Kapodistrias

The count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias (born with Corfou the February 11th 1776 - assassinated with Nauplie the October 9th 1831), statesman of a family originating in Capo of Istria, is a Greek diplomat with the service of the Russian Empire then first Head of State of the independent Greece. He was all his life a Libéral and a Démocrate, in spite of his noble origins and his education.

(in Greek Ἰωάννης Καποδίστριας - Ioannis Kapodistrias, in French Jean Kapodistrias, Italian Giovanni Capo of Istria, count Capo of Istria, and in Russian графИоаннКаподистрия - Ioann Kapodistria)

Youth

Ioannis Kapodistrias was born with Corfou (Kerkyra) in the Ionian Îles, whereas they still belonged to Venice. He was the son of the count Antoine-Marie Kapodistrias. One of its ancestors had been done count by the duke of Savoy, Charles Emmanuel II. The title was registered in 1679 on the Libro d' Oro of the nobility corfiote. Capo of Istria would refer to the port of Koper, maintaining in Slovenia. The family of its mother, the Gonemi, was registered on the libro of Oro since 1606. It had four brothers: Viaro, Jean, Augustinos and Georges.

It made, like his father, of the studies of medicine, initially on Corfou, then with Padoue, like obliged a decree of the Venetian Senate there.

21 years old, in 1797, it settled as doctor on his native island, Corfou. In 1799, when the Russian troops took again Corfou with the French, he became director of the military hospital.

Governor of the Ionian Islands

In 1801, the Ionian Îles became independent: the République of the Seven-Islands was founded. Kapodistrias became one of its two governors. It calmed by its simple presence and its speeches a rebellion with Céphalonie. It could listen to the population and initiated a revision going in the direction of a democratization of the " Byzantine Constitution " imposed by the Russians and the Othomans. Capodistrias was then indicated, unanimously, as Head of the State of the Seven Islands. He was minister of this republic of 1802 with 1807.

Ambassador of the tsar

In 1809, Kapodistrias entered to the service of the tsar of Russia Alexandre I {{er}}. In November 1813, it was named nonofficial ambassador of Russia in Suisse, where it was to help the country to be withdrawn from the Napoleonean influence. It could guarantee the unit, independence and Swiss neutrality. It took part in the Congrès of Vienna in the Russian delegation. It was plenipotentiary of Russia to the treated of Paris in 1815.

Foreign Minister of the tsar

Of 1816 with 1822 he was Foreign Minister of Russia. It had to leave the service of the Tsar at the time of the Guerre of Greek independence, in 1822.

President of Greece

He took refuge with Geneva. In the city of Calvin, it worked ardently for the adhesion of the Genevese Republic to the Swiss Confederation, and because also of its implication in the treaty of Vienna of 1815, it was named citizen of honor of this city. Capodistrias was one of the principal craftsmen of the recognition of Swiss neutrality.

It was hot partisan of the cause of the Greeks at the time of their insurrection against the Ottoman Empire, and was elected president by the Greek nation as soon as it could be constituted (1827). It was indicated Kivernetis (κυβερνήτης - governor in Greek), Gouverneur of the young Greek State independent by the Parliament of Trézène. After having traversed the Europe to obtain supports for the country which it directed, it unloaded with Nauplie in January 1828. It was the first time of its life which it put the foot in continental Greece. It settled with its government with Égine which became thus the first capital of the Greek State.
It was quickly discouraged by the situation in which the Greece was. Oppositions of factions, which had started at the time of the War of Independence continued. Especially, Greece was ruined and literally in bankruptcy. It is only thanks to the support of many patrons philhellenes that the State could survive. He was a very large friend of the Genevese banker Jean-Gabriel Eynard which gave much. This last introduced Capodistrias into the philhellenes mediums of Europe, and also into the Genevese medium where many friends of Greece inspired Capodistrias in its future reform of education. It projected to be based on the ideas of Rousseau. Caposdistrias launched a great modernization program of the country. It put an end to the civil war. It founded the system of forty which made it possible to fight against the epidemics of typhoid and of cholera. It introduced the culture of potato in Greece. It employed all its capacity to restore the order and prosperity, It sought to fight against the various chiefs of clans, heirs to the Klephte S. It ran up against the capétan of Laconie against which it asked the assistance of the Russian troops. It attacked then Petrobey Michaelis, chief of the province of the Magne, which it made put in prison.

Assassinated

But, in the middle of its efforts, he was assassinated the September 7th (October 9th) 1831 by the brother and the son of Petrobey Michaelis who assassinated it on the steps of the Saint-Spiridon church to Nauplie. Georges and Constantin Mavromichali avenged their father and their brother, that Capo of Istria had imprisoned. His/her young brother Augustinos succeeded to him the head of Greece.

Partial source

Random links: