Ikaria Free State
Free State of Ikaria Ελευθέρα Πολιτεία Ικαρίας Elefthéra Politía Ikarías 1912–1913 |
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Official language | Greek | ||||
Capital |
Agios Kirykos or Evdilos (controversial) |
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Form of government | republic | ||||
Form of government | Presidential system | ||||
Head of State and Government |
President Ioannis Malachias |
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surface | 300 km² (including Fourni ) | ||||
Residents | 16,000 | ||||
Population density | 53.33 inhabitants / km² | ||||
currency | Greek drachma | ||||
founding | July 18th jul. / July 31, 1912 greg. (Proclamation of the Free State) |
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resolution | November 4th jul. / November 17, 1912 greg. (Occupied by Greek troops) June 24th jul. / July 7, 1913 greg. (Incorporation into the Kingdom of Greece) |
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National anthem | |||||
Time zone | UTC + 2 EET | ||||
The Free State of Ikaria ( Greek Ελευθέρα Πολιτεία Ικαρίας Elefthéra Politía Ikarías ) was a historical state that was formed in 1912 from the island of Ikaria and the Fourni Islands in the eastern Aegean and was annexed by Greece in June 1913 .
history
The island of Ikaria belonged to the Ottoman Empire since 1521 . After Italy had conquered the Dodecanese during the Italo-Turkish War in April 1912 , the majority of the Greek population feared that it would also be incorporated into the Italian colonial empire. In order to forestall this step, July 17th July . / July 30, 1912 greg. captured the Turkish garrison of only 30 men and declared the Free State of Ikaria the following day . The Greek government, which had been informed of the islanders' intentions, had refused to join Greece immediately because it did not feel strong enough for a possible military confrontation with the Ottoman Empire. Ioannis Malachias became president of the small state and headed a board of directors of nine. On August 14th, July / August 27, 1912 greg. the neighboring Fourni archipelago also became part of the Free State. The question of which place should become the capital, Agios Kirykos or Evdilos , almost led to a civil war between the islanders.
Greek troops occupied the islands during the First Balkan War on November 4th jul. / November 17, 1912 greg. and thus ended the sovereignty of the Free State. The formal annexation by Greece took place on June 24th jul. / July 7, 1913 greg. after Greece was able to assert its claim to the islands with British help at the London Ambassadors' Conference .
During the short period of its independence, the Free State of Ikaria introduced a flag and a national anthem and operated a postal service for which a stamp series consisting of eight values was issued in October 1912 (see Postal History and Stamps of the Free State of Ikaria ).
literature
- Anthony J. Papalas: Rebels and Radicals. Icaria 1600-2000 . Bolchazy-Carducci, Wauconda IL 2005, ISBN 0-86516-606-4 .
- Ioannis Zelepos : The island of Ikaria from July to November 1912. The uprising against Ottoman rule and the "Free State of Ikaria" up to the unification with Greece . In: Ioannis Vassis, Günther S. Herich, Diether R. Reinsch (eds.): Readings. Festschrift for Athanasios Kambylis on his 70th birthday . de Gruyter, Berlin a. a. 1998, ISBN 3-11-015894-9 , pp. 338-350.
Web links
- I. Mela: Η ιστορία της Ικαρίας . 1998. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015. (PDF; 4.3 MB) Kathimerini daily newspaper , June 21, 1998, p. 21 ff. (Greek)
- History outline and representation of the flag (English). Accessed February 18, 2010
- Basic data on worldstatesmen.org; Retrieved February 18, 2010