Greek Nationalism: The `Megale Idea` and Venizelism to 1923

br Greek Nationalism From Megale Idea to Venizelos of 1923

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Introduction

The modern centaury witnesses a new phenomenon in the form of Nationalism `through out the 18 th , 19th and 20th centuries . By comprising three indispensable part of the nations -national autonomy national identity and national unity ,the term nationalism itself explains it as an ideological movement which allots and maintains the autonomy , identity and unity for the population in which some of its members constitute actual and potential nation (1 .It means the person should be a

member of the nation ,if he is not the member there may some disagreement arise as there are no common characteristics , common language and culture to maintain their tradition (2

The origin of the nationalism , we can say , began in Greece as the result of the Revolution 1821 .During the 1st Balkan war the Greek and Bulgarian government has been in uncertainty regarding the coalition along with Serbia and Montenegro to destroy the festering Empire of Ottomen . So it was one of the troubled uncertainties on the part of Greek to pave the way for megal idea . Moreover the affiliation with Orthodox Church was always misunderstood with ethnic affiliation as the Bulgarian was with separate Bulgarian Exarchate church (3

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1 . D .A Smith , Nationalism , Cambridge , Polity Press , 2001

2 . M . Wessels , Nationalism : Construct or Reality , Oldenburg Moormerland , 2002

3 . Carl Savich , Macedonia and First Balken War , Publ . Balkanalysis Issue no .04 , 2004

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In 1830 's the Greek politics recognised the significance of the Megale idea widely .During this era , Greek leaders urged to liberate the Greeks in abroad but turned to be a contingency regarding their liberation . In1885 when the Bulgarians expanded their province in to Eastern Roumellia , the political leader of Greek Theodoros Deliyannis mustered the Greek army to conquer more territories for Greece Consequently a war out broke in between the Greek and Turky over the Island of Crete .But Ottoman defeated the Greece which led the economic crisis , military weakness , political corruption and bankruptcy in Greek government .Even though Greek was defeated badly and the so called crisis went on the me gale idea retained its political significance in the later stages also (3

In 1903 the Greek had to meet another crush when the Paul Melas ,a commissioned officer in Greek Army was killed while he was rendering secret service in Macedonia which sparked allegations against Greek as they interfered inside the Turky . But later the Greek guerrillas secured the southern half of the Macedonia .But the Young Turk revolution of 1908 and another revolt on the island of Crete turned to be the major root of the disadvantage of the Greek horde to capture other unions (4

In 1909 some officers in the Greek army put forward complaints on financial and tax

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3 . Arnold J .Toynabee and Kenneth , D . Kirkwood , Turky , Ernst Benn London , 2006

4 . Stephen W . Sowards , Greek Nationalism : The Megale Idea to Venizelism 1923 , 2004

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