Introduction

Following the establishment of the Greek state in 1830, the struggle of the Christian population of Crete to free themselves from Ottoman rule and to achieve union with Greece was unrelenting. Uprisings by the island’s Christian inhabitants were repeatedly followed by reform measures; yet these failed to satisfy the principal demands of the majority and, in turn, gave rise to further revolts.
The city of Heraklion, as the seat of Ottoman administration and a key port supplying Ottoman forces, became the scene of violent confrontations between Muslims and Christians.

The Final Period of Ottoman Rule

The final phase of Ottoman rule (1895–1898) was marked by the Cretans’ determined pursuit of union with Greece, the military intervention of Greece on the island, the diplomatic and military involvement of the Great Powers, and the reaction of Crete’s Muslim population to these developments.
The government in Athens, under pressure from Greek public opinion and seeking to forestall intervention by the Great Powers, dispatched in January 1897 a force of 1,500 men under Colonel Timoleon Vassos. Vassos landed at Kolymbari and issued a celebratory proclamation, declaring that he was taking possession of Crete in the name of the King of the Hellenes and proclaiming its union with Greece.
The response of the Great Powers was immediate. They imposed a naval blockade on the Cretan coast, landed military detachments at Chania, and bombarded the Revolutionary Camp at Akrotiri. These events provoked strong reactions across Europe, with demonstrations and press reports expressing support for the Cretans and criticism of the European admirals. In February of the same year, the landing of Greek troops at Heraklion led to the occupation of the city by the Great Powers.
Following Greece’s defeat in the Greco-Turkish War and the withdrawal of Greek forces from Crete, the Great Powers placed the island under a regime of international protection, assuming control of most Ottoman public services.