A Century of Uprisings

The awakening of national consciousness among ethnic groups from the late 18^th century onwards dealt a fatal blow to the delicate balances within the multiethnic Ottoman state. The first revolution aimed at casting off Ottoman rule broke out on the island in 1770, but was quashed with relative ease. The next uprising was the major Greek revolution of 1821, in which Cretan participation, though dynamic, failed to achieve the aim of liberation. Nevertheless, the foundation of the Greek state in 1830 set new goals for the Christians.

Under the war cry "Union or Death", successive revolutionary movements broke out on the island in the 19^th century, crowned by the great Cretan uprising of 1866. Though the revolutionaries' principal goal - union with Greece - was not attained, Ottoman power was frequently forced to make concessions and institute reforms that improved the lot of the Christian population.

European countries headed by Britain, France and Russia played a major role in Cretan affairs in this century. Often acting from behind the scenes, they dictated the course of events on the island out of self-interest, since the Greek state was not powerful enough to intervene and the Cretans were unable to the impose the solution they coveted by force of arms. Above all, intervention by the Great Powers proved crucial in the final uprising in 1897, since they forced the Ottoman Empire to accept autonomy as a provisional solution.