Forgive me for not writing back as much, things have just been crazy around the house. Remember when I talked about how Lord Byron died when he came to fight for Greece? People celebrated him because he died for Greek Liberty, and I'm almost positive that he is not from Greece at all. That had me thinking about things. That for a man who may or may not be linked to Greece at all, could give up his only life for it. I remember when mama and papa, even yia yia and papou, would be non stop talk about Greece. Greece this and for Greece, and we need to fight for Greece, Greece, Greece, Greece, blah blah blah. I thought it was strange that everyone was so joined over this happening over a man who died for Greece. Plenty of men have died for Greece, so why is it so important now? I asked papa today why everyone was acting so funny, he said he would try and explain. He said that the Ottoman Empire had control over a large territory and Greece and other countries fell within that territory. He also said that the Ottomans had no control because they had such a large area to oversee, that it was difficult to keep peace everywhere especially when not everyone speaks the same language or has the same culture. "Not like us Greeks, we are one and stand like one" when he said those exact words I laughed because he tried to make his voice deeper and more powerful. I was still confused and so he continued to tell me that the Greeks didn't need the Ottomans anymore thats why we were fighting back, to gain our own freedom, to show everyone that the Greeks would not be held back by other nation. Now that the Empire was weak, other countries wanted to come help Greece. Why would countries like France, Britain, even Russia want to come help us though? He said that Greece wasn't the only place that had decided to declare themselves independent from other ruling nations. "Times are changing, little one, you'll see when you grow old, things will be different" he told me. There was lots of talk about how other great powers were concerned with key naval positions in the eastern Mediterranean, the issue of access for Christians to the shrines in the Holy Land, and the goals of the great powers clashed with the ideas for independence. Oh, he also mentioned that because these great powers had no effort to strengthen the Ottomans they sided with us "nationalistic nations" . I'm surprised I even remember all of that because in all honesty I think what he was talking about was gibberish, I mean I'm 12, what do I honestly know about the Holy Lands and key naval positions. Papa tried to explain to me that Greece would be independent very soon. That they are making a treaty called the Treaty of London. It basically means that this will recognize us as an independent nation from the Turks and and giving us a fleet to use during the revolt. I guess this means that times are really changing. But is this change good ? Is it going to benefit us or hurt us in the end? I suppose we won't know just yet. Listening to my father speak about Greece though, he had such dedication in his voice and he talked about all Greeks as if they were all family. I know that Greeks usually have big families but all of Greece acting as one family is a lot of people. He said to me that if you're Greek you're family no matter what and we will stand together as one against anything. I hope one day to have as much passion and love for Greece as my father and the rest of the country seem to be having right now. But I still feel a little confused about things. Maybe when I'm 13 I'll understand..
It's interesting how the Greek revolution became one of the most famous of the century because it attracted the support and involvement of many illustrious literary figures. Because of the Greek origin of so much of the West's classical heritage, there was tremendous sympathy for the Greek cause throughout Europe. Many wealthy Americans and Western European aristocrats, such as the renowned poet Lord Byron and later the physician Samuel Howe, took up arms to join the Greek revolutionaries. Many more also financed the revolution. The Scottish historian and philhellene Thomas Gordon took part in the revolutionary struggle and later wrote the first histories of the Greek revolution in English.
I really like how you said “if you're Greek you're family no matter what and we will stand together as one against anything.” I think that’s the perfect definition of nationalism put into simplest terms.
Dear Journal Oh my goodness, us Greeks are in mayhem right now! My Big Fat Greek wedding cannot even fix the fighting for power and control within my country! And as you know journal, my family is big, and it is definitely Greek! Unfortunately parents do not really tell their children about all of the fascinating, yet frightening events occurring within our country. But my neighbor Miss. Portacolas tells me everything I need or desire to know! She told me that it wasn’t until March 21st of 1821 that the Revolution flag was flown nor the battle cry that would become our country’s motto for the revolution, “Freedom or Death!” I always thought that was just some stupid saying that my best friend Nikolas would say to prove a point, but apparently the saying is very popular, especially for those who are involved or know people in the revolution! While finding out about our nation’s war cries are not bad, learning of the 25,000 Greeks that died on the island of Chios. Although they killed 15,000 out of the 40,000 Turks living on the island, the massacre was a wake-up call to us all. OOO that rhymed! Besides the number of Greeks dead, what made this massacre so upsetting was that the Chios massacre was a consequence of the insurrection of 1821 caused by an upset Albanian affair. The Albanians are our neighboring country, and Halle(Aunt) Besja lives there! She is the one that always gives me byrek and baklava! Besja always says that it was the role of the Chios Navy in the revolt that was seen as an act of treason by the Turks. I don’t like the Turks though, because they have brought my nation so much pain and suffering. Yesterday Miss. Portacalas was telling me that her son Hassani is in the rebellion against the Ottoman Empire and that she cannot wait until it is over so that he can come home and get away from the dangerous fighting. I feel bad for her, she has nobody to look after or have fun with that is probably why Nuna keeps telling me and my brother Seizan to go and spend time with her. Even Baba has come to help cheer her up with us, sometimes we cook for her, or take walks, whatever keeps her happy.
