Filiki Eteria: The Group That Sparked the Greek War of Independence

Filiki Eteria played a important relation successful the uprising which led to the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. Image by Greek creator Tsokos. Credit: Public Domain

The Filiki Eteria (Φιλική Εταιρία), oregon the Society of Friends, arsenic it was different known, was founded connected September 14, 1814 and played a important relation successful the uprising which led to the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire connected March 25, 1821.

In the opening of the 19th century, the conception that Greece had to beryllium liberated aft astir 4 centuries of Ottoman rule and that a caller Greek authorities had to beryllium established was ripe.

However, determination were 2 camps: those who believed that the clip for Greek gyration oregon warfare was “here and now” and those who believed that it was excessively early.

In 1814, 3 Greeks of the diaspora came unneurotic successful Odessa successful present-day Ukraine, wherever a thriving Greek assemblage lived. They formed a concealed nine with the intent of initiating a Greek gyration to escaped the state of the Ottomans.

The opening of the Filiki Eteria

The 3 founders were Nikolaos Skoufas from the Arta province, Emmanuil Xanthos from Patmos, and Athanasios Tsakalov from Ioannina.

Soon after, Panagiotis Anagnostopoulos from Andritsaina joined the organization.

The Filiki Eteria recruited mostly Phanariot Greeks from Russia, section chieftains from Greece, and Serbs.

Two of its aboriginal outstanding members were Alexandros Ypsilantis, a prince and high-ranking serviceman of the Imperial Russian Cavalry; Moldovan lord Michael Soutzos, the begetter of modern Serbia; and laminitis of the Karadjordjevic dynasty, Karageorge Petrovic.

Future leaders of the Greek War of Independence, specified arsenic Theodoros Kolokotronis, Odysseas Androutsos, Dimitris Plapoutas, and the metropolitan bishop Germanos of Patras besides joined the Filiki Eteria.

In 1818, the Filiki Eteria moved to Constantinople. The twelvemonth was marked by the decease of founding subordinate Skoufas. Xanthos and Tsakalov attempted to find a salient idiosyncratic to instrumentality implicit the enactment of the concealed society.

Alexandros Ypsilantis becomes person

The different 2 founding members contacted Alexandros Ypsilantis and offered him enactment of Filiki Eteria, which helium took up successful April 1820.

Ypsilantis started preparations for an equipped revolt and acceptable up a subject portion helium named the Sacred Band.

Initially, the commencement of the gyration in Constantinople was proposed, but the thought was dropped successful favour of the Peloponnese.

The Filiki Eteria created a currency container wherever a ample sum of wealth was collected to conscionable the needs for arms, ammunition, and supplies for the revolution.

They adjacent established an auditing strategy truthful that determination was nary maltreatment of the funds collected.

Ypsilantis recruited galore untrained fighters, portion astatine the aforesaid clip calling connected Greeks surviving successful different countries to lend successful immoderate mode they could to the liberation war.

Ypsilantis sent fiery letters to each centers of Hellenism, asking diaspora Greeks to enactment successful the fight.

Failed Filiki Eteria revolt successful Moldova; connection for Peloponnese uprising

In October 1820, Ypsilantis decided to commencement the Greek gyration successful Iasi, Moldova. It was a catastrophic move, starring to the slaughter of thousands of fighters.

Nevertheless, the revolutionary effect of the Filiki Eteria was planted, and the slogan “Freedom oregon Death” started playing connected the lips of Greeks. They were determined to combat to the decease for liberty.

On February 24, 1821, Ypsilantis sent a prophetic missive to his Filiki Eteria colleagues asking them to commencement the combat oregon lend by sending wealth and supplies for the equipped struggle: “Future generations volition bless your names and they volition praise you arsenic precursors of their state and bliss.”

His prophetic proclamation was verified by history. Filiki Eteria was the conveyance for the uprising and inspired the heroes who started the revolt a period later. It was “Freedom oregon Death” indeed.