The Greek War of Independence took place from 1821 to 1832, it was fought between the revolutionaries and the Ottoman Empire. Since the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman Empire had been the occupying power over Greece. The revolutionaries were ultimately successful and in 1832, Greece was recognized as an independent nation. Like many wars for independence, the Greek War of Independence was an incredibly bloody war.

On this day January 14^th, 1822, Greek forces under Theodoros Kolokotronis and Demetrius Ypsilanti captured the city of Acrocorinth. Acrocorinth is a walled acropolis city – meaning that it is easily defendable because of its geography and its fortifications. Ypsilanti served as an officer for the Russian Army in Moldavia; he was born into an affluent family and famously had a love affair with a heroine of the Greek War of Independence, Manto Mavrogenous.  Kolokotronis was a successful general in the war and his memoirs have become cherished in Greece and have been translated into many languages.

Following the Greek War of Independence, Greece’s formerly large population of 2.5 million had shrunk to about 800,000. There were massacres on both sides, with the Greeks slaughtering Muslims and Arabs by the thousands, and the Ottoman Empire massacring innocents. The Greek revolutionary success helped stir the Jewish nationalistic movement called Zionism, and Greece became one of the first countries to legally grant Jews equal rights.