Third Siege of Missolonghi

Overview

The third siege of Missolonghi was fought in the Greek War of Independence, between the Ottoman Empire and the Greek rebels, from 15 April 1825 to 10 April 1826. The Ottomans had already tried and failed to capture the city in 1822 and 1823, but returned in 1825 with a stronger force of infantry and a stronger navy supporting the infantry. The Greeks held out for almost a year before they ran out of food and attempted a mass breakout, which however resulted in a disaster, with the larger part of the Greeks slain. This defeat was a key factor leading to intervention by the Great Powers who, hearing about the atrocities, felt sympathetic to the Greek cause. Their support would prove decisive in helping the Greeks win the war and gain independence.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The third siege of Missolonghi was the Ottoman Empire's third attempt to take the city, having failed in 1822 and 1823. This time the Ottomans committed a force of 20,000 against roughly 5,000 Greek defenders, supported by a stronger naval presence. The Greeks held out for nearly a year before exhausting their food supplies and attempting a mass breakout that ended in disaster, with casualties among the Greek side reaching 8,000. The scale of the losses and the reported atrocities generated sympathy among the Great Powers, whose subsequent intervention proved decisive in the broader Greek War of Independence. The fall of Missolonghi thus marked a turning point not through Greek military success but through the political consequences of Greek defeat, drawing external support that ultimately secured independence.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (8)