The United States of the Ionian Islands ( el, Ἡνωμένον Κράτος τῶν Ἰονίων Νήσων, Inoménon-Krátos ton Ioníon Níson, United State of the Ionian Islands; it, Stati Uniti delle Isole Ionie) was a
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
and
amical protectorate of the United Kingdom between 1815 and 1864. The
successor state of the
Septinsular Republic, it covered the territory of the
Ionian Islands, as well as the town of
Parga
Parga ( el, Πάργα ) is a town and municipality located in the northwestern part of the regional unit of Preveza in Epirus, northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Kanallaki. Parga lies on the Ionian coast between the ...
on the adjacent mainland in modern
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
. It was ceded by the British to Greece as a gift to the newly enthroned
King George I.
History
Before the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Pruss ...
, the Ionian Islands had been part of the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...
. When the 1797
Treaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio (today Campoformido) was signed on 17 October 1797 (26 Vendémiaire VI) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy, respectively. The trea ...
dissolved the Republic of Venice,
they were annexed to the
French Republic
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Between 1798 and 1799, the French were driven out by a joint
Russo-
Ottoman force. The occupying forces founded the
Septinsular Republic, which enjoyed relative independence under nominal Ottoman suzerainty and Russian control from 1800 until 1807.
The Ionian Islands were then
occupied by the French after the
treaty of Tilsit. In 1809, Britain defeated the French fleet off
Zakynthos
Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Z ...
island on 2 October, and captured
Kefalonia
Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...
,
Kythira
Kythira (, ; el, Κύθηρα, , also transliterated as Cythera, Kythera and Kithira) is an island in Greece lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Ionian Islands ...
, and Zakynthos. The British proceeded to capture
Lefkada
Lefkada ( el, Λευκάδα, ''Lefkáda'', ), also known as Lefkas or Leukas ( Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Λευκάς, ''Leukás'', modern pronunciation ''Lefkás'') and Leucadia, is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of G ...
in 1810. The island of
Corfu
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
remained occupied by the French until 1814.
Under the
Treaty between Great Britain and Russia, respecting the Ionian Islands">ustria, Prussia andRussia, respecting the Ionian Islands (
signed in Paris on 5 November 1815), as one of the treaties signed during the
Peace of Paris (1815), Britain obtained a protectorate over the Ionian Islands, and under
Article VIII of the treaty the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central- Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
was granted the same trading privileges with the Islands as Britain. As agreed in
Article IV of the treaty a "New Constitutional Charter for the State" was drawn up and was formalised with the ratification of the "
Maitland constitution" on 26 August 1817, which created a federation of the seven islands, with Lieutenant-General
Sir Thomas Maitland
Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Thomas Maitland (10 March 1760 – 17 January 1824) was a British soldier and British colonial governor. He also served as a Member of Parliament for Haddington from 1790 to 1796, 1802–06 and 1812 ...
its first "
Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands
The Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands was the local representative of the British government in the United States of the Ionian Islands between 1816 and 1864, succeeding the earlier office of the Civil Commissioner of the Ionian Island ...
".
A few years later
Greek nationalist groups started to form. Although their energy in the early years was directed to supporting their fellow Greek revolutionaries in the
revolution against the Ottoman Empire, they switched their focus to ''
enosis
''Enosis'' ( el, Ένωσις, , "union") is the movement of various Greek communities that live outside Greece for incorporation of the regions that they inhabit into the Greek state. The idea is related to the Megali Idea, an irredentist conc ...
'' with Greece following their independence. The
Party of Radicals (Greek: Κόμμα των Ριζοσπαστών) founded in 1848 as a pro-enosis political party. In September 1848 there were skirmishes with the
British garrison in
Argostoli
Argostoli ( el, Αργοστόλι, Katharevousa: Ἀργοστόλιον) is a town and a municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2019 local government reform it is one of the three municipalities on the isl ...
and
Lixouri on
Kefalonia
Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...
, which led to a certain level relaxation in the enforcement of the protectorate's laws, and
freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerc ...
as well. The island's populace did not hide their growing demands for enosis, and newspapers on the islands frequently published articles criticising British policies in the protectorate. On 15 August in 1849, another rebellion broke out, which was quashed by
Henry George Ward
Sir Henry George Ward GCMG (27 February 17972 August 1860) was an English diplomat, politician, and colonial administrator.
Early life
He was the son of Robert Ward (who in 1828 changed his surname by sign manual to Plumer Ward) and his first ...
, who proceeded to temporarily impose
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Martia ...
.
