Freedom or death...Ελευθερία ή θάνατος

Some few non-Greeks probably know what day is today and the importance of it. Today, 25th of March, (besides my birthday!)we celebrate the beginning of the Greek war of independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1821.

What also many have no idea about, is how the war started. All the powerfull countries of that time, also known as the three great powers(UK, France, Russia), still believe in our days that the role they played was crucial for the independence of the Greek revolutionaries. Though, there would be books to write about their role, and so much to say, there are some small points to highlight.

First of all, the declaration of the war started with the political (only) support of the great powers and after many promisses to the greek fighters, because they realized that the power of the Ottoman empire was gradually declining and there was time to establish a protectorate that can follow their will. The only problem was that they prefered to achieve that for free, bloodless (for them) and with future perspectives for bussiness and investments in the greek peninsula. So the Greek revolution was a lovely solution!

Truth is that the only help that ever arrived was some proffesional army officers that loved greek history and some philhellens. No money and no weapons ever arrived in the begining of the fight. Six years later, the battle of Navarino (1827) took place only because the great powers wanted to kick out the Ottoman navy from the Ionion sea because was getting too close to their territories.

The real help from the Europeans arrived with huge loans only after the declaration of the independence (1829 and 1832 with the creation of the kingdom of Greece) when the banks were sure that there was a country on papers, so that they know who is going to pay back later!! Then the great powers knew already that once the greek forces will secure central Greece, they would try to liberate more parts of the greek penninsula. So they would need even more money and so on...and so on. The depths that these loans have created, along with the balkan wars (1912-1913) and WW1 (1914-1918), can still not be payed back in our days and its a constant way of controling the greek government ever after.

The freedom the greeks achieved with their glorious fight, had to loose it later with a new advanced(!) way of slavery...the economic control of the global banking system.

Happy Independence Day to all, happy birthday to me and I wish FREEDOM to all the nations in the world!

Real freedom...