At the end of September 1908, Crete takes a decisive step towards its unification with Greece. Against the backdrop of the political crisis in the Ottoman Empire, the Cretan government declares the island's independence and its accession to the Greek kingdom.
This is not a sudden act, but the result of decades of uprisings and political struggle. After a series of conflicts between the Christian majority and the Ottoman authorities, the Great Powers created the autonomous Cretan State in 1898. It had its own government and parliament, but remained formally under the rule of the Sultan.
Political crisis opens the way to union
In 1905, Eleftherios Venizelos led the uprising in Theriso, directed against the rule of Prince George, the island's high commissioner. After political changes in 1906, the prince was replaced by Alexandros Zaimis, and Crete received a more stable autonomous government. However, the desire for enosis — unification with Greece — remained dominant.
The opportunity came in the summer of 1908, when the Young Turk Revolution shook the Ottoman Empire. In October, Bulgaria declared its independence, and Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cretan politicians took the events as a sign that the time for action had come.
In its resolution, the Cretan government declared:
„The Government of Crete, expressing the unchanging opinion of the Cretan people, proclaims the independence of Crete and its accession to Greece in order to form with it an indivisible and indissoluble constitutional kingdom.“
The accession was not