Sit of Missolonghi

The head office of Missolonghi is a key episode of the Guerre of Greek independence in the Années 1820, more by its political importance that soldier because it largely contributed to make rock the European opinion in favor of Greek Independence.

Missolonghi (Greek Μεσολόγγι in ), by its situation on northern bank of the gulf of Patras, occupies a strategic position which makes of it the door of the Golfe of Corinth, but also order the Peloponnese and Greece of north. It had proven this importance at the time of the Bataille of Lépante, at the 16th century.

Missolonghi was regularly besieged by the Othoman during the war of Greek independence: without success in 1822, then in 1823, finally in 1826 - 1827 where the city was taken. This Greek defeat played a determining role in the final victory of the war of independence. The defenders of the city indeed had been joined, financed and pulled by Lord Byron in 1824. Its death marked the philhellenes (liberal Westerners sensitive to the cause of the Greeks) and Europe in general. Heroic defense and the sacrifice of the population of the city at the time of the last seat pushed the Occident with an intervention.

Missolonghi counted with the beginning of the year 1820 around: 5500 inhabitants, almost living all of the sea. Built with one of the ends of a not very deep bay thus difficult of access to the ships at fort drawing from water, the city is separated from the sea apart 7 km only by one marshy lagoon called Limnosthalassa ; it is thus protected in the west and the south. The entry of bay moreover is ordered by the small islands of Vasilidi, Dalmâ and Anatolikon (on which a fortress was built). Towards the east, the Aracinthe mount constitutes another natural defense. In spite of these physical protections, its terrestrial defenses were summarized with a small almost filled ditch, a badly maintained wall and four old guns.

Context: the war of Greek independence

The first seat

(Primary source: Greece since the Roman conquest until our days)

After the defeat and the death of Ali Pasha, the Souliotes were thus found almost only vis-a-vis the many troops of Khursit Pasha (: 14000 men). They then called with their assistance the other insurgent Greeks. Aléxandros Mavrokordátos was dispatched on the spot with 920 Pallikare S Greek and 120 philhellenes. Its eight ships left Corinthe for Missolonghi, input port in Étolie. Souliotes, in a last effort, had succeeded in getting clear. Mavrokordátos went to their meeting, then went on Arta where it was demolishes the July 16th (July 4th of the Julien calendar) by 7 with: 8000 Turks. It lost the third of its men and half of its philhellenes. It was necessary to evacuate Étolie. Souliotes joined Céphalonie on British ships while the Greek population of the area gave up her firm possessions while burning and harvests nothing to leave the Othomans. All ebbed towards Missolonghi. They were joined there by the Othoman army ordered by Omer Vrioni, on November 6th ( October 25th julien). Whereas the Turkish infantry blocked the city by the ground, three warships set up a maritime blockade. Mavrokordátos and Markos Botzaris did not want to give up Missolonghi because the loss of the city would have opened the door of the Peloponnese to the Turkish troops. There was then face to face 360 Greeks with vivres and ammunition for one month and: 11000 Othoman soldiers with eleven guns and four howitzers. Among the soldiers of the Door, were of the Moslem Albanians, considered as still unconquered troops of elite because.

Omer Vrioni started by negotiating to obtain a rendering without having to fight. To show its good will, it granted a eight days truce so that the Greeks join together the vessels necessary to the evacuation of the civilians. Hydra and Spetses sent seven ships which, instead of evacuating the populations, gave hunting to the Othoman ships (November 21st November 9th julien), then made unload reinforcements: initially 700 Péloponnésiens ordered inter alia by Petrobey Mavromichalis, then: 1000 others pallikares and their capétans (commanders) with provisions and ammunition (November 25th November 13rd julien).

Besieging suffered as for them from the food shortage and diseases (the area of Missolonghi is very marshy). Moreover, the Albanian soldiers engaged by Omer Vrioni, who had not touched their balance, refused to fight. The regular and fatal exits of besieged demoralized the Othoman troops.

Omer Vrioni decided to finish some by attacking the day of Christmas 1822 (of the Julien calendar) . He hoped that besieged the, occupied ones by religious holiday would be less on their guards. The effect of surprise failed bus of the Christians the service of the Turks succeeded in warning the Greeks. Those all were at their station of combat when the Othoman infantry passed to the action. The combat lasted three hours. The Othomans had finally to beat a retreat after having lost 500 men (deaths and wounded) and twelve banners. The Greeks would have had to deplore only four dead.

Besieged their exits of harassing continued the following days. They were helped by small bands of pallikares which had succeeded in joining Missolonghi by the ground. A forwarding of help to release the Greeks was announced. Omer Vrioni gave the order of raising the camp the Turks raised the seat in the night from January 11th to 12th 1823 ( December 31st, 1822 of the calendar julien), leaving all their artillery on the spot. A dissension, as there was then much of it, between the Greek chiefs delayed the continuation.

