Cretan Revolt (1897–1898)

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The Cretan Revolt of 1897–1898 was a successful insurrection by the Greek Orthodox population of Crete against the rule of the Ottoman Empire, after decades of unrest and demands for union with Greece. The insurgents received arms and volunteers from the Kingdom of Greece. By the end of January 1897, they controlled most of the island's countryside, leaving the Ottomans largely confined to the principal towns. In an effort to maintain the European balance of power, the Great Powers intervened in February 1897, preventing the Cretan insurgents and Greek troops from capturing the remaining Ottoman-held towns. The International Squadron, made up of warships from the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary, occupied coastal towns, bombarded insurgent positions and blockaded the island to prevent supplies from reaching the Greek forces. The revolt continued after Greece's defeat in the Greco-Turkish War (1897). Following the Candia massacre in September 1898, relations...

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