Early Greek Parties
Encyclopedia
Early Greek parties were not features of the provisional and regional governments that were set up between 1821 and 1832. Nascent political parties were organized around a variety of interests and backgrounds, but regardless of these various factors, the political formations were named after one of the three Great Powers
(Britain
, France
and Russia
) that established the Kingdom of Greece
in 1832.
The political history of modern Greece begins with the start of the Greek War of Independence
in 1821. Although political parties were not fully developed until the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece and the arrival of King Otto
, many of the organizing interests and factions had already begun to gel by the time Ioannis Capodistrias was elected as "Governor" in 1827. Greeks in that period were divided in a number of different ways:
Eventually, these parties lost salience after the deposition of King Otto, when his successor, King George I
was able to minimize the interference of the three Great Powers in internal Greek politics after 1864.
Great power
A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength and diplomatic and cultural influence which may cause small powers to consider the opinions of great powers before taking actions...
(Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
, France
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
and Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
) that established the Kingdom of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
in 1832.
The political history of modern Greece begins with the start of the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
in 1821. Although political parties were not fully developed until the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece and the arrival of King Otto
Otto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
, many of the organizing interests and factions had already begun to gel by the time Ioannis Capodistrias was elected as "Governor" in 1827. Greeks in that period were divided in a number of different ways:
- Regional identity, especially whether the person or family was from territory that was free of OttomanOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
control (the PeloponnesePeloponneseThe Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, Central GreeceCentral GreeceContinental Greece or Central Greece , colloquially known as Roúmeli , is a geographical region of Greece. Its territory is divided into the administrative regions of Central Greece, Attica, and part of West Greece...
, EuboeaEuboeaEuboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
, AtticaAtticaAttica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
, and the islands of the Saronic GulfSaronic GulfThe Saronic Gulf or Gulf of Aegina in Greece forms part of the Aegean Sea and defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Corinth. It is the eastern terminus of the Corinth Canal, which cuts across the isthmus.-Geography:The gulf includes the islands of; Aegina, Salamis, and Poros along with...
), sometimes called autochthones, or were from areas still under Turkish suzerainty, such as ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, EpirusEpirusThe name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
, ThessalyThessalyThessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
, MacedoniaMacedonia (Greece)Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
, CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, the DodecaneseDodecaneseThe Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
, Asia MinorAnatoliaAnatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, PontusPontusPontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος...
, and CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, or under British control in the Ionian IslandsIonian IslandsThe Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
, who were called heterochthones.
- Social status, including whether the person was a landowner like the Mavromichalis clan of ManiMani PeninsulaThe Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
or naval captains like the Miaoulis family of HydraHydra, Saronic IslandsHydra is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, located in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese by narrow strip of water...
, were an armed force like the Kolokotronis family of ArcadiaArcadiaArcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
or were wealthy PhanariotesPhanariotesPhanariots, Phanariotes, or Phanariote Greeks were members of those prominent Greek families residing in Phanar , the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople, where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is situated.For all their cosmopolitanism and often Western education, the Phanariots were...
from ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
was another factor in political groupings.
- Education: Greeks educated in one of the Great Powers—Britain, France or Russia—would often identify with the country of their education.
- Family relations: either marriage or longstanding enmity would drive individuals into political alliances.
The Parties
- The Russian PartyRussian Party (Greece)The Russian Party , one of the Early Greek Parties, was an informal grouping of Greek political leaders that formed during the brief period of the First Hellenic Republic and lasted through the reign of King Otto...
(also called the Napist party) was a philorthodox and socially conservative party. Some of the Greek leaders of that era who were affiliated with the Russian party include: Constantine KanarisConstantine KanarisConstantine Kanaris or Canaris was a Greek Prime Minister, admiral and politician who in his youth was also a freedom fighter, pirate, privateer and merchantman.-Early life:...
, Theodoros KolokotronisTheodoros KolokotronisTheodoros Kolokotronis was a Greek Field Marshal and one of the leaders of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire....
, Kitsos TzavelasKitsos TzavelasKitsos Tzavelas was a fighter in the Greek War of Independence and later Greek Army General and Prime Minister of Greece.-Early years and Greek War of Independence:...
, Andreas MetaxasAndreas MetaxasAndreas Metaxas was a Greek politician born on the island of Cephalonia.During the latter part of the War of Independence he accompanied Kapodistrias to Greece, and was appointed by him Minister of War...
;
- The French PartyFrench Party (Greece)The French Party was one of the three informal Early Greek Parties that dominated the early political history of Modern Greece, the other two being the Russian and the English Party.-History and party development:...
was a more liberal grouping which was born out of the struggle in 1828-31 over the adoption of a constitution and which was most closely identified with Ioannis KolettisIoannis KolettisIoannis Kolettis was a Greek politician who played a significant role in Greek affairs from the Greek War of Independence through the early years of the Greek Kingdom, including as Minister to France and serving twice as Prime Minister....
, but also counted Ioannis Makriyannis, Dimitrios VoulgarisDimitrios VoulgarisDimitrios Voulgaris was a Greek revolutionary fighter during the Greek War of Independence of 1821 who became a politician after independence. He was nicknamed "Tsoumpes" after the distinctive Ottoman-style robe he wore.Voulgaris was born on December 20, 1802 on the island of Hydra in the Saronic...
, Nikolaos Krieziotes among its most well-known members;
- The English PartyEnglish Party (Greece)The English Party , was one of the three informal Early Greek Parties that dominated the early political history of Modern Greece, the other two being the Russian Party and the French Party.-History and party development:...
was also socially liberal, supportive of a constitution and allied with the British legate Lord Lyons. Its most well-known exponents were Alexander MavrocordatosPrince Alexander MavrocordatosAlexandros Mavrokordatos was a Greek statesman and member of the Mavrocordatos family of Phanariotes....
, Kostas Botsaris, Andreas MiaoulisAndreas Vokos MiaoulisAndreas Vokos, nicknamed Miaoulis , was an admiral and politician who commanded Greek naval forces during the Greek War of Independence ....
, Spyridon Trikoupis, Andreas ZaimisAndreas ZaimisAndreas Asimakou Zaimis was a Greek freedom fighter and government leader during the Greek War of Independence.Born in Kalavryta, in the northern Peloponnesos, Zaimis was a leader of armed men who fought the Ottoman Turks, ultimately securing Greece's freedom.In 1826, Zaimis was chosen as the...
.
Eventually, these parties lost salience after the deposition of King Otto, when his successor, King George I
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
was able to minimize the interference of the three Great Powers in internal Greek politics after 1864.