GREECE | How Did It Gain Its Current Borders?

On 25 March 1821, the Greek War of Independence - also known as the Greek Revolution - officially began. A decade later, in 1832, Greece became an independent state when the Ottoman Empire recognised it within officially demarcated borders. However, the boundaries of the new Kingdom of Greece were a mere fraction of the territory it claimed as its own. Over the next 120 years, Greece would undergo a series of five expansions resulting in the borders that we know today. So, how did Greece become independent? And how did it expand to its current size?

Hello and welcome! My name is James Ker-Lindsay. Here I take an informed look at International Relations with a focus on territorial conflicts, secession, independence movements and new countries. If you like what you see, please do subscribe. If you want more, including exclusive content and benefits, consider becoming a channel member. Many thanks!

Many countries become independent within borders that don't meet their national aspirations. However, sometimes a country is able to unite many of the territories it claims. Greece is a very good example of irredentism - as the quest to claim national territory is known. Having become independent within boundaries that included just the Peloponnese in southern Greece and the islands of the western Aegean, it went through five expansions, including the Ionian Islands, Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia, Western Thrace, Crete and the Dodecanese Islands. However, the process of Greek expansion - a policy of expansion known as the Magali Idea (Great Idea) - was not without its costs. The disastrous campaign in 1922 saw Greece lose its chance to take Asia Minor and Constantinople. Then, in 1960, Cyprus, the last major unredeemed territory became independent. But not without one last tragedy.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Titles
0:51 Irredentism and the expansion of Greece
2:22 Greece and the Ottoman Legacy
3:53 The Greek War of Independence
4:46 Greece's Expansion to the Ionian Islands and Thessaly
6:57 Crete, Southern Epirus and Macedonia join Greece
8:49 The Asia Minor Campaign and the addition of Thrace
11:02 The Dodecanese and Cyprus

RELATED PLAYLISTS

=====================================
FURTHER READING & USEFUL SOURCES

=====================================
MY BOOKS

=====================================
MY PROFILES & SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

=====================================
EQUIPMENT& TOOL USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO

=====================================
KEYWORDS

#Greece #Independence #Expansion
#InternationalRelations #Secession #Statehood #Independence
#InternationalLaw #InternationalHistory #OttomanEmpire

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links above are affiliate links. These pay a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps to support the channel and will be at no additional cost to you.

[JamesKerLindsay]

25 March 2021 marks the 200th anniversary of the start of the Greek War of Independence. It was one of the most important independence movements in modern history. But it was not the end of the story. Its would be another 120 years before Greece assumed its final borders. In any case, my very best wishes to Greeks celebrating the anniversary!

[zekliv]

Excellent job in describing 200 years of existence of the modern Greek state in <15'. Not sure who could have done it better than James

[jjgreek]

The mountains look on Marathon - And Marathon looks on the sea; And musing there an hour alone - I dream’d that Greece be Byron

[michalipiperakis]

As a Greek i want to thank you all for your kind words :). May our unity in our common fight for freedom, justice and philotimia create a world where we are all proud to call home!

Lots of love form Greece! :)

[GeographyWorld]

Fascinating story which I didn't know much about before. I wonder how much the Greeks inspired Ireland to do the same.

[pendrewluo]

Love Hellas 🇬🇷🇬🇷from the PRC🇨🇳!
Hopes our relationship will be good forever!

[ΔιονυσιοςΑσημακοπουλος-ζλ]

It is a difficult task to talk about that subject in fifteen minutes. Yet you managed to start by the Byzantium linking medieval and modern Greece, something not many channels on YouTube have attempted. Despite the omitted details that may change the essence of video's concept you did a remarkable job. Well done.

