Egyptian Invasion of Mani

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Ottoman-Egyptian Invasion of Mani
Part of Greek War of Independence
Map of Greece showing Mani.
Date 21 June-28 August 1826 Location Mani Result Maniot (Greek) Victory
Combatants
Mani	Ottoman Empire, Egypt
Commanders
Ilias Mavromichalis	Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
Strength
7,500+ men	14,500+ infantry and cavalry
Casualties
-	4,400

The Ottoman-Egyptian Invasion of Mani was a campaign during the Greek War of Independence with three battles. The Maniots fought against a combined Egyptian and Ottoman army under the command of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt.

On March 17, 1821, the Maniots (residents of the center peninsula on the southern part of Peloponnese) declared war on the Ottoman Empire, preceding the rest of Greece in joining the revolution, by about a week. The various Greek forces won a quick string of victories, however, disputes broke out amongst the leaders and anarchy ensued. The Ottomans seized this chance and called for reinforcements from Egypt. The reinforcements came under the command of Ibrahim Pasha, the son of the leader of Egypt, Muhammad Ali. With the Greeks in disarray, Ibrahim ravaged the Peloponnese and after a brief siege he captured the city of Messolonghi. He then tried to capture Nauplio but he was driven back. He then turned his attention to the only place in the Peloponnese that was free: Mani.

Ibrahim tried to enter Mani from the north-east near Almiro on the June 21, 1826, but he was forced to stop at the fortifications at Vergas. His army of 7,000 men was held off by an army of 2,000 Maniots and 500 refugees from other parts of Greece. Due to Egyptian and Ottoman artillery, the disadvantaged Maniots managed to hold off the Ottomans. Ibrahim sent 1,500 men to try and land near Areopolis and go north to threaten the Maniot rear. This force was initially successful, however the women and old men of the area fought back and repelled them with heavy losses. When the Egyptians at Vergas heard that Theodoros Kolokotronis was coming from their rear they retreated.

In August, Ibrahim renewed the offensive. He sent a group of regular soldiers down the coast and they reached Kariopoli before they retreated. Ibrahim sent a force of 6,000 men down to Polytsaravo. On the way they destroyed a tower that was opposing them. When they reached Polytsaravo, they were faced by the Maniots in their forts. The Egytpians and the Ottomans were forced to retreat with significant losses. This was the last time Mani was invaded during the War for Independence, as Greece was liberated in 1828.

[edit] Prelude

Petros or Petrobey Mavromichalis, Leader of Mani.

The flag of Mani. Nίκη ή Θάνατος; Victory or Death; Tαν ή επι τας; With the shield or on the shield.

The Greek War of Independence had started on the March 17, 1821, when the Maniots declared war on the Ottoman Empire at Areopoli.^[1] On the 21st, the Maniot army of 2,000 men under the command of Petros Mavromichalis which also included Theodoros Kolokotronis marched from Areopolis and headed for Messenia.^[1] On the March 22nd, they reached Kalamata, which had a Ottoman garrison and they captured the city on the next day.^[1]

The rest of Greece joined the war when Bishop Germanos declared Greece in rebellion on the 25th of March.^[2] At Kalamata, the Greeks established the Messenian Senate which governed affairs in the southern Peloponnese.^[3] Kolokotronis wanted to attack Tripoli but Petros Mavromichalis convinced him to attack the smaller towns first.^[2] Petrobey also sent letters to the courts of Europe telling them of the Greeks plan.^[4] Petrobey finished off the letters by signing it with Petrobey Mavromichalis, Prince and Commander-in-Chief.^[4] On the April 28, the Maniot army joined Kolokotronis forces at Karytainia.^[5] From there they went to Tripoli and started to besiege the city.^[6] The city eventually fell on September 23, 1821 and was sacked by the Greeks.^[7]