Halle Besja arrived yesterday; she will be staying with us for a little while until things are safer for a single woman to stay in Albania. She told me this awesome story of a woman helping to aid and fight in the revolution! She is a hero! Even if she is Albanian…. Haha!!! Beja said that twelve days before the official beginning of the War of Independence, Laskarina Bouboulina raised the first revolutionary flag on the island of Spetses. Although she has seven children and is now a widow for the second time, she still has a lot of money and time to put in towards the effort of the revolution! In my opinion, those husbands did not just die coincidentally-if you know what I mean;)- but anyway getting back to the story, Laskarina used the several ships that she had to help take part in the siege of the impregnable fortress in Nafpillion. She brought supplies to the revolutionaries by sea, and helped take part in the blockade of Pylos! She is on her way to becoming a national hero in Greece!! And even more importantly Besja says that she is one of the FIRST women to play a major role in a revolution. Like I always say, “Who run the world? Girls!” Boys just don’t understand that we control everything, eh they will one day.. hopefully. There are so many wonderful people that we have helping us in aiding our revolution both mentally and physically. For example the wonderful Lord Byron embraced our Greek cause and helped sway the public opinion by his intellectual curiosity and genius. Baba says that many people view our struggle as a battle between the ideals of the Ancient Greeks against the ruthless Turks who unfortunately have been occupying the suppressed descendants of Pericles, Socrates and Plato. Many of the leaders such a Lord Byron, were considered heroes of the revolution and became known as the Philhellenes (friends of the Greeks.) While Lord Byron died from disease, his actions and dedication will be remembered forever in our nation as heroic… at least that is was Baba keeps drilling in my head. He says I should be proud of my nation, and supportive of the many people risking their lives for our freedom! Luckily we have been rescued from the support of Russia, Britain, and France, who created the Treaty of London, granting us our freedom and giving them the power to peacefully intervene when necessary! They all agreed that our independence would benefit their strategic interests rather than threaten their domestic security.
I am very proud of my fellow rebellion Greeks, all of whom fought a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire because of their inability to assure political and administrative stability in its holdings in and around the Eastern Mediterranean. I might seem like I know all that is going on, but I just find gossip interesting, and this is the only gossip that people are talking about these days! But I heard from a reliable source that there might be a revival of the Olympics! I hope I will be alive to see that! Goodbye for now journal I have some studying to do! ~Valerie Bey(Beja) Ahmet Bachorik
I felt that the Greek history portrayed in each of these stories really held a nationalism feeling. The fact that the country fought for their freedom, really showed that they were united together. They were able to band together and drive the remainder of the Ottoman Empire from their homeland. Since it was the lower and middle class driving out the Ottomans, it showed how truly together they were as one force, considering they didn't have aristocratic assets. It was interesting the way Mallory revealed all of her information, I enjoyed the fact that it was explained to the main character who didn't understand the revolution, which allowed for parallelism between the young girl and the reader. In a way, it felt like the girl's grandpa was explaining to me about the fantastic history of Greece, and how much he loved his country.
I like the story for Greece because it's filled with a nationalistic attitude. Greece had a lot of pride and would not stand to be dominated by the Ottoman's. Greece fought back and this is the only scenario I've seen so far where a rebellious nation actually got some outside help. Since the Empire was weakened, other nations decided to lend Greece a hand. These nations probably were more interested in getting to use key ports and whatnot, but at least Greece was able to get some kind of help. I also like that Greece was like a family. Their bond was like Nationalism x2. It wasn't just an identity as a nation, it was an identity as a family.