The assessment of this first head office of Missolonghi was positive for the insurgent Greeks. The Albanians of the Othoman army lost their reputation of invincibility. The Turks could not any more, in any case by north, to try to take again the Peloponnese. The Sultan had to turn to his vassal Egyptian Mehemet Ali. The victory with Missolonghi made it possible to the Greeks to believe in a possible final victory. Lastly, the nations of Western Europe started to be interested in the fate of the Greeks who seemed to be able to gain.

The second seat

(Primary source: Greece since the Roman conquest until our days)

In 1823, the Sultan undertook a counter-offensive in Greece, under the direction of Mehémet-Pasha. Part of the army, ordered by the pasha of Scodra Moustaï, was to take again the head office of Missolonghi with: 13000 men. The Souliote Marco Botzaris tried with: 2500 mountain dwellers Acarnanie NS and étolie NS and 450 Souliotes to stop the Othoman progression the August 20th ( August 9th julien). He died at the time of the engagements and its body was buried in Missolonghi. It had however gained a victory which delayed the walk of its enemies. In addition to Botzaris, the Greeks lost 60 men. The Othoman losses of 800 were killed.

Moustaï made its junction with: 3000 Albanian of Omer Vrioni and put the seat at the village of Anatolikon which it started to bombard the October 17th. In spite of: 2000 projectiles sent, Anatolikon undergoes only little damage. October 20th, Moustaï had to give up cutting the sea route of the supply of Missolonghi. The Greek vessels succeeded in cutting through a path in not very deep bay, which was unable to make the vessels Turkish. Besieged were always supplied, while besieging them suffered from the hunger and the diseases had already carried: 2000 Othoman soldiers. Rather than to face the winter, Moustaï raised the seat the December 11th.

The Greek defenders deplored the loss of 200 men.

Byron with Missolonghi

In Western Europe, the Greek cause became the symbol of the combat of the liberals and became the incarnation of all their causes: freedom of course, right of the people to have themselves and fight against the oppression of a preserving and antiquated monarchy. A wave of sympathy to the insurgent Greeks thus traversed their rows. Among them, most committed philhellenes were baptized and were organized in committees a little everywhere in Europe, but also in America. Their main activity was of raising funds to buy weapons. Their delivery was entrusted to most intrepid of them. The British poet Lord Byron, already on the continent since several years was charged by the Philhellène Committee with London, directed by his friend John Cam Hobhouse, with whom it had visited Greece in the years 1810, to bring the assistance of British philhellenes to the Greeks. He left the port of Genoa for Céphalonie in July 1823 with a loading of weapons and gold. Aléxandros Mavrokordátos then succeeds in convincing it to pass on the continent.
Some time before unloading in Missolonghi, Lord Byron written in his newspaper (on October 17th, with much of delay and by mixing the first two seats):

“The Turks are not any more in front of Missolonghi - nobody knows why they left considering they left behind them quantity of provisions and ammunition - and the garrison did not carry out any exit, at least no which was used for something; they did not invest Missolonghi only once this year, but they bombarded Anatoliko”

Lord Byron unloaded the January 24th 1824. He was accommodated by Mavrokordatos and the mayor of the city Andréas Metaxás. Souliotes had definitively settled in the city but, they did not fight any more because their balance had not been regulated. Byron used part of its fortune to pay them. It engaged of them 500 qu' it undertook to form with the Western military discipline. It had to give up it. It did not have more success with the Greeks than it engaged in their place. The fever which it had contracted at the time of its voyage of 1811 was reactivated by the unhealthy air of the marshes of the area. He died the April 19th ( April 7th julien), day of Easter. He was then regarded as a martyr of the philhellene cause.

The Greeks had benefitted from the period of respite, and perhaps from the money of philhellenes to improve the fortifications. The task was entrusted to engineer Coccini. A new wall had been built, with bastions to which one had given the names of hero of the war of independence like Botzaris, Makris or Normann (a general philhellene deceased at the time of a seat preceding and buried in the city), but also of Benjamin Franklin, Guillaume Tell or Rigas. About fifty guns whose four howitzers constituted artillery of defense now.