Due to the unrelenting losses and stories of Greek atrocities in Tripolis, the Sultan became desperate and in 1824 he called on his Viceroy in Egypt, Muhammad Ali to aid him.^[8] Ali promised to aid him in return for cession of the island of Crete, Cyprus as well as making his son Ibrahim Pasha, Pasha of the Peloponnese.^[8] Ali accepted the offer and sent his son in command of the expedition. Meanwhile the Greeks were in disarray because of political rivalries which caused a civil war. Kolokotronis was arrested, his son Panos was killed and his nephew Nikitaras forced to flee.^[9]

Ibrahim used the confusion to land at Methoni in the Peloponnese.^[10] From Methoni, Ibrahim started pillaging the Peloponnese and taking many people as slaves.^[11] Ibrahim captured Tripolis but was stopped from capturing Nauplion by Kostantinos Mavromichalis and Dimitrios Ypsilantis.^[11] In retaliation, Ibrahim burnt down Argos before returning to Tripoli.^[11] Ibrahim decided to go with his army and join Reshid Pasha at Missolonghi in Central Greece.^[12] The Egyptians reached the city on December 12, 1825 and helped the Ottomans with the siege.^[12] On April 10, 1826, the city fell to the invaders and the city was sacked.^[13] Ibrahim turned his attention to the only place in the Peloponnese (except for Nauplion) not subdued: the Mani.

[edit] Battle of Vergas

Ibrahim sent an envoy to Mani demanding its surrender or else he would pillage it.^[14] He received the Maniatic reply of:

From the few Greeks of Mani and the rest of Greeks who live there to Ibrahim Pasha. We received your letter in which you try to frighten us saying that if we don't surrender, you'll kill the Maniots and plunder Mani. That's why we are waiting for you and your army. We, the inhabitants of Mani, sign and wait for you.^[14]

Ibrahim furious with the response, ordered an attack on northwestern Mani from Kalamata on the June 23, 1826. Under his command was a force of 7,000 men, a mixture of infantry and cavalry.^[14] The invaders were forced to stop at the fortifications of the Maniots at Vergas near Almiro^{Fortifications of Vergas[›]}. Defending the walls were 2,000 Maniots soldiers and 500 Greek refugees.^[14]

The Egyptian artillery failed to breach the walls, so Ibrahim decided to launch two ships with cannons and have them bombard the Maniot defences from the sea.^[14] He also combined this attack with infantry assaults. The infantry attack was a failure as the invaders were driven back from the walls eight times.^[14] The attacks last for a few more days before the Egyptians and Ottomans were forced to retreat when news arrived that Kolokotronis was approaching their rear with 2,000 men.^[15] The Maniots chased the Egyptians up to Kalamata before withdrawing.^[16] Ibrahim lost 2,500 men at Vergas and the Greek losses are unknown.^[16]

[edit] Battle of Diro

During the Battle of Vergas, Ibrahim decided to attack the Maniots from the rear. His plan was to send a small fleet with a few soldiers to land at the Bay of Diros, 2 kilometers south of Areopolis.^[17] The aim of this was to capture the unguarded Areopoli, which cut the communication lines of the defenders at Vergas as well as demoralizing them.^[17] He would then be able to attack the Maniots from the rear and control the mountain passes to eastern Mani and Gytheio.^[17] Peter Greenhalgh and Edward Eliopoulos describe this plan as excellent.^[17]

On the 23 June, he sent a small fleet carrying 1,500 to land at the Bay of Diros and to capture Areopolis.^[17] As they disembarked, at Diro, alarm bells summoned 300 women and old men who were harvesting the crops in the fields to the Bay.^[16] When the women and old men saw the invaders, they fell upon them with their scythes and other harvesting tools.^[17] The Egyptians were forced back to a fortified position on the beach where they could be supported by their ships.^[17] As the women and old men were besieging the Egyptians aid came from other villages.^[17] On the 26, the surviving Egyptians were rescued by Ibrahim's fleet from the beach and those who were not lucky had to swim to the ships or be killed by the Maniots.^[16][17] This battle was costly for Ibrahim as he lost 1,000 men.^[17][18] It also ruined his plan and he was forced to retreat from Mani after being defeated at Vergas.^[17]