After reading Mallorys journal it reminded me of the revolution in Brazil in the aspect that there was a leader who was willing to sacrafice everything for a country that was not even their own. In Greece Lord Byron gave up his life for Greece but was not even Greek while Dom Pedro went against his country to fight for the independence of Brazil. I also thought she did a good job encorporating the idea of nationalism which sparked the Greek people wanting to revolt against the Ottomans. It shows that the feeling of being one unified nation with a collective identity is very important. This is the benefits of revolutions, it allows for a nation to create itself. -Sarah Walters
These posts were an amazing way to start my journal readings. I really enjoyed both of them, especially how each of you were able to put your own creative spin on the information. Of course, Val is always reppin’ for Albania!
To begin with Mallory’s journal entry, I valued the way you easily transitioned the reader into the info. Like Kim mentioned, I felt a connection to this girl. I, too, was learning from square one and didn’t understand it all initially. Now, in regards to the information, I was very interested in the composition of the Ottoman Empire and its decline. This is another example of the sheer power of nationalism. It was truly the most powerful political force in the 19th century as it reunited groups, such as they mighty Greeks, against a vast Empire. Your discussion of the key naval positions in the eastern Mediterranean is also interesting because I came across something similar. Great powers were concerned about the Turkish straights because they dictated power in the Eastern Mediterranean. Also, the Black Sea was a critical spot for naval powers. In fact, because Russia waged war on the Ottomans, France and Britain intervened. They did so primarily because they wanted to block any further expansion of Russian power and prevent them from getting control of the straights. It’s just another impeccable example of how all of these revolutions, although definitively different in certain aspects, are unified by core elements, especially those regarding Nationalism and the fight between liberals and conservatives.
Also, I couldn’t help when I was reading about the Greek family to think of the quote, “Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten.” Greeks were going to fight together to the death for their cause and I cannot think of something more moving or honorable.
Val Val Val! Your post was swelly too! I love how your family’s “mother,” Albania, always makes an appearance. That reference also illustrates how each of these revolutions, rebellions, and nationalistic/liberal movements affected each other. Whether there was monarchial aid to suppress foreign uprisings or valiant fighters from other nations, such as Lord Byron, the European continent was consumed in change. This hold true in regards to Russia’s intervention. Metternich, the embodiment of the conservatives’ political philosophy, tried to undermine the Russian foreign minister, Ioannis Kapodistrias, who was of Greek origin. Kapodistrias demanded that Alexander declare war on the Ottomans in order to liberate Greece and increase the greatness of Russia. Metternich persuaded Alexander that Kapodistrias was in league with the Italian Carbonari (an Italian revolutionary group).
Val, you also mentioned the Chios Massacre. I was curious so I looked it up and found out that it refers to the slaughter of tens of thousands of Greeks by the Ottomans on the islands. I was filled with indignation and I’m not even Greek! Mallory established this amazing picture of an unbreakable family and to hear about Ottomans slaying Greeks because they want to finally be recognized as the independent people they were makes me feel unbearably supportive of their cause. The event had the same impact on the rest of the world. The massacre provoked international outrage, and led to an increasing support for the Greek cause worldwide.
The way that the Greeks were described in this context shows more nationalistic characteristics than any other nation that has been written about. The girl’s father had so much pride in who he was. This reminds me of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The father in the movie is so proud of who he was as a person and of his culture. To the daughter in the movie she was embarrassed and did not have the same feelings. She really hated the fact that she was Greek because she could not be like all the other girls. In the end, she realizes it all along that being Greek has made her who she is. Like the girl Mallory depicted here, it is the same deal. She does not yet understand the meaning of being Greek and being proud of whom she is.
What a fine example of unity and nationalism in a nation. I really feel like no other nation captures this true essence than the revolution of Greece. both the posts really did a fantastic job at capturing what the revolution was with their own perspectives and attitudestowards it. I really liked how Mallory's postgot personal and showed unity at it's greatest for a nation that truly felt freedom was the right for everyone.
"All for one and one for all" seems to fit this perfectly, Greece is one nation that sticks out to me in these series of revoultions, i hope we explore it a liitle more in depth.
