. Alexander, who became a general, had been made leader of the Philike Hetairia, a secret organization formed to work for Greek independence. Ypsilanti was a revered name to Greeks in Moldavia and Walachia. Along with the governor of Moldavia, they rallied to Alexander when, in 1821, with strong Russian support, he staged a revolt at Jassy, Moldavia's capital, and boldly proclaimed Greek independence from Ottoman rule. Unfortunately, the Rumanians of the region, who had endured cruel and unjust treatment by the Phanariots for many generations, turned on the Greeks, helping the Turks to victory and winning Rumanian rule for themselves.
After his defeat, Alexander fled to Austria, seeking refuge, and was instead imprisoned there. His younger brother, Demetrios, who had been at his side during the revolt, later went to the Peloponnesus, the southern most region of continental Greece, and entered a rebellion there of Greeks against Turks.
The Greeks fought bravely, and their degree of success from 1821 through 1824 surprised and confounded the Ottoman army. To turn the tide of the war, the sultan sought and received the intervention of Egyptian forces. From 1825 to 1827 the Greeks fought what was almost inevitably a losing battle against Egyptian and Turkish armies. Finally Britain, France, and Russia stepped in and, lending support to the Greeks from 1827 to 1829, not only routed the Egyptian and Turkish forces but also demanded and received the sultan's recognition of Greece's independence.
Demetrios Ypsilanti has been honored by the naming of an American city. Ypsilanti, a city situated between Detroit and Ann Arbor in southeastern Michigan, began as a Native American village and French trading post in about 1809 and was settled in 1823, while the Greek struggle for independence was capturing worldwide admiration.
Gabriel, Michael. "The Importance of Greek Independence Day." The Polygon, 4 Apr. 2023, https://polygonnews.org/3850/opinions/the-importance-of-greek-independence-day/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
"Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy." Federal Register, 22 Mar. 2024, www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/27/2024-06658/greek-independence-day-a-national-day-of-celebration-of-greek-and-american-democracy-2024. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
"Happy Greek Independence Day!" The Queens Gazette, 20 Mar. 2024, www.qgazette.com/articles/happy-greek-independence-day-4/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.