| Michael Soutzos | |
|---|---|
 Soutzos as hospodar of Moldavia, 1820 | |
| Prince of Moldavia | |
| Reign | 12 June 1819 – 29 March 1821 |
| Predecessor | Scarlat Callimachi |
| Successor | Stolnici Manu and Rizo-Nerulos |
| Born | 1778 or 1784 Constantinople,Ottoman Empire (nowIstanbul, Turkey) |
| Died | 12 June 1864 (aged 79–80 or 85–86) Athens,Kingdom of Greece (nowAthens, Greece) |
| House | Soutzos family |
| Religion | Orthodox |
Michael Soutzos (Greek:Μιχαήλ Σούτζος,Romanian:Mihail Suțu; 1778 or 1784 – 12 June 1864), was a member of theSoutzos family ofPhanariotes, he was the grandson ofMichael Drakos Soutzos; he was in turn aPrince of Moldavia, between 12 June 1819 and 29 March 1821. He was initiated intoFiliki Eteria, he supported the Greek revolution in Moldavia and Wallachia and after the creation of theGreek state, he served as ambassador of the country abroad.
He was born inConstantinople in 1778[1] or according to other sources in 1784.[2][3] His parents were the Phanariot Grigorios Soutzos and Sevasti Tedeskou.[3] During his adolescence he lived in the court of his grandfatherMichael Drakos Soutzos, who wasruler of Wallachia and later, he served as secretary to theGrand Dragoman of the Sublime Porte,John Caradja, whose daughter,Roxani, he married in 1812. In the same year, thanks to his knowledge of languages and the favor of his father in law, he was appointed to the position of the Grand Dragoman.[4]
In 1819[4] he was placed by the sultan asruler of Moldavia, position he held until 1821. He also had a position in the council ofSultan Mahmud II and he was one of the consultants that in 1820 supported the suppression of the rebellion ofAli Pasha.[5] In November 1820 he was initiated into the Filiki Eteria by Iakovos Rizos Neroulos.[2][6]
In January 1821, he finalized his collaboration withAlexander Ypsilantis[7] and with the invasion of Ypsilantis in Moldova on 22 February, Michael Soutzos-Vodas raised the guard in command of the rebels and paid substantial amounts of money for the needs of the army.[2][8] When after a short time, the movement in Moldova-Wallachia began to ebb, Soutzos forced under the pressure from the boyars, who declared him as downfallen by the time he had help the rebels and had repudiated Ottoman domination, to leave his position inIași.[9] At first, he moved at Skouleni and then (31 March 1821) in Chișinău of Russian Empire. During the same period the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople excommunicated him and Ypsilantis.[10]
Thereafter, he tried to escape to Switzerland throughAustrian Empire but there he was arrested and was imprisoned for almost four years.[2] After his release, he fled first to Italy and then to Switzerland. There, he was hosted inGeneva by the Swiss PhilhelleneJean-Gabriel Eynard.[11] During his stay in Europe, he arranged for the collection and distribution of money in favor of theGreek War of Independence and he was in contact with the "Zakynthos Committee" ofDionysios Romas. Before the undertaking of the governance of Greece byIoannis Kapodistrias, Soutzos was one of the possible candidates to occupy this position.[12]
During Kapodistrias governance, he was appointed as representative of Greece to France, following the recommendation of Eynard. Later, he was appointed byOtto of Greece as Greek ambassador in France,Russian Empire,Sweden andDenmark.[13] In 1839 he moved permanently in Athens and he served until 1840 as Member of the Council of the State while he was one of the first settlers of the old Athenian neighborhood Vathi or Vatheia.[14]
He died on 12 June 1864 inAthens. From his marriage to Roxani, he had three children, Gregorios Soutzos (famous painter of the time), Ioannis Soutzos and Maria Soutzou.
| Preceded by | Grand Dragoman of the Porte 1815–1818 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prince of Moldavia 1819–1821 | Succeeded by |
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