Theres a couple of things that make this one interesting for me and the first one obviously being unity. The nationalism in this country is second to none and just to show how important it is, look at recent US conflict. When a country comes together for one cause it is 10 times stronger than when they are in shambles. Our society was in favor of world war two and the wars result portrays that, now our 2 wars that we arguably lost, were Iraq and Vietnam, both were major finnancial drains that nobody was a fan of. Countless protests showed how split our country was towards the wars. Unified ideals are a key to success and Greece had it. Secondly, this is the first time the one powerful greeks made a push towards the older days. They were one time a world power who fell, like Mr. McCarthy talks about with Oedipus Rex. Their fall from power was steep and harsh, and they are finally back at it.
I really liked these two posts...They made me chuckle a bit. "I'm surprised I even remember all of that because in all honesty I think what he was talking about was gibberish, I mean I'm 12, what do I honestly know about the Holy Lands and key naval positions." bahahahaha
Mal, your post made me think of the 9/11 attacks. We were all so young so we couldn't really comprehend what was happening. We were curious, and we asked so many questions, but we never really fully understood and and felt the emotion about what had happened that day until we were older. We were young, and we watched as our parents and grandparents talked about our nation, and everyone in the nation seemed to come together and support each other. The people in Greece during the time of the revolution were indeed like a family. Their case is so fortunate for them because the Turks really could not suppress any revolt, they couldn't handle all that they had on their plate. The Greeks were destined for independence, unlike other nations, like Russia.
Mallory I enjoyed your journal it definitely envoked attitudes of nationalism as Greece wished to reject the overseeing power of the Ottomon Empire. I definitely agreed with how you expressed that the Ottomon Empire over extended their authority over multiple lands, and were unable to control them all sucessfully, allowing for an openning to seek independance. It was interesting to see through your journal how alot of revolutions throughout Europe seemed to be joined under the same cause, as liberation and independance were the route of great change in the eyes of the people. Ultimately allowing me to realize the changing attitude of the people during the 19th century as they felt like they no longer needed that overriding authoriy as they now felt that they could walk on their own two feet rather than having to "hold the hand" of larger powers in order to truly see sucess. Rather just attempting to form their own power than rely on others'.
June 10, 1827
ReplyDeleteDear Journal,
Forgive me for not writing back as much, things have just been crazy around the house. Remember when I talked about how Lord Byron died when he came to fight for Greece? People celebrated him because he died for Greek Liberty, and I'm almost positive that he is not from Greece at all. That had me thinking about things. That for a man who may or may not be linked to Greece at all, could give up his only life for it. I remember when mama and papa, even yia yia and papou, would be non stop talk about Greece. Greece this and for Greece, and we need to fight for Greece, Greece, Greece, Greece, blah blah blah. I thought it was strange that everyone was so joined over this happening over a man who died for Greece. Plenty of men have died for Greece, so why is it so important now? I asked papa today why everyone was acting so funny, he said he would try and explain. He said that the Ottoman Empire had control over a large territory and Greece and other countries fell within that territory. He also said that the Ottomans had no control because they had such a large area to oversee, that it was difficult to keep peace everywhere especially when not everyone speaks the same language or has the same culture. "Not like us Greeks, we are one and stand like one" when he said those exact words I laughed because he tried to make his voice deeper and more powerful. I was still confused and so he continued to tell me that the Greeks didn't need the Ottomans anymore thats why we were fighting back, to gain our own freedom, to show everyone that the Greeks would not be held back by other nation. Now that the Empire was weak, other countries wanted to come help Greece. Why would countries like France, Britain, even Russia want to come help us though? He said that Greece wasn't the only place that had decided to declare themselves independent from other ruling nations. "Times are changing, little one, you'll see when you grow old, things will be different" he told me. There was lots of talk about how other great powers were concerned with key naval positions in the eastern Mediterranean, the issue of access for Christians to the shrines in the Holy Land, and the goals of the great powers clashed with the ideas for independence. Oh, he also mentioned that because these great powers had no effort to strengthen the Ottomans they sided with us "nationalistic nations" . I'm surprised I even remember all of that because in all honesty I think what he was talking about was gibberish, I mean I'm 12, what do I honestly know about the Holy Lands and key naval positions. Papa tried to explain to me that Greece would be independent very soon. That they are making a treaty called the Treaty of London. It basically means that this will recognize us as an independent nation from the Turks and and giving us a fleet to use during the revolt. I guess this means that times are really changing. But is this change good ? Is it going to benefit us or hurt us in the end? I suppose we won't know just yet. Listening to my father speak about Greece though, he had such dedication in his voice and he talked about all Greeks as if they were all family. I know that Greeks usually have big families but all of Greece acting as one family is a lot of people. He said to me that if you're Greek you're family no matter what and we will stand together as one against anything. I hope one day to have as much passion and love for Greece as my father and the rest of the country seem to be having right now. But I still feel a little confused about things. Maybe when I'm 13 I'll understand..
