Kerkyra has a long a chequered past dating back to pre-history when man first used the island as a hunting ground before eventually conquering nature and making homes on it. This would not be the only time the island will see conquest.

The story of Kerkyra is also the story of Greece since both have gone through many transformations and re-births yet Greece herself has always maintained her identity. This page will start with the history of Kerkyra but will also provide a background to the story of modern Greece.

Kerkyra’s history is based as much in fact as in mythology and legend. It is said that this area of the Adriatic was named after one of Zeus’ conquests. Reference to the island can also be found in the books of the odyssey by Homer and in the legend of Jason and the Argonauts.

The history we can trace shows that the Venetians ruled the island from 1386-1797 and they instigated the building of the New Fortress, the town having outgrown the existing Old Fortress. It was during this time that the Turks started their many campaigns to invade the city but despite repeated and prolonged assaults they were repelled by the guard and local volunteers inside the walls.

The French landed and occupied the fortress in 1797 but they would only remain in control for 2 years and were hated and despised by the inhabitants for their sacking of the churches and treasures.

When the French were forced to surrender after a civil uprising the Russians and Turks took on the administration of the island, restoring control to the nobility and allowing limited powers to the middle classes. The Greek Republic of the Ionian islands was proposed in 1799, with the capital in Corfu. In 1800 the Russians, Turks and English signed a convention to recognise the islands as an autonomous state, though still dependant on Turkey. The seven islands of the Ionian state can be seen to be the first step in the full re-birth of the Greek state.

The nobility and middle classes still maintained the power and although a senate was duly elected the lower classes rebelled and threatened the new government. Russia acted fast and sent their army as support to restore order. In 1803 another constitution was drawn up but by then Russia and Turkey were at war and although the republic supported Russia it was not to be under its wing for long. With signing of the Treaty of Tilset between Russia and France in 1808 the island once more belonged to France.

With the fall of Napoleon England received the surrender of the French on the island and assumed the role of protectorate. The British then took it upon themselves to run the affairs of the Ionian State from their capital on Corfu. In 1821 the Greek war on Independence began and many on the island faced imprisonment or death as the hard-line state policy against rebellion continued.

British influence on the island saw economic and cultural development encouraged until their departure in 1864 when Yorgos I was selected as King of Greece. At this time the British agreed to pull out of Corfu, much against the wishes of the majority of Greeks, but only if the islands fortifications were blown up. These were the very fortifications they had helped to strengthen and rebuild, along with the historic Venetian fortified buildings.

Peace was only to last half a century before the island was taken over by the forces of England, France and Italy who used the island as a base for nearly all of the First World War. In 1923 the Italians again tried to take Corfu but this was a short lived occupation, triggered by the assassination of an Italian delegate to Greece on the Albania-Greece border. The League of Nations forced Mussolini to withdraw his forces after he had bombarded the island and her people. He did not, however leave them alone for very long and during World War II the Italian bombers were again in the skies over Corfu and early in 1941 the island was occupied by the Italian forces. When they surrendered to the Allies the German occupation force replaced them until it finally withdrew in October 1944.

Many of the old and historic building from the early years of the islands history can still be found and although the British destroyed many of the fortifications in the late 1800’s a walk around Old Corfu town and the two Fortresses is well worth the effort.

To give you an idea of the bountiful history of Greece I have also included a small history of the region now known as modern Greece. I hope you enjoy it and that it helps you to appreciate this ancient society whose language and customs have never died or been surrendered to it many invaders.

After the fall of the Roman Empire in 395 AD the Greek lands became part of the Empire of the East, with the capital, Constantinople, the most sophisticated medieval city in Europe. Following the break down of relations on religious grounds between the Latin and Orthodox churches, which culminated in the Great Schism of 1054, then the sacking of Constantinople in 1204 by the Franks and Venetians during their Fourth Crusade; the capital was eventually captured by the Turks in 1453. Greece remained under Turkish rule for nearly 400 years when after a long struggle against the Ottoman Empire, Greek freedom fighters eventually declared an Independent state in 1822. This was a struggle championed by the English poet Lord Byron, who died at Missolonghi in western Greece in 1824. It wasn’t until the Ottomans were finally defeated at the Battle of Navarino in 1827, with the help of the Russians, British and French that Modern Greece was born. In 1829 the Great Powers established the Greek Kingdom which was finally recognised as an independent state in 1830. Initially limited to the Peloponnese and an area to the south of the Gulf of Volo, Greece slowly expanded through the 19th and early 20th century’s taking over much of the land and territories lost by the now weakening Ottoman Empire. It’s continued growth was not helped by the continued meddling of the Great Powers which had, just a few years before, helped to create it and many financial and political difficulties had to be overcome before it could free itself of its overseers.

Whilst much of Europe embraced the 20th century for Greece it brought many terrible catastrophes and disasters. In the First World War Greece was at first neutral but later joined with the Allies against the Axis Powers. With peace declared and the Ottoman Government in tatters Greece sought to expand again into middle Europe and Constantinople would become its pinnacle.

The Allies had other plans and after Turkey rejected the 1920 Treaty of Sevres, which would have met all of Greece’s nationalist inspirations, the Greek force holding Smyrna (now Izmir) was told to advance to the interior and attack the Turkish Nationalist Army under the command of Mustafa Kemal (later Ataturk). This became known as the ‘Asia Minor disaster’ with the defeat of the Greek army in 1922, much of Smyrna destroyed and many Asia Minor Greeks expelled from Turkey it was the start of a dark time for this ancient land. There was a military coup with many of the opposing political leaders summarily tried and executed, Turkey and Greece agreed to exchange their minority populations bringing another 1.3 million homeless and destitute refugees to a population of only 5 million and adding to Greece’s already chronic economic situation. Finally the monarchy was restored in 1935 but in 1936 under General Metaxas’ fascist type dictatorship there was a severe split between the monarchists and the supporters of Parliamentary democracy.

With the outbreak World War Two the Italians invaded Greece in October 1940 but were met with great resistance and were beaten back into Albania. However Hitler came to Mussolini’s aid and quickly overran any opposition and in April 1941 Greece fell to Mussolini. The British forces were forced to make a hasty withdrawal although they continued to help with guerrilla fighting and supplies.

The surrender of the Italians didn’t bring any relief to the Greek people as the Germany army moved in and assumed control of all the invaded lands. Many Italians were taken captive by their former allies and rumours and evidence of many atrocities against their prisoners abounds. With the liberation of Athens in October 1944 many thought the fighting was over, but a new political battle started that led to an ongoing civil war lasting nearly 4 years and only ending with the defeat of the Communist forces. It did not, however, end the political divisions in Greece and even today the political parties are of the extremes in nature.

In 1952 Greece was invited to join NATO, as a security measure suggested by the USA less it should fall under the control of the then Soviet Union. This gave Greece some measure of political stability until the early 1960’s when tensions increased, coup followed coup causing King Constantine to flee the country. Civilian government was not restored until 1974 when the military junta failed in a coup in Cyprus against President Makarios. It was at this time that Turkey invaded Cyprus almost unopposed and still holds the territory it took in the first few days of its landings. Former Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis returned from exile to form a Government of National Unity and after a referendum the people voted not to return to a constitutional monarchy but accepted a republican constitution. In January 1982 Greece became a full member of the European Union and along with political stability continues to experience economic growth.

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