Missolonghi (Greek War of Independence)

GREAT BATTLES series No 12: MISSOLONGHI - The Three Sieges and the Sortie (1822 - 1826).

The Third Siege of Missolonghi was fought in the Greek War of Independence, between the Ottoman Empire and the Greek rebels, from 15 April 1825 to 10 April 1826. The Ottomans had already tried and failed to capture the city in 1822 and 1823.  In April 1824, Lord Byron died in Missolonghi of an illness, adding to the fame of the city. The Ottomans returned in 1825 with a stronger force of infantry and a stronger navy supporting the infantry. The Greeks held out for almost a year before they ran out of food and attempted a mass breakout, which however resulted in a disaster, with the larger part of the Greeks slain. 

Though a military disaster, the siege and its aftermath proved a victory for the Greek cause, and the Ottomans paid dearly for their harsh treatment of Missolonghi. After this incident, many people from Western Europe felt increased sympathy for the Greek cause, as manifested for example in the famous Delacroix painting Greece Expiring on the Ruins of Missolonghi (1827). The siege of Missolonghi also inspired Gioacchino Rossini's opera Le siège de Corinthe.

This public sympathy for the Greeks had a significant influence on the eventual decision of Britain, France and Russia to intervene militarily in the Battle of Navarino and secure Greece's independence - with the result that, among other things, within four years Missolonghi fell into Greek hands again.

(From Wikipedia)

Author: Editing team

Colour Plates by: Yiannis Mylonas 

Publisher: Periscopio Publications (2003)

Description: 108 pages, Paperback, Format A4. numerous b/w & colour age artworks, numerous b/w & colour photos, 4 full-page colour plates of Greek and Ottoman warriors, maps. GREEK TEXT.

Shipping weight: 0.53 Kg.