Perception of Greeks During the Movement for Greek Independence

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Tensions between Greece and Ottomans began during the eighteenth century when Greek men of great influence began to appeal to the Greek exiles to separate themselves from the Ottomans. Events escalated when influential Greek nationalists pressured Greeks who inhabited the regions of the Balkans and Asia Minor to rebel against their Turkish rulers. A revolt in March 1821 sparked the Greek Revolution that would last nine years before the Greeks finally achieved independence in 1830. During this time, there was a pro-Greek movement in Europe to garner support for the struggle for Greek independence. As a result, there spawned a split view on the Greek people and their culture that gave birth to three images: an oppressed people who had endured the tyranny of Turkish rule held by Greeks and some European peoples; a people whose culture had been tainted by the ignorance of Turkish rule held by some European peoples; and a people full of robbers and drunkards who revolt out of ignorance held by influential Turkish leaders. During the Greece’s movement for peace, Greeks were viewed by themselves and by some European countries as oppressed by their Turkish rulers in Document 10, Document 11, and Document 6. According to the president of the Greek revolutionary government Alexander Mavrocordato in Document 10, the Greeks desired peace, independence, and civilization. Not only did Mavrocordato claim that the Greeks had only the best intentions but he also claimed that Greek’s actions were righteous and aided by God. In Document 11, French artist Régnier engraved a scene entitled Greece Sacrificed of a Turkish cavalry regiment charging toward a group of unarmed, unresisting Greeks clinging to a cross. In this engraving, the Greeks are clearly depicted as victims to the oppressive Turks. Régnier seems to have created the engraving as propaganda to garner support in European

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