Question

In which year did the Greek struggle for independence begin?
A) 1821
B) 1818
C) 1815
D) 1825

Answer 1

Hint: Since its conquest of the Byzantine Empire in the 14th and 15th centuries, the Ottoman Empire had dominated practically all of Greece, with the exception of the Ionian Islands. However, as revolutionary nationalism spread across Europe and the Ottoman Empire's strength waned, Greek nationalism began to express itself and garnered support from Western European "philhellenes" in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Complete answer:
Between 1821 and 1829, the Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution, was a successful war of independence waged by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire. Later, Great Britain, France, and Russia backed the Greeks, while their North African vassals, particularly Egypt's eyalet, aided the Ottomans. The war resulted in the establishment of modern Greece. On March 25, Greeks all across the world commemorate the revolution as Independence Day.

There are various reasons why the Greeks were the first to secede from the multi-ethnic, multi-religious Ottoman Empire and establish themselves as a sovereign entity. Because the Ottoman Empire was clearly in collapse, such a revolt was possible. In the Ottoman state, some Greeks held a favoured status, and the Ottoman Turks had always given a certain class of Greeks a degree of influence. They had ruled the Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, centred in Constantinople, since the Hellenization of the Byzantine Empire, and the upper clergy had always been Greek.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: It's crucial to remember that the Greek Revolution was not a unique incident; throughout the Ottoman occupation of Greece, there were countless failed attempts at reclaiming freedom. For example, in 1603 an attempt was made in the Peloponnesos to revive the Byzantine Empire, and throughout the 17th century, the Peloponnesus was a hotbed of opposition against the Turks.