On 26 November 1850, the Radical MP John Detoratos Typaldos proposed in the Ionian parliament the resolution for the enosis of the Ionian Islands with Greece which was signed by Gerasimos Livadas, Nadalis Domeneginis, George Typaldos, Frangiskos Domeneginis, Ilias Zervos Iakovatos, Iosif Momferatos, Telemachus Paizis, Ioannis Typaldos, Aggelos Sigouros-Dessyllas, Christodoulos Tofanis. In 1862, the party split into two factions, the "United Radical Party" and the "Real Radical Party". During the period of British rule,
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-con ...
visited the islands and recommended their reunion with Greece, to the chagrin of the British government.
On 29 March 1864, representatives of Great Britain, Greece, France, and Russia signed the
Treaty of London, pledging the transfer of sovereignty to Greece upon ratification; this was meant to bolster the reign of the newly installed King
George I of Greece
George I ( Greek: Γεώργιος Α΄, ''Geórgios I''; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until his assassination in 1913.
Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen, and seemed destined for ...
. Thus, on 28 May, by proclamation of the Lord High Commissioner, the Ionian Islands were united with Greece.
Languages
According to the second constitution of the Republic (1803), Greek was the primary official language, in contrast to the situation in the
Septinsular Republic. Italian was still in use, though, mainly for official purposes since the
Venetian Republic
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...
. The only island in which Italian (
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
) had a wider spread was
Cephalonia
Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...
, where a great number of people had adopted Venetian Italian as their first language.
States
The United States of the Ionian Islands was a federation. It included seven island states, each of which was allocated a number of seats in the parliament, the
Ionian Senate:
Government
The British organised administration under the direction of a
Lord High Commissioner, appointed by the British government. In total, ten men served in this capacity, including
William Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
as a Lord High Commissioner Extraordinary (in office 1858–1859).
The Ionian Islands had a bicameral legislature, titled the "Parliament of the United States of the Ionian Islands" and composed of a Legislative Assembly and Senate.
[
Constitution of the Ionian Islands, Article VII
]
The 1818 constitution also established a High Court of Appeal to be called the Supreme Council of Justice of the United States of the Ionian Islands, of which the president was to be known as the Chief Justice, who would rank in precedence immediately after the President of the Senate.
The successive Chief Justices were:
* John Kirkpatrick 1820–1835
* Sir James John Reid 1837–?
* Sir Charles Sargent 1860–?
*
Sir Patrick MacChombaich de Colquhoun 1861–1864
See also
*
List of Greek countries and regions
This is a list of Greek countries and regions throughout history. It includes empires, countries, states, regions and territories that have or had in the past one of the following characteristics:
*An ethnic Greek majority
*
*
*Greek language as ...
*
List of Lord High Commissioners of the Ionian Islands
The Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands was the local representative of the British government in the United States of the Ionian Islands between 1816 and 1864, succeeding the earlier office of the Civil Commissioner of the Ionian Island ...
*
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III.
It is named in honour ...
, a British
order of chivalry
An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval concept ...
created in honour of the protectorate.
Footnotes
Further reading
*
* Hannell, David. "The Ionian Islands under the British Protectorate: social and economic problems." ''Journal of Modern Greek Studies'' 7.1 (1989): 105–132
online* Hannell, David. "A Case of Bad Publicity: Britain and the Ionian Islands, 1848–51." ''European History Quarterly'' 17.2 (1987): 131–143.
* Knox, Bruce. "British policy and the Ionian Islands, 1847–1864: nationalism and imperial administration." ''English Historical Review'' 99.392 (1984): 503–529.
*
* Pagratis, Gerassimos D. "The Ionian Islands under British Protection (1815–1864)." in ''Anglo-Saxons in the Mediterranean. Commerce, Politics and Ideas (XVII–XX Centuries),'' (Malta, 2007) pp: 131–150
online* Paschalidi, Maria. "Constructing Ionian identities: the Ionian Islands in British official discourses; 1815–1864" (PhD dissertation, UCL (University College London), 2010
online* Schumacher, Leslie Rogne. "Greek Expectations: Britain and the Ionian Islands, 1815–64.” in ''Imperial Expectations and Realities: El Dorados, Utopias and Dystopias,'' edited by
Andrekos Varnava, (Manchester University Press, 2015), pp. 47–65.
ww.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1wn0scs.8 online
External links
*
The Constitution in Italian*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ionian Islands, United States Of The
States and territories established in 1815
States and territories disestablished in 1864
History of modern Greece
Greece–United Kingdom relations
1815 establishments in the British Empire
1815 establishments in Europe
1864 disestablishments in Europe
Former British colonies and protectorates in Europe