Georgios Karaiskakis 1782-1827

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Today , 25 of March in Hellas we celebrate for 2 reasons . The first is for the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary(Panagia) and the second is the celebration of the Anniversary for Revolution for independence in 1821
In this revolution took part a great personality. Georgios Karaiskakis. A hero who sacrificed in his efforts freeing Hellas from the Ottomans .

The first years..

Georgios was born in 1782 and his father was Demetrios Iskos and later Karaiskos(rebel in the mountains). Karas was added because his body and face colours were too dark(Kara = dark in Turkish language).
His mother was Zoe Demiski . As place of birth some biographers say to Karditsa and some to Arta.
His childhood was very tough as he had to live alone because his mother was a non and his father a rebel ,fighting in the mountains. Thus he became disputatious, blasphemous and scurrilous as he had to come over all the hard situations by himself.
In young age , he was captured by the soldiers of Ali Pasha who was the ruler of Heperus region and prisoned, accused for illegal actions . In order to free him Ali proposed to Georgios to take part in the campaign against Pasvanoglou Pasha in Bulgaria . The period in which he was under **Ali's ** command is considered the darkest in his biography.
Until the revolution of 1821 , Georgios was changing sides often between Ali and Hellene rebels called Armatolos(Αρμα=weapon -Αρματολός = The one who bears a weapon) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armatoloi

1821-1823..

By the time the revolution of 1821 for independence begun, Georgios had become one of the commanders of his uncle Gogos Bakolaswho was a rebel captain and together the attacked and burn an Ottoman fort tower in Kalyvia village in Agrafa. In this region Georgios succeeded to become a captain , recognized even from the Ottomans.
In November 1822 the Ottomans invaded Sterea Hellas . Georgios in order to gain time he came into agreement with the local rebel captains and also with the Turkish general ,Hursit Pasha who had also started a campaign against eastern Hellas and Missolonghi not to attack each other. Georgios was also expecting the results of Dramalis Pasha in Peloponnese.

Victory against the Ottomans

The 1st campaign in Missolonghi ,31st of December 1822, was a fail and the troops of Homer Vryonis and Kioutahi were returning through the region of Agrafa . Georgios with about 1000 men occupied the passes and attacked the Turkish troops , forcing them to retreat in Agrinio.

Tuberculosis

Because of all the hardships Georgios had in his life until then he had tuberculosis. After the battle and the victory in Agrafa, this disease forced him to go to Ithaka in order to visit some doctors and cure him. His situation was so bad the doctors advised him not to return back and gave him few chances to survive.

Return and ...

Georgios decided to return and asked for the leadership of Hellenic troops in Roumeli region. Alexander Maurokordatos who was representing the revolutionary government (and also the English benefits) , denied ! The rest of the captains except Yannis Ragos were for Georgios and some of his supporters surprisingly occupied Aitoliko and Vasiladi.
Maurokordatos took advantage of this action and accused Georgios as a trader , based on a fake confession by Konstantinos Voulpiotis that Georgios had an agreement with Homer Vryoni to give him Misolonghi and Aitoliko.

...Trial?( yes its a paradox but its often in Hellenic history)..

On March 30 of 1824 a committee was made and only in 3 days (April 2 of 1824) ,decided that Georgios was a trader without a trial as this committee hadn't this role! **Georgios lost all his titles as a captain and leader and was ordered to leave Aitoliko.

1824..Civil war (2 of them - maybe a global prototype during a revolution for independence)

On June 1824 , the revolution wasn't going soo well for Hellenes as Maurokordatos and his company had managed to separate Hellenes in those who were supporting the *Captains and the rebel fighters(armatoloi) and those who were supporting the '' Government '' and we had the paradox of a civil war during the revolution of 1821 . At this point the '' Government '' didn't want to risk lose everything with a total defeat and gave back to Georgios all his titles.

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Back in action..

Georgios started immediately a campaign in Eastern Sterea Hellas leader of 300 mercenaries.

During the invasion of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, in Peloponnese , Georgios took part in the battle of Methoni where Hellenes were defeated. On May 1825 he returned to Sterea Hellas and as a chief General of all the Hellenic forces outside of Misolonghi during the 2nd siege by Kioutahi and later Ibrahim. Georgios with Tzavelas are studying a plan to attack the Turkish forces and they are taking action from 21-25 of July without being completed. However, it brought down the siege because of the huge loses in the Turkish side !
All the period until June of 1826 he is giving many victorious battles but his tuberculosis is in advanced stage. In Western Sterea revolution had failed and in Eastern Sterea wasn't going very well. No matter his condition , Georgios asked the leadership of the remaining troops there but he was also been called to help in Attica and Eleusis.
On July ,1826, with 680 men Georgios is placing Kioutahi from the role of a siege leader to the one been besieged! By October 25 Georgios had cut the supplies for the Turkish troops.
By February of 1827 , all Sterea is free again, except Misolonghi , Arahova , Vonitsa.

His end..

After his 4 months victorious campaign he returned to Eleusis .
At the beginning of April 1827, those nominated by the Assembly of Troizina (Government), Kohran as "the captain of all the naval forces" and Church, as "director of land forces".
With those 2 , Georgios Karaiskakis had periodic fights on the tactics for the attacking and defending , as their tactics were based on European tactical troops and thus Georgios Karaiskakis had to fight in the first line in order to give courage to his men like they were used to all these years with him but now they had to fight as soldiers in fields and as rebels in mountains..
In the afternoon of 22nd of April, 1827 in an unprogrammed battle he took a bullet in the underbelly and died some hours later on 23 of April 1827 , inside the little church of St.Nikolaos in Keratsisni, the same day that Hellenes are celebrating St. Georgios and was buried in the church of St Demetrios in Salamina.

His last words

to General Makrygiannis(another one favorite hero) were: " I'm dying but you have to stay united, to save the country! "

Some biographers say that he was murdered by an Hellene following a Maurokordatos plan...

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Till next post, take care !