Until next time,
Mallory
It's interesting how the Greek revolution became one of the most famous of the century because it attracted the support and involvement of many illustrious literary figures. Because of the Greek origin of so much of the West's classical heritage, there was tremendous sympathy for the Greek cause throughout Europe. Many wealthy Americans and Western European aristocrats, such as the renowned poet Lord Byron and later the physician Samuel Howe, took up arms to join the Greek revolutionaries. Many more also financed the revolution. The Scottish historian and philhellene Thomas Gordon took part in the revolutionary struggle and later wrote the first histories of the Greek revolution in English.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you said “if you're Greek you're family no matter what and we will stand together as one against anything.” I think that’s the perfect definition of nationalism put into simplest terms.
ReplyDeleteDear Journal
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, us Greeks are in mayhem right now! My Big Fat Greek wedding cannot even fix the fighting for power and control within my country! And as you know journal, my family is big, and it is definitely Greek! Unfortunately parents do not really tell their children about all of the fascinating, yet frightening events occurring within our country. But my neighbor Miss. Portacolas tells me everything I need or desire to know! She told me that it wasn’t until March 21st of 1821 that the Revolution flag was flown nor the battle cry that would become our country’s motto for the revolution, “Freedom or Death!” I always thought that was just some stupid saying that my best friend Nikolas would say to prove a point, but apparently the saying is very popular, especially for those who are involved or know people in the revolution! While finding out about our nation’s war cries are not bad, learning of the 25,000 Greeks that died on the island of Chios. Although they killed 15,000 out of the 40,000 Turks living on the island, the massacre was a wake-up call to us all. OOO that rhymed! Besides the number of Greeks dead, what made this massacre so upsetting was that the Chios massacre was a consequence of the insurrection of 1821 caused by an upset Albanian affair. The Albanians are our neighboring country, and Halle(Aunt) Besja lives there! She is the one that always gives me byrek and baklava! Besja always says that it was the role of the Chios Navy in the revolt that was seen as an act of treason by the Turks. I don’t like the Turks though, because they have brought my nation so much pain and suffering. Yesterday Miss. Portacalas was telling me that her son Hassani is in the rebellion against the Ottoman Empire and that she cannot wait until it is over so that he can come home and get away from the dangerous fighting. I feel bad for her, she has nobody to look after or have fun with that is probably why Nuna keeps telling me and my brother Seizan to go and spend time with her. Even Baba has come to help cheer her up with us, sometimes we cook for her, or take walks, whatever keeps her happy.
Halle Besja arrived yesterday; she will be staying with us for a little while until things are safer for a single woman to stay in Albania. She told me this awesome story of a woman helping to aid and fight in the revolution! She is a hero! Even if she is Albanian…. Haha!!! Beja said that twelve days before the official beginning of the War of Independence, Laskarina Bouboulina raised the first revolutionary flag on the island of Spetses. Although she has seven children and is now a widow for the second time, she still has a lot of money and time to put in towards the effort of the revolution! In my opinion, those husbands did not just die coincidentally-if you know what I mean;)- but anyway getting back to the story, Laskarina used the several ships that she had to help take part in the siege of the impregnable fortress in Nafpillion. She brought supplies to the revolutionaries by sea, and helped take part in the blockade of Pylos! She is on her way to becoming a national hero in Greece!! And even more importantly Besja says that she is one of the FIRST women to play a major role in a revolution. Like I always say, “Who run the world? Girls!” Boys just don’t understand that we control everything, eh they will one day.. hopefully. There are so many wonderful people that we have helping us in aiding our revolution both mentally and physically. For example the wonderful Lord Byron embraced our Greek cause and helped sway the public opinion by his intellectual curiosity and genius. Baba says that many people view our struggle as a battle between the ideals of the Ancient Greeks against the ruthless Turks who unfortunately have been occupying the suppressed descendants of Pericles, Socrates and Plato. Many of the leaders such a Lord Byron, were considered heroes of the revolution and became known as the Philhellenes (friends of the Greeks.) While Lord Byron died from disease, his actions and dedication will be remembered forever in our nation as heroic… at least that is was Baba keeps drilling in my head. He says I should be proud of my nation, and supportive of the many people risking their lives for our freedom! Luckily we have been rescued from the support of Russia, Britain, and France, who created the Treaty of London, granting us our freedom and giving them the power to peacefully intervene when necessary! They all agreed that our independence would benefit their strategic interests rather than threaten their domestic security.
