First Siege of Missolonghi

Significance

The first siege of Missolonghi was an early Ottoman attempt to capture a strategically located port town during the Greek War of Independence. Ottoman forces under Omer Vrioni and Reşid Mehmed Pasha numbered approximately 11,000 against a Greek garrison of around 2,000 under Alexandros Mavrokordatos and Markos Botsaris. The recorded casualty figure attributed to the First Hellenic Republic — 8,000 — substantially exceeds the stated Greek force size, suggesting either a figure encompassing a broader population or a data anomaly in the sources; no Ottoman casualty figures are supplied. The outcome of the siege is not recorded in available sources, limiting assessment of its immediate operational consequences within the wider independence campaign.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)