Orlov Revolt

Orlov Revolt
Battle of Chios (Chesma), by Ivan Aivazovsky (1848)

The Orlov Revolt (1770) was a precursor to the Greek War of Independence (1821), which saw a Greek uprising in the Peloponnese at the instigation of Count Orlov, commander of the Russian Naval Forces of the Russo-Turkish War. In Greece it is known as the Orlov events (Greek: Ορλωφικά).[1]

Wishing to weaken the Ottoman Empire and establish a pro-Russian Greek state in the Balkans, Russian emissaries were sent to Mani in the mid-1760s, to make a pact with the local leaders who represented the strongest military force in Greece at the time. Russian emissaries also contacted Daskalogiannis in Crete. In 1769, during the Russo-Turkish War, a fleet of 14 warships commanded by count Aleksey Grigoryevich Orlov sailed from the Baltic Sea for the Mediterranean. The fleet reached Mani in February 1770, prompting the Maniots to raise their war flags. 50 Russian soldiers remained to help fight in the ground war, while the fleet sailed on to the Aegean Sea.

The Greek army was initially successful, quickly liberating large portions of Morea. The revolt however failed to effectively spread in the rest of Greece—with the notable exception of Crete, under the leadership of Ioannis Vlahos (known as Daskalogiannis). Unfortunately, the support promised by the Russian emissaries never arrived at Crete and Daskalogiannis was left to his own devices.

With the assistance of Greek islanders, the Russian fleet was able to score a major victory against the Turkish Navy in the Battle of Cesme, but this did not help the Greek army in Morea. As the Russians failed to bring the forces they promised, the revolt was soon crushed.

From the Russian point of view, Count Orlov's mission was a success, damaging the Turkish Fleet, directing Turkish troops south, and contributing to the victory that led to the signing of the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji.

From the Greek point of view, the affair was a failure which cost a huge number of lives (both in battle, and in the Turkish reprisals that followed). The Greeks were effectively forgotten in the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji, and they became increasingly distrustful of the Russians as a result. While Greek connections to Russia remained strong (in part because of the influence of prominent Greeks in Russia), many among the next generation of Greek leaders (such as Petrobey and Kolokotronis) would look to the West for alliances.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Orlov (disambiguation) — Orlov (Орлов), also spelled Orloff in English, is a common Russian last name and originates from the Russian word: orel, meaning eagle Contents 1 People 2 Places 3 Other 4 See also …   Wikipedia

  • Orlov — For other uses, see Orlov (disambiguation). Count Grigory Orlov, by Fyodor Rokotov Orlov (Russian: Орлóв) is the name of a Russian noble family which produced several distinguished statesmen, diplomatists and soldiers. The family first gained… …   Wikipedia

  • Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov — Born 5 October [O.S. 24 September] 1737 Lyubini, Tver Oblast …   Wikipedia

  • Maniots — Part of a series on Greeks …   Wikipedia

  • List of Russian people — The Millennium of Russia monument in Veliky Novgorod, featuring the statues and reliefs of the most celebrated people in the first 1000 years of Russian history …   Wikipedia

  • Sfakians — The Sfakians (or Sphakians; Greek: Σφακιανοί) are the inhabitants of the region of Sfakia located in western Crete. The Sfakians deem themselves as the direct descendants of the Dorians who invaded the island around 1100 BC. For centuries, the… …   Wikipedia

  • Ottoman Invasion of Mani (1770) — 1770 Ottoman Invasion of Mani Part of the Orlov Revolt Map of Greece with Mani highlighted. Date …   Wikipedia

  • Siege of Tripolitsa — Part of the Greek War of Independence …   Wikipedia

  • List of revolutions and rebellions — This is a list of revolutions and rebellions.BC*499 BC 493 BC: Ionian Revolt. Most of the Greek cities occupied by the Persians in Asia Minor and Cyprus rose up against their Persian rulers. *460 BC Inarus revolted against the Persians in Egypt… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste Des Révolutions — Liste de révolutions et de rébellions Demande de traduction List of revolutions and rebellions → …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”