ReplyDeleteI am very proud of my fellow rebellion Greeks, all of whom fought a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire because of their inability to assure political and administrative stability in its holdings in and around the Eastern Mediterranean. I might seem like I know all that is going on, but I just find gossip interesting, and this is the only gossip that people are talking about these days! But I heard from a reliable source that there might be a revival of the Olympics! I hope I will be alive to see that! Goodbye for now journal I have some studying to do!
ReplyDelete~Valerie Bey(Beja) Ahmet Bachorik
I felt that the Greek history portrayed in each of these stories really held a nationalism feeling. The fact that the country fought for their freedom, really showed that they were united together. They were able to band together and drive the remainder of the Ottoman Empire from their homeland. Since it was the lower and middle class driving out the Ottomans, it showed how truly together they were as one force, considering they didn't have aristocratic assets. It was interesting the way Mallory revealed all of her information, I enjoyed the fact that it was explained to the main character who didn't understand the revolution, which allowed for parallelism between the young girl and the reader. In a way, it felt like the girl's grandpa was explaining to me about the fantastic history of Greece, and how much he loved his country.
ReplyDeleteI like the story for Greece because it's filled with a nationalistic attitude. Greece had a lot of pride and would not stand to be dominated by the Ottoman's. Greece fought back and this is the only scenario I've seen so far where a rebellious nation actually got some outside help. Since the Empire was weakened, other nations decided to lend Greece a hand. These nations probably were more interested in getting to use key ports and whatnot, but at least Greece was able to get some kind of help. I also like that Greece was like a family. Their bond was like Nationalism x2. It wasn't just an identity as a nation, it was an identity as a family.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Mallorys journal it reminded me of the revolution in Brazil in the aspect that there was a leader who was willing to sacrafice everything for a country that was not even their own. In Greece Lord Byron gave up his life for Greece but was not even Greek while Dom Pedro went against his country to fight for the independence of Brazil. I also thought she did a good job encorporating the idea of nationalism which sparked the Greek people wanting to revolt against the Ottomans. It shows that the feeling of being one unified nation with a collective identity is very important. This is the benefits of revolutions, it allows for a nation to create itself.
ReplyDelete-Sarah Walters
Γεια σαςτα κορίτσια! (Hi girls!)
ReplyDeleteThese posts were an amazing way to start my journal readings. I really enjoyed both of them, especially how each of you were able to put your own creative spin on the information. Of course, Val is always reppin’ for Albania!
To begin with Mallory’s journal entry, I valued the way you easily transitioned the reader into the info. Like Kim mentioned, I felt a connection to this girl. I, too, was learning from square one and didn’t understand it all initially. Now, in regards to the information, I was very interested in the composition of the Ottoman Empire and its decline. This is another example of the sheer power of nationalism. It was truly the most powerful political force in the 19th century as it reunited groups, such as they mighty Greeks, against a vast Empire. Your discussion of the key naval positions in the eastern Mediterranean is also interesting because I came across something similar. Great powers were concerned about the Turkish straights because they dictated power in the Eastern Mediterranean. Also, the Black Sea was a critical spot for naval powers. In fact, because Russia waged war on the Ottomans, France and Britain intervened. They did so primarily because they wanted to block any further expansion of Russian power and prevent them from getting control of the straights. It’s just another impeccable example of how all of these revolutions, although definitively different in certain aspects, are unified by core elements, especially those regarding Nationalism and the fight between liberals and conservatives.
Also, I couldn’t help when I was reading about the Greek family to think of the quote, “Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten.” Greeks were going to fight together to the death for their cause and I cannot think of something more moving or honorable.