[mehmeteraslan]

The Greek Independence is a great chapter of the history of Europe. It is also a great success story: Greece stands out in south Europe and the mediterranean as a beacon of freedom, democracy, stability and prosperity despite the endless hardship it went through the last 200 years (countless wars, earthquakes etc). It is by any account one of the most developed nations on earth. Which is Greece's greatest weapon through history? Its language! The Greek language has the longest documented history of any living Indo-European language, spanning at least 3, 400 years of written records. Very few people realise that Greek is also a sacred language. Most people know that Arabic is the sacred language of Muslims, because the Quran is in Arabic. But which is the sacred language of Christianity, the biggest religion of this planet with more than 2 billion followers? It is Greek, the language of the Gospels. Very few nations can boast that with their language, culture, art, philosophy have shaped the world (China, India, Italy, France, England, Israel, Saudi Arabia), one of them, perhaps the smallest in size, Greece, has had the the greatest and most enduring cultural impact! Just recall that the most used word of this planet on 2020 was a Greek one, Pandemic!

[Noname-ovvr]

As A Greek this video is very interesting

[socratessocratous]

The only country that didnt wished Greece for the anniversary of the 200th independence day was Germany....no problem we will invite them to the parade for the 28 of October.

[APFnestos]

"Greeks, God has signed our liberty and will not take his signature back" Theodoros Kolokotronis

[georgios_]

Even though Greece ended up on the rough end of the stick in many aspects, I still think that its culture, language and story are pretty remarkable, and it's at least a small glimmer of hope for a return to greatness that our ancestors never cowered, they ALWAYS fought to preserve our independence and liberate our people so that maybe one day we could live in peace and harmony. Greetings to you, thanks for this anniversary video 😊

[billaros]

Thank you for this video James. My country got inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution and the notion of the ''nation-state'' and actually managed to inspire other nations in the process. It's true, independence in the early 19th century didn't come easy. Millions of Greeks had already died fighting for freedom in the course of 400 years of Ottoman oppression. Many more died in wars that followed like the Crimean War, Balkan Wars, WWI and WWII, the 1919 war with Turkey, the Korean War and many many smaller wars that are largely unknown to the rest of the world. We thank them and honor them. We wouldn't exist without their sacrifice. Happy Independence Day to every Greek out there.

[endilasku]

HAPPY 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE DAY GREECE
FROM ALBANIA 🇦🇱🤝🇬🇷

[peacefulworld]

Beautiful history! Thank you for this lesson. We keep learning by the day.

[Theodoros_Kolokotronis]

During a time when things looked particularly bleak for the Revolution, Greek General Theodore Kolokotronis (pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence) asked the British Admiral Hamilton's advice on what the best course of action would be.

Hamilton responded (quite truthfully) that the most prudent thing to do would be to negotiate the Greek surrender with Great Britain guaranteeing for their lives.

“ That can never be “ responded the General, “ We've already pledged Freedom or Death !
Our Basileus (Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos) was slain, he signed no treaty ! Ever since his Guard was always at War with the Turks and two forts remained forever indomitable ”.

Hamilton was baffled by this statement. What Basileus, what King? The one who fell in battle 400 years ago?
“What Royal Guard, what forts are you talking about ?” he asked.

Kolokotronis responded “The Guard of our Basileus are those they call Klephts, the forts are Mani and Souli and the mountains”.
Then Hamilton spoke no more...

Excerpt from the notable book “Memoirs of Theodoros Kolokotronis”.

[obilcyo]

Δίνω πανελληνιες του χρόνου και έχω να πω ότι η ιστορία είναι το μάθημα που βρίσκω πιο ενδιαφέρον και συναρπαστικό από όλα. Χρόνια πολλά Ελλάδα. Τιμή σε όσους πέθαναν για την πατρίδα. Η δικιά μας γενιά έχει να διεκδικήσει μια αλλού είδους απελευθέρωση..

[Cyberinix]

as a greek myself im proud of all the history we carry for all these centuries and im really happy that other nations still know and think about us and support us. From all the people around greece...we thank you🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷💙💙💙!!(and yes i know my spelling isn't great)

[LekanMakanju]

A truly mysterious country, Greece is in a league of its own😃 but then an inspiration to would-be nations around the world.

[CedarHunt]

Wow, it's kind of crazy to see a country that can directly trace its cultural roots back to almost the dawn of human civilization. Greece has to be one of if not the oldest civilization to have a direct, unbroken line of culture and heritage from the classical period to the modern era.