Vasos Mavrovouniotisby Nikoforos Lytras
Vasos Mavrovouniotis (born in 1797 as Vaso Brajović), a Montenegrin Serb from Bijelopavlici, Montenegro, was one of the most important personalities of the Greek revolutionary and Kapodistrian periods, as well as during the early period of the rule of King Otto. He was the founder of an important military family with notable descendants who participated throughout the Greek struggles of both the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Montenegrin soldier was a particularly important figure of the period in which he lived. He is a typical example of one of the many groups of Christian Balkan captains who emerged from the Struggle for Greek Independence and succeeded in integrating, through a common Christian identity, into the country he chose as his new homeland. He thrived in the newly formed Hellenic Kingdom (as a lieutenant general - commander of the Mountain Guard Corps, royal aide-de-camp and as the most powerful political figure in eastern Central Greece) while always serving the state.
The military action of Vasos Mavrovouniotis was significant as he participated in battles in Euboea, in one of which he was wounded, while he also participated in battles against Ibrahim in the Peloponnese, against the Grand Vizier Reşid Mehmed Pasha (also known as Kütahı) in Roumeli, and finally against the Kiaya-Bey (deputy of the Pasha) in eastern Central Greece.
In February and March 1826, against the wishes of the provisional Greek government as Messolonghi was in the midst of the very bloody third siege, Mavrovouniotis, along with Dalianis, Kryezotis and others, and with 2,000 men, departed with 14 ships and headed towards Lebanon in an attempt to bring to fruition a secret plan hatched in 1824 (but thereafter abandoned by the provisional Greek government) for an alliance between Greece and Lebanon. The plan was to liberate Lebanon, parts of Syria and Cyprus, and to reinforce the Greek revolution with 200,000 Lebanese fighters. Although they occupied a very small coastal area, the planned revolt did not materialize, and they retreated back to Greece.
In July 1826, Mavrovouniotis was placed under the command of Georgios Karaiskakis and participated in battles at Liosia, Elefsina and Chaidari, while he clashed again with Kütahı at Kamatero, Thebes and Keratsini. He actively participated in the reconquest of Central Greece during the period when Kapodistrias was in office.
In 1834 he was appointed Colonel-Inspector of Attica and Boeotia and in 1836 commander of the Mountain Guard Corps of Phthiotis. In 1843 he was promoted to Major General and assumed command of the Mountain Guard of Locris, while in 1846 he was appointed aide-de-camp to Otto.
In 1841 King Otto named him Grand Commander of the Royal Order of the Redeemer, in 1845 the French government awarded him the decoration of Officier de la Légion d’ Honneur as well as the decoration of Commandeur de la Légion d’ Honneur. In 1847 the King of Bavaria awarded him the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Throne.
Vasos Mavrovouniotis died on June 9, 1847, at the age of 50 from pneumonia.
His sons Generals Timoleon and Alexander Vasos, as well as his grandsons, also Generals, Nikolaos T. Vasos and Konstantinos T. Vasos, followed in the family's military heritage and participated in the wars of the Greek state from 1897 to the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), World War I on the Macedonian Front (1917*-1918) and the Asia Minor campaign (1919-1922).
Vasos Mavrovouniotis constitutes an outstanding example and proof of the transnational scope and prestige of the Greek revolution, as well as of the attraction that the Greek revolution had exerted on the Christian populations of the Balkans and, furthermore, his case highlights the close historical relations and deep cultural affinities of the Balkan peoples, as they were forged during their common Ottoman past.
* Note: although WWI started in 1914, Greek participation started in 1917 due to the National Schism
_____
MFA, EKATH; Revised
The Montenegrin soldier was a particularly important figure of the period in which he lived. He is a typical example of one of the many groups of Christian Balkan captains who emerged from the Struggle for Greek Independence and succeeded in integrating, through a common Christian identity, into the country he chose as his new homeland. He thrived in the newly formed Hellenic Kingdom (as a lieutenant general - commander of the Mountain Guard Corps, royal aide-de-camp and as the most powerful political figure in eastern Central Greece) while always serving the state.
The military action of Vasos Mavrovouniotis was significant as he participated in battles in Euboea, in one of which he was wounded, while he also participated in battles against Ibrahim in the Peloponnese, against the Grand Vizier Reşid Mehmed Pasha (also known as Kütahı) in Roumeli, and finally against the Kiaya-Bey (deputy of the Pasha) in eastern Central Greece.
In February and March 1826, against the wishes of the provisional Greek government as Messolonghi was in the midst of the very bloody third siege, Mavrovouniotis, along with Dalianis, Kryezotis and others, and with 2,000 men, departed with 14 ships and headed towards Lebanon in an attempt to bring to fruition a secret plan hatched in 1824 (but thereafter abandoned by the provisional Greek government) for an alliance between Greece and Lebanon. The plan was to liberate Lebanon, parts of Syria and Cyprus, and to reinforce the Greek revolution with 200,000 Lebanese fighters. Although they occupied a very small coastal area, the planned revolt did not materialize, and they retreated back to Greece.
In July 1826, Mavrovouniotis was placed under the command of Georgios Karaiskakis and participated in battles at Liosia, Elefsina and Chaidari, while he clashed again with Kütahı at Kamatero, Thebes and Keratsini. He actively participated in the reconquest of Central Greece during the period when Kapodistrias was in office.
In 1834 he was appointed Colonel-Inspector of Attica and Boeotia and in 1836 commander of the Mountain Guard Corps of Phthiotis. In 1843 he was promoted to Major General and assumed command of the Mountain Guard of Locris, while in 1846 he was appointed aide-de-camp to Otto.
In 1841 King Otto named him Grand Commander of the Royal Order of the Redeemer, in 1845 the French government awarded him the decoration of Officier de la Légion d’ Honneur as well as the decoration of Commandeur de la Légion d’ Honneur. In 1847 the King of Bavaria awarded him the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Throne.
Vasos Mavrovouniotis died on June 9, 1847, at the age of 50 from pneumonia.
His sons Generals Timoleon and Alexander Vasos, as well as his grandsons, also Generals, Nikolaos T. Vasos and Konstantinos T. Vasos, followed in the family's military heritage and participated in the wars of the Greek state from 1897 to the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), World War I on the Macedonian Front (1917*-1918) and the Asia Minor campaign (1919-1922).
Vasos Mavrovouniotis constitutes an outstanding example and proof of the transnational scope and prestige of the Greek revolution, as well as of the attraction that the Greek revolution had exerted on the Christian populations of the Balkans and, furthermore, his case highlights the close historical relations and deep cultural affinities of the Balkan peoples, as they were forged during their common Ottoman past.
* Note: although WWI started in 1914, Greek participation started in 1917 due to the National Schism
_____
MFA, EKATH; Revised
RSS Feed
