Chapter 3 Chapter III The Greeks Attack the Turks

As early as prehistoric times, the earth's hard shell began to deform under the squeeze of internal forces.This internal force may be water or volcanoes. Greece was pushed out of the sea in a catastrophe.It swallows up a great deal of land among the archipelagos, leaving only some spiers to form islands.In fact Greece is on the volcanic belt from Cyprus to Tuscany. The Greeks seem to have inherited, both physically and spiritually, the turmoil and insecurity of their native land, which allows them to display their talents in heroic deeds.And indeed it is.It is precisely because of their unyielding courage, high patriotic enthusiasm and longing for freedom in their talents that they liberated the motherland that had been ruled by the Ottoman Empire for centuries and gained independence.

In earlier times, this was Pelasco, inhabited by many Asian tribes.From the 16th to the 14th century BC, it was called ancient Greece, and then Greece appeared. There was a tribe called Grai, and the name at that time probably came from this.It was a time of almost myth that produced the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece, the Heraclid dynasty, and the Trojan War.Modern Greece gave birth to many immortal great men. Starting from Ligurg, we can count them: Myriad, Demistocles, Aristides, Leonidas, Aeschylus, Thor Phocles, Aristophanes, Herodotus, Thucydides, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Phidias, Pericles Les, Alhibiad, Berobidas, Abbamenondas, Demostena, etc.; then Macedonia had Philip and Alexander, and by AD 146, It became a province of the Roman Empire, renamed Assai, and lasted for four hundred years.

Since then, Greece has been continuously invaded by Visigoths, Vandals, East Goths, Bulgarians, Slavs, Arabs, Normans, and Sicilians. The country so troubled in the ancient and new centuries fell into the hands of the Turks and came under the rule of Islam. For nearly two centuries, it can be said that Greece has had no political life.The autocratic authority of the rulers of the Ottoman Empire expanded infinitely.The Greeks were neither subjects of a vassal state, nor conquered, nor even defeated, they were slaves.The pasha holding a big stick, with the executioner (or executioner) on the left and the Imam (or the teacher) on the right, trampled the Greeks under their feet.

But life and vitality did not abandon this dying country, and the suffering land began to tremble. In 1766, the Montenagran people of Epirus, the Mane people and the Surio people of Albania successively revolted in 1796 and declared independence.By 1804, however, all these uprisings were put down by the Pasha Ali de Berrand of Janina.If the European powers do not want to stand by and allow Greece to be completely destroyed, now is the right time to intervene. Relying solely on the Greeks to become independent with their own weak strength may only lead to death. In 1821 Ali Detberan, who himself had betrayed Sultan Mehmet, called on the Greeks to aid and promised them freedom.The Greeks revolted in groups, and people who sympathized with Greece from all over Europe came to participate, including Italians, Poles, Germans, and most of them were French.They joined the ranks of oppression, outstanding representatives are: Jie de Saint-Helena, Gayet, Choisigne, Captain Balleste and Captain Jourdain, Captain Fabvier, Renault de Saint-Helena —Jean Dangeli, Captain of the Cavalry, General Mayzon, and three Englishmen worthy of mention: Sir Cochise, Sir Byron, and Sir Hastings.They fought and gave their lives for this country, leaving indelible memories.

Of course, these foreigners were by no means the only ones who gave their lives in this war of liberation. Greece itself also had a group of heroic names who made brilliant achievements, such as the three brothers Ideot, Tombages, and Chamados. , Muulis, and later Gologotroni, Marco Pocharis, Mologordado, Molomishalis, Constantine Canaris, Nagris, Kang Standing and Demetruus Sipeslandes, Ulis, and others.From the beginning, the war was filled with terror and blood, with both sides striving to cause bloodshed and death. In 1821, Soriott and Magnet revolted.At Batras, Bishop Germano, cross in hand, uttered the first cry.Morai, Moldavi and the Archipelago all came together under the banner of independence.The Greeks won the naval battle and captured Tripolis.In retaliation, the Turks massacred the Greeks in Constantinople.

In 1822, Arid de Berrand was besieged in the castle of Janina, only to be vilely murdered at a council proposed by the Turkish general Kurshid.soon.Morogorda and those who sympathized with Greece were wiped out at the Battle of Arta, but they had been successful in the first siege of Mysolonghi.Force the opponent's Omer-Friona's army to withdraw, give up the encirclement and suppression, and lose troops and generals. In 1823, foreign powers began to intervene more effectively, and they offered the Sultan a mediation, which was rejected.To show the extent of his resoluteness, the sultan sent ten thousand Asian soldiers to the island of Evieh, and then gave command of the Turkish army to his vassal, the Egyptian Pasha Mehmet-Ali.In this year's battle, Marco Pocharis was killed.Of him, one might say: "Live as great as Aristides, die as gloriously as Leonidas."