Val Val Val! Your post was swelly too! I love how your family’s “mother,” Albania, always makes an appearance. That reference also illustrates how each of these revolutions, rebellions, and nationalistic/liberal movements affected each other. Whether there was monarchial aid to suppress foreign uprisings or valiant fighters from other nations, such as Lord Byron, the European continent was consumed in change. This hold true in regards to Russia’s intervention. Metternich, the embodiment of the conservatives’ political philosophy, tried to undermine the Russian foreign minister, Ioannis Kapodistrias, who was of Greek origin. Kapodistrias demanded that Alexander declare war on the Ottomans in order to liberate Greece and increase the greatness of Russia. Metternich persuaded Alexander that Kapodistrias was in league with the Italian Carbonari (an Italian revolutionary group).
Val, you also mentioned the Chios Massacre. I was curious so I looked it up and found out that it refers to the slaughter of tens of thousands of Greeks by the Ottomans on the islands. I was filled with indignation and I’m not even Greek! Mallory established this amazing picture of an unbreakable family and to hear about Ottomans slaying Greeks because they want to finally be recognized as the independent people they were makes me feel unbearably supportive of their cause. The event had the same impact on the rest of the world. The massacre provoked international outrage, and led to an increasing support for the Greek cause worldwide.
The way that the Greeks were described in this context shows more nationalistic characteristics than any other nation that has been written about. The girl’s father had so much pride in who he was. This reminds me of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The father in the movie is so proud of who he was as a person and of his culture. To the daughter in the movie she was embarrassed and did not have the same feelings. She really hated the fact that she was Greek because she could not be like all the other girls. In the end, she realizes it all along that being Greek has made her who she is. Like the girl Mallory depicted here, it is the same deal. She does not yet understand the meaning of being Greek and being proud of whom she is.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fine example of unity and nationalism in a nation. I really feel like no other nation captures this true essence than the revolution of Greece. both the posts really did a fantastic job at capturing what the revolution was with their own perspectives and attitudestowards it. I really liked how Mallory's postgot personal and showed unity at it's greatest for a nation that truly felt freedom was the right for everyone.
ReplyDelete"All for one and one for all" seems to fit this perfectly, Greece is one nation that sticks out to me in these series of revoultions, i hope we explore it a liitle more in depth.
Theres a couple of things that make this one interesting for me and the first one obviously being unity. The nationalism in this country is second to none and just to show how important it is, look at recent US conflict. When a country comes together for one cause it is 10 times stronger than when they are in shambles. Our society was in favor of world war two and the wars result portrays that, now our 2 wars that we arguably lost, were Iraq and Vietnam, both were major finnancial drains that nobody was a fan of. Countless protests showed how split our country was towards the wars. Unified ideals are a key to success and Greece had it. Secondly, this is the first time the one powerful greeks made a push towards the older days. They were one time a world power who fell, like Mr. McCarthy talks about with Oedipus Rex. Their fall from power was steep and harsh, and they are finally back at it.
ReplyDeleteI really liked these two posts...They made me chuckle a bit. "I'm surprised I even remember all of that because in all honesty I think what he was talking about was gibberish, I mean I'm 12, what do I honestly know about the Holy Lands and key naval positions." bahahahaha
ReplyDeleteMal, your post made me think of the 9/11 attacks. We were all so young so we couldn't really comprehend what was happening. We were curious, and we asked so many questions, but we never really fully understood and and felt the emotion about what had happened that day until we were older. We were young, and we watched as our parents and grandparents talked about our nation, and everyone in the nation seemed to come together and support each other. The people in Greece during the time of the revolution were indeed like a family. Their case is so fortunate for them because the Turks really could not suppress any revolt, they couldn't handle all that they had on their plate. The Greeks were destined for independence, unlike other nations, like Russia.
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ReplyDeleteMallory I enjoyed your journal it definitely envoked attitudes of nationalism as Greece wished to reject the overseeing power of the Ottomon Empire. I definitely agreed with how you expressed that the Ottomon Empire over extended their authority over multiple lands, and were unable to control them all sucessfully, allowing for an openning to seek independance. It was interesting to see through your journal how alot of revolutions throughout Europe seemed to be joined under the same cause, as liberation and independance were the route of great change in the eyes of the people. Ultimately allowing me to realize the changing attitude of the people during the 19th century as they felt like they no longer needed that overriding authoriy as they now felt that they could walk on their own two feet rather than having to "hold the hand" of larger powers in order to truly see sucess. Rather just attempting to form their own power than rely on others'.
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