[edit] Battle of Polytsaravo

Ibrahim Pasha was forced to retreat from Mani after his defeats at Vergas and Diros. In August he renewed his offensive against Mani.^[16] Ibrahim's army was led by a Laconian from Bardounia named Bosinas who had assistance from the Egyptian fleet.^[16] On the 27 August, he reached Kariopoli trying to take a safe way through the mountains.^[16] Before he reached the town of Polytsaravos, his army of 6,000 Egyptians was delayed by Theodoros Stathakos and his family of 13 men who refused to let the invaders past their tower.^[16] Bosinas tried to negotiate with Stathakos. Stathakos, feigning to surrender, told Bosinas to come and take his family's guns.^[16] As Bosinas came to get the guns, the Stathakos's killed him. In revenge, the Egyptians using their two cannons blew up the tower.^[16]

The Egyptians then proceeded towards the town of Polytsaravos and reached it on the 28 August.^[16] Awaiting them there were 2,500 Maniots behind their fortifications.^[16] The Maniots had chosen Polytsaravos as their position of defence as it was on high ground and was surrounded by rocky slopes.^[19] This would have meant that the Egyptians could have been stopped before they arrived at the town.^[20] As part of their defence plan the villages sent all the women and children to the mountains before improving the fortifications.^[16] As the Egyptians arrived at the walls, the Maniots sallied out and caught the Egyptians by surprise.^[16] The Egyptians, suffering losses, withdrew from Mani and back into the Laconian plain.^[20] The Egyptians had lost 400 men during the battle and the Maniots only lost 9.^[16] This was the last invasion launched against Mani.

[edit] Aftermath

Map of the boundaries of the Greek Kingdom after the Treaty of Constantinople

Even though this campaign is overshadowed by other battles of the revolution, this one was one of the most important. The Maniates stopped the Egyptians and Ibrahim Pasha who had not been defeated this desicevly before. The women who defeated the Egyptians at Diros have been given the name of 'The Amazons of Diros'.^[21] This campaign opened the door for the rest of the Greeks to recapture the rest of the Peloponnese. This was the last invasion of Mani as Ibrahim abandoned any ideas of conquering Mani.^[19] On the 26 of April, 1827 the Turkish navy bombarded Oitylo with 1,700 cannon balls hitting the town.

In 1827, the combined fleets of France, England and Russia defeated the combined Ottoman-Egyptian fleet in the Battle of Navarino.^[22] In 1828, under the terms of the Treaty of Constantinople, Greece became an independent state. It was recognized by the Ottomans in 1829.^[23] When Ionnis Capodistrias was made president of Greece, he had Petros Mavromachalis imprisoned.^[24] The Mavromichalis's reacted by assassinating Capodistrias in Nauplion as he went to church.^[24] The Maniots continued causing trouble and defeating two Bavarian armies King Otto sent against them.^[25] The Maniots were subdued only after some of leaders were bribed.^[25] Thus ended the Maniots' independence and they were forced to pay taxes.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Citations

[edit] References

• Bob Barrow, (1998). The Mani. Stoupa: Thomeas Travel Services.
• Patrick Leigh Fermor, (1984). Mani: Tavels in the Southern Peloponnese. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-011511-0
• Peter Greenhalgh and Edward Eliopoulos. Deep into Mani: Journey to the southern tip of Greece. London: Trinity Press. ISBN 0-571-13524-2
• Kyriakos Kassis, (1979). Mani's History. Athens: Presoft.
• Peter Paroulakis, (1984). The Greeks: Their Struggle for Independence. Darwin: Hellenic International Press. ISBN 0-9590894-0-3
• Yiannis Saĭtas, translated by Philip Ramp, (1990). Greek Traditional Architecture: Mani. Athens: Melissa Publishing House.