The third seat

In March 1825, little time after the death of Byron, the Turks besieged once again the city which its geographical position made always essential to the two adversaries. The port indeed constituted the last Greek bastion in Greece of north. Missolonghi taken, would not remain any more with the insurrectionists but “Napoli de Romanie” (Nauplie) and “Napoli de Malvoisie” (Monemvasia). But, for the Othomans, the humiliations undergone at the time of the seats of 1822 and 1823 had increased their desire to seize some, for a question of honor. The Sultan had sent his best general, Rachid Pasha says Kioutagi, to which it would have said: “Or Missolonghi, or your head! ”. He had: 20000 men of which: 3000 sappers (engineers charged “to sap” the unfavourable fortifications). The seat was put in front of Anatolikon on April 23rd (Julien April 11th) , and in front of Missolonghi on April 27th (Julien April 15th) . The artillerists Turkish were slow to install their batteries. The May 17th, only three guns and two howitzers had been installed. The Greek defenders made their task difficult, since the Turks were to work under their fire. Missolonghi was defended by: 3000 Greeks, including one great number of Souliotes. During June: 1500 volunteers went down from the mountains to reinforce Missolonghi. The place was mainly ordered by Notis Botzaris and Tsonga. The Swiss philhellene Johann Jacob Mayer published in the city a gazette to maintain moral inhabitants. This newspaper is regarded as the first newspaper of Greece. Besieging were supplied by Naupacte and Patras.
For two months, the seat did few victims, on the two sides. The brêches made by the Othoman sappers were repaired the following night by the Greek civilians to whom this task had been entrusted (women, children and old men). In June, besieged were supplied by a fleet ordered by Giorgos Negkas. Also, the June 20th, they could carry out an exit. The sappers of besieged exploded a mine in the wall of circumvallation that Austrian engineers with the service of the Othomans had built. The attack made it possible to the Greeks to kill a hundred enemy soldiers. As long as the maritime communications were possible, besieged accepted provisions and ammunition of the Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands. But, the June 29th 1825, the Turkish admiral Topal Pasha entered the lagoon with approximately eighty vessels Egyptian and Algerian Turkish, the greatest part transporting of the ammunition and the provisions, but also of new pieces of artillery. Missolonghi was cut remainder of Greece. This time, it was with the turn of the Othomans to be supplied. Rachid Pasha asked the town of go. The answer of besieged was: “The keys of the city hang at the end of our guns. ”. The Ellinika chronika of Mayer, favorable to besieged, reported that the mortar shells mainly made tens of dead besieged exaggerated their number, to intimidate the Othomans. The April 15th (Julien April 3rd) Miaoulis approached with about thirty vessels to force the naval blockade, it was a Greek defeat and the admiral was not any more able to come to assistance of the city. The bombardment continued and moral population baissa.
One can read in the Ellinika chronika of Mayer:

“We suffer from the hunger, thirst and many diseases. 1.740 among our brothers already perished. More: 100000 bombs launched by the enemy destroyed the ramparts and our houses. We suffer from tortures of the cold because we miss of drink. When one thinks of all that is lacking to us, it is incredible to see courage and moral our defenders. In a few days, all these brave men will be nothing any more but shades of angels, martyrs in front of the throne of God showing the indifference of the Christian world. In the name of all our brave men, I announce that we made the oath in front of God defend each inch of ground of the ground of Missolonghi. We prefer to bury ourselves under the ruins of our city rather than to hear of rendering. We live our last moments. The History will judge and the future generations will cry our fate. As for me, to think that the blood of Switzerland, descendant of Guillaume Tell, will mingle with that with the heroes with Greece fills up me pride. ”.

The next morning, Palm Sunday, the Turks and the Egyptians entered the ville.
The Greeks, carried out by Kapsalis, exploded themselves with their explosives magazines rather than to go. The survivors were massacred or sold like slaves. The Turks also placed: 3000 heads sliced on the ramparts.

Consequences
After this heroic and fatal episode, the wave of sympathy to the Greek cause developed in Western Europe. The death of Byron, as a martyr, had already nourished the philhellenism. The fate of Missolonghi at the time of the unfruitful “Exit” accentuated the phenomenon. Most famous of the partisans of the Greeks, artists recognized, reflect their art with the service of the Greek cause. Their propaganda, by his quality and its quantity, maintained living the Western interest for the insurrection, but also the bad conscience of the governments.
Eugene Delacroix made with his Greece on the ruins of Missolonghi (1826) the same triumph with Scènes of the massacres of Scio (1824). Chateaubriant and Palmerston made speeches in favor of Greece before their respective Parliaments. The archeologist and antiquisant German Niebuhr made speeches which made it possible to collect funds for the committees German philhellenes. Switzerland Jean-Gabriel Eynard and the king Louis Ier of Bavaria spent part of their fortune to repurchase the women and children of Missolonghi sold like slaves in Egypt. May 15th (Julien May 3rd) 1829: 4000 Greek soldiers ordered by Augustinos Kapodistrias reflect the seat in front of the city. The Othoman defenders went without fighting.
Today, the city is still surrounded by its ramparts. The principal door is the “Door of the Exit” of 1826. Just beside this door, in a small garden the heroön is dedicated to the defenders of the city fallen at the time of the seats. A central tumulus accommodates the anonymities. On its line, fall it from Markos Botzaris by the French sculptor David of Angers, then the monument with Byron which contains the heart of the poet philhellene. The museum of the city commemorates the seats thanks to many works, including one Greece on the ruins of Missolonghi of Delacroix. The Byron Company also regularly holds conferences in Missolonghi.

References

Internal bonds

War of Greek independence

History of Greece with XIXe and XXe centuries

Markos Botzaris; Aléxandros Mavrokordátos ; Yeóryios Karaïskákis ; Andreas Miaoulis ; Lord Byron; Ibrahim Pasha

External bonds

History of the last seat according to the Greek historian Constantin Paparregopoulos; with a chart (animated) specifying the géo-strategic situation of the city; illustrations.

Foundation for the Hellenic World

Byron Foundation in Missolonghi

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