Konstantinos Kanaris | |
|---|---|
| Κωνσταντίνος Κανάρης | |
 Konstantinos Kanaris, Prime Minister of Greece. | |
| Prime Minister of Greece | |
| In office 26 May 1877 – 2 September 1877 | |
| Monarch | George I |
| Preceded by | Alexandros Koumoundouros |
| Succeeded by | Alexandros Koumoundouros[a] |
| In office 26 July 1864 – 2 March 1865 | |
| Monarch | George I |
| Preceded by | Zinovios Valvis |
| Succeeded by | Alexandros Koumoundouros |
| In office 5 March 1864 – 16 April 1864 | |
| Monarch | George I |
| Preceded by | Dimitrios Voulgaris |
| Succeeded by | Zinovios Valvis |
| In office 27 October 1848 – 14 December 1849 | |
| Monarch | Otto |
| Preceded by | Georgios Kountouriotis |
| Succeeded by | Antonios Kriezis |
| In office 12 February 1844 – 30 March 1844 | |
| Monarch | Otto |
| Preceded by | Andreas Metaxas |
| Succeeded by | Alexandros Mavrokordatos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1790 |
| Died | 2 September 1877(1877-09-02) (aged 86–87) |
| Resting place | First Cemetery of Athens |
| Party | Russian Party |
| Spouse | Despina Maniati |
| Children | Nikolaos Kanaris Miltiadis Kanaris Themistoklis Kanaris Aristeidis Kanaris Lykourgos Kanaris Maria Kanari Thrasyvoulos Kanaris |
| Awards |  Grand Cross of theOrder of the Redeemer Grand Cross of theRoyal Guelphic Order Grand Cross of theOrder of the Dannebrog |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | .svg) First Hellenic Republic.svg) Kingdom of Greece |
| Branch/service |  Hellenic Navy |
| Years of service | 1821–1844 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles/wars | |
Konstantinos Kanaris (Greek:Κωνσταντίνος Κανάρης,Konstantínos Kanáris;c. 1790[1] – 2 September 1877),[2] alsoanglicised asConstantine Kanaris orCanaris,[3] was a Greek statesman, an admiral, and a hero of theGreek War of Independence (1821–1829).[4]
Despite not having been a member of the revolutionary organizationFiliki Eteria, his fleet engaged in several successful battles and operations against theOttoman Navy from 1821 to 1824, most famouslyburning the Ottoman flagship offChios in 1822, in retaliation for theChios massacre; this action elevated him to the status of national hero. Despite thedestruction of his home islandPsara in 1824, and the ambitious, but failedRaid on Alexandria in 1825, he remained a prominent ally ofIoannis Kapodistrias (in office asGovernor of Greece from 1828 to 1831) until the latter's assassination in 1831, which led to his retirement.
After the3 September 1843 Revolution, Kanaris returned to public life as a prominent member of the powerfulRussian Party and became theKingdom of Greece's secondprime minister in 1844, presiding over the fall of his party in government. During KingOtto's constitutional reign (1843 to 1862), Kanaris returned as prime minister in 1848, and became minister of the navy in 1854, after the outbreak of theCrimean War in 1853. He played a prominent role inOtto's deposition in 1862, and under KingGeorge I became prime minister twice in 1864, resigning both times to retire inAthens. He returned to the premiership to lead a grand coalition government in 1877 before dying 99 days later of a heart attack, becoming the second prime minister to die in office. His most significant actions as head of government were the ratification of the country's first two constitutions, in1844 and1864.
He remains a celebrated figure among Greeks and is recognised as the maritime leader of the Greek revolutionaries during the War of Independence.
Konstantinos Kanaris was born and grew up on the island ofPsara, close to the island ofChios, in theAegean. The exact year of his birth is unknown. Official records of theHellenic Navy indicate 1795, however, modern Greek historians consider 1790 or 1793 to be more probable.[1]
He was left anorphan at a young age. Having to support himself, he chose to become aseaman like most members of his family since the beginning of the 18th century. He was subsequently hired as a boy on thebrig of his uncle Dimitris Bourekas.
Kanaris gained his fame during theGreek War of Independence (1821–1829). Unlike most other prominent figures of the War, he had never been initiated into theFiliki Eteria (Society of Friends), which played a significant role in the uprising against theOttoman Empire, primarily by secret recruitment of supporters against the Turkish rule.[1]
By early 1821, the movement had gained enough support to launch a revolution. This seems to have inspired Kanaris, who was inOdessa at the time. He returned to the island ofPsara in haste and was present when it joined the uprising on 10 April 1821.[1]
The island formed its own fleet and the famed seamen of Psara, already known for their well-equipped ships and successful battles againstsea pirates, proved to be highly effective innaval warfare. Kanaris soon distinguished himself as afire ship captain.[5]
AtChios, on the moonless night of 6–7 June 1822, forces under his commanddestroyed the flagship ofNasuhzade Ali Pasha,Kapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral) of theOttoman fleet, in revenge for theChios massacre. The admiral was holding aBayram celebration, allowing Kanaris and his men to position their fire ship without being noticed. When the flagship's powder store caught fire, all men aboard were instantly killed. The Turkish casualties comprised 2,300 men, both naval officers and common sailors, as well as Nasuhzade Ali Pasha himself.[1]
Kanaris led another successful attack against the Ottoman fleet atTenedos in November 1822. He was famously said to have encouraged himself by murmuring"Konstantí, you are going to die" every time he was approaching a Turkish warship on the fire boat he was about to detonate.[6][7]
The Ottoman fleetcaptured Psara on 21 June 1824. A part of the population, including Kanaris, managed to flee the island, but those who didn't were either sold intoslavery or slaughtered. After the destruction of his home island, he continued to lead attacks against Turkish forces. In August 1824, he engaged in naval combats in theDodecanese.[1]
The following year, Kanaris led theGreek raid on Alexandria, a daring attempt to destroy theEgyptian fleet with fire ships that might have been successful if the wind had not failed just after the Greek ships enteredAlexandria harbour.[8]
After the end of the War and the independence of Greece, Kanaris became an officer of the newHellenic Navy, reaching the rank ofadmiral, and a prominentpolitician.
Konstantinos Kanaris was one of the few with the personal confidence ofIoannis Kapodistrias, the first Head of State ofindependent Greece. After the assassination of Kapodistrias on 9 October 1831, he retired to the island ofSyros.[9]
During the reign of KingOtto I, Kanaris served asMinister in various governments and then asPrime Minister in the provisional government (16 February – 30 March 1844). He served a second term (15 October 1848 – 12 December 1849), and asNavy Minister in the 1854 cabinet ofAlexandros Mavrokordatos.
In 1862, he was among the rare War of Independence veterans who took part in thebloodless insurrection that deposed the increasingly unpopular King Otto I and led to the election of Prince William ofDenmark as KingGeorge I of Greece. During his reign, Kanaris served as a Prime Minister for a third term (6 March – 16 April 1864), fourth term (26 July 1864 – 26 February 1865), and fifth and last term (7 June – 2 September 1877).[1]
Kanaris died on 2 September 1877 whilst still serving in office as prime minister. Following his death his government remained in power until 14 September 1877 without agreeing on a replacement at its head. He was buried in theFirst Cemetery of Athens and his heart was placed in a silverurn.
Konstantinos Kanaris is considered a national hero in Greece and ranks amongst the most notable participants of theWar of Independence. Manystatues andbusts have been erected in his honour, such asKanaris at Chios byBenedetto Civiletti inPalermo, a statue byLazaros Fytalis inAthens, and a bust byDavid d'Angers. He was also featured on a Greek₯1coin and a ₯100banknote issued by theBank of Greece.
To honour Kanaris, the following ships of theHellenic Navy have been named after him:[10]
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Te Korowhakaunu / Kanáris Sound, a section ofTaiari / Chalky Inlet in New Zealand'sFiordland National Park, was named after Konstantinos Kanaris by French navigator and explorerJules de Blosseville (1802–1833).[11]
In 1817, Konstantinos Kanaris married Despoina Maniatis, from a historical family ofPsara.
They had seven children:
Wilhelm Canaris, a German Admiral, speculated that he might be a descendant of Konstantinos Kanaris. An official genealogical family history that was researched in 1938 showed however, that he was ofItalian descent and not related to the Kanaris family fromGreece.[12]
Order of the Redeemer (Kingdom of Greece): Grand Cross, 1864Royal Guelphic Order (Kingdom of Hanover): Grand CrossOrder of the Dannebrog (Kingdom of Denmark): Grand CrossHis name was of Italian origin, as was later shown in an elaborate family tree.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kanaris, Constantine".Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Greece 12 February - 30 March 1844 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Greece 27 October 1848 - 14 December 1849 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Greece 5 March - 16 April 1864 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Greece 26 July 1864 - 2 March 1865 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Greece 26 May 1877 - 11 January 1878 | Succeeded by |