1824 was the period when the cause of Greek independence suffered great setbacks.Earl Byron landed at Missoroch on 24 January.He died before Lebonte on Easter Sunday without seeing his ideals realized.The Ibsariots were massacred by the Turks, and the city of Gandi in Crete surrendered to Mahmed-Ali.Only the constant news of success from the sea can soothe the painful hearts of the Greeks a little. In 1825, Ibrahim Pasha, the son of Mahmad-Ali, landed at Modong on the Morea Peninsula with 11,000 soldiers. Logo Tony.This prompted the Greek government to hand over the regular army to the two Frenchmen as soon as possible.Fabvier and Renault de Saint-Jean-Gerly.However, before the main resistance force of this rain branch went into battle, Ibrahim had already sacked Messenia and Mane. Because he was eager to besiege Mythoroch for the second time, he temporarily stopped the bloody deeds, and the Sultan was responsible General Qiu Daqi, who besieged Misuoluoqi, gave an order: "If you can't take Misuoluoqi, come to me!" But the general still couldn't capture the city.

In 1826, after burning Pyrgos, Ibrahim arrived in Mythoroch.In the three days from the 25th to the 28th, he fired 8,000 bombs and bullets into the city, but he was still unable to overcome it, and forced a third attack, although only 2,500 hungry and exhausted defenders fought with him.At length he charged into the city, and in the process repulsed Muulis, who came with his cavalry to relieve the siege. On April 23, the city of Mythoroch fell into the hands of Ibrahim after paying the price with the lives of 1,900 defenders.Turkish soldiers massacred almost all of the city's 9,000 residents, men, women, and children.In the same year, the army led by Qiu Daqi arrived at Thebes on July 10, entered Attica, and besieged Athens after occupying Phucide and Beauti.They settled down and besieged Acpires, which had only 1,500 Greek defenders.In order to assist the city and guard the key to open the Greek portal, the new Greek government sent Caraiskalis and Colonel Fabvier, who had served as the defenders of Mythoroch, to lead the regular army to reinforce it.They ended up losing at the Battle of Jaydali, which allowed Chudachi to continue the siege of Acropolis.At this moment Caraiscalis, passing through the Pass of Parnas, suddenly attacked the Turks from Arasova. On December 5, he won a complete victory, beheaded more than 300 Turks, and almost liberated the entire northern part of Greece.

Unfortunately, while the fighting was at its height, the islands were ravaged by pirates.It is said that the most vicious and cruel among them was a robber named Shakdiff.As long as merchant ships along the east coast hear this name, they will be terrified. Just seven months before this story began, the Turks had been confined to a few fortresses in northern Greece. In February 1827 the Greeks had gained their independence from the Gulf of Amberaki all the way to Attica.The Turkish flag can only fly over Misoroch, Vonitsa and Nabaght. On March 31, under the influence of Sir Cochon, northern Greece and the Peloponnese also decided not to engage in infighting, but to unanimously speak out.They convened a unified national congress in Terezina and concentrated all power in the hands of a foreigner.This was a Russian diplomat born in Greece, originally from Corfu, named Capodistria.At this time, Athens was still in the hands of the Turks. On June 5, the castle held by the Turks surrendered, and the whole north was forced to surrender. On July 6, France, Britain, Russia, and Austria signed an agreement that not only recognized the suzerainty of the Turkish Sultan, but also recognized the existence of the Greek state.In addition, there is a secret clause, that is, if Sudan refuses to accept this peace arrangement, the above-mentioned powers will take actions against Sudan and jointly sanction them.

These are some of the circumstances of that bloody war which the reader should keep in mind, for they are directly related to the story we are about to tell. Now we will talk about some special events, because the characters we have known and will know are directly related to these special events. First up is Andronika, Scotta's widow. This great war for independence not only gave birth to heroic men, but also created many heroines, whose names will last forever with this era. We should also get to know Bobolina.She was born on a small island at the entrance of the Bay of Nafplio. In 1812 her husband was captured, escorted to Constantinople, and executed by the Sultan. In 1821, Popolina armed three ships at her own expense and made the first cry of independence.As Mr. Henry Bell heard it from an old guerrilla, she hoisted a banner on her ship that said "There is no enemy, there is no enemy."Her ships haunted the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor, attacking and burning Turk ships.Later, she generously donated these ships to the new government, took part in the siege of Tripolis herself, organized a four-month blockade around the Gulf of Nafplio, and finally forced the castle. surrender.Her life can be said to be a legendary story, but she died in the hands of her own brothers because of family disputes.

Another face not to be forgotten is that of Modena Mavoloennis.The same cause led to the same result, and her father was also hanged by the sultan in Constantinople.The woman who was born with beauty immediately threw herself into the resistance movement. She called on the residents of Migona to revolt, armed her ships, organized guerrillas, and she led them.She stopped the army of Sheramil Pasha at the pass of Mount Belion, and continued to harass the Turks in the vicinity of Mount Phetiotide until the end of the war. Her achievements were brilliant and impressive. Mention is also made of Kaydos, who blew up the walls of Viria with dynamite, and fought with tireless courage in the monastery of Saint-Vinaande, and her mother Moskos, who fought alongside her husband, will Turks wiped out rocky areas.And Depis, in order not to fall into the hands of the Islamic people and be humiliated, ignited explosives with his daughter, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, and died together.Returned women from the Suriot area and women who supported the new government received boats from the new government stationed in Salamis and commanded them themselves.Constance Zasaria, after rising up in the plains of Laconia, led 500 peasants and rushed straight to Leodari.Those women who participated in the war did not hesitate to shed blood and sacrifice, from which we know how great the Greek women are and what a great cause they have done. Old Scotta's widow did the same thing.She took the name Andronica instead of the Scota surname, which had been sullied by her son, and went to war with an irresistible instinct and a love of independence.Like Popolina, she was a widow who dedicated her life to the resistance, and like Modena, like Zacharias, she did not have the means to arm a ship or organize an army, but she gave her whole being to this tragic great cause. Beginning in 1821, Andronica took part in the uprising in the Magne region, led by Gorogotony, who was sentenced to death and took refuge among the Ionian islands.Andronika followed him when he landed at Skadamura on January 18 of the same year.She took part in the first battle at Tessari, when Gorogautoni attacked the Turk-dependent inhabitants of Fornali and Kalidena, which were clustered along the coast of Rufia.She also lived through the Battle of Vatsio, the battle on 17 May that defeated Mustafaba's army.What's even more remarkable is that she made great achievements in the siege of Tripolis.At that time, the two hostile parties slandered each other. The Spartans called the Turks "Persian cowards", and the Turks called the Greeks "Lagoni bastards".This time, however, the jackass had the upper hand.Since the Turkish fleet could not help it out, on October 5, the capital of the Peloponnese had to announce its surrender.Despite the original agreement, the blood and fire could not be stopped. In three days, the Ottomans, men, women, and children, paid the price of tens of thousands of lives. On March 4 of the following year, Andronica took part in another naval battle led by Admiral Muulis.After 5 hours of fierce fighting, the Turkish ships ran to the port of Zante to hide, but she saw her son in a boat, and he was helping the Ottoman ships to cross the Bay of Patras!This day meant shame and a blow to her, she rushed towards the place where the artillery fire was the most intense, and wanted to die, but the god of death refused to take her in. To be sure, Nicola Scotta went further and further down the road of evil.Wasn't he the one who, a few weeks later, got entangled with the Kari-Ali who fired on Theo Island and Theo City?Didn't he take part in the massacre in which 2,300 Christians were murdered?Not counting the 47,000 who were sold as slaves in the Smina market.A ship carried them to the coast of North Africa, all directed by Andronica's son, a Greek who had sold his brother! In the following days, the Greeks continued to fight against the combined forces of Turkey and Egypt, and Andronica continued to follow the example of the heroines mentioned above. Sad times, especially for Morea.Ibrahim had just sent out husky Arab soldiers, more ferocious than the Ottomans.Andronika has been following the troops led by Gorogao Toni, who has been appointed as the commander of the Peloponnesian troops, with only 4,000 soldiers around him.After Ibrahim landed 11,000 soldiers in Messenia, he first lifted the blockade of Coron Bay and Patras, and then captured Navarino. The castle here became his base, and the port became his base. A safe haven for ships.Then he burned Argos and occupied Tripolitsa, and until winter he continued to encroach on the surrounding area.Messenia was most trampled, and Andronica often had to hide in the interior of the Mane to avoid falling into Arab hands.In this way, she never thought of resting. Can she rest in peace on a oppressed construction site? In 1825-1826, she was seen again in the battle of Weierga.After this battle, Ibrahim retreated to Polyaravos, where he was again driven back by the northern Mane. In July 1826, during the Battle of Chaidari, Andronica was in the regiment of Colonel Fabvier.She was badly wounded in the battle, and thanks to the bravery of a French youth in the Greek volunteer army, she was saved from the murderous hands of Chudaqi's brutal soldiers. For several months, Andronica was on the brink of death, her former health saving her, but by the end of 1826 she was not recovered enough to return to battle. It was in this situation that she returned to Mane in August 1827, wanting to go back and see Verdeiro's hometown.Chance brought her home on the same day as her son.We already know the circumstances and results of their meeting, and with what severe curses she drove him from the door of the house.Since there is nothing left to miss about her hometown, Andronica will not stop fighting as long as Greece is not completely independent. By this point, on March 10, 1827, when Andronica went to Mane to join the Greeks in the Peloponnese, they were bit by bit fighting for their land with Ibrahim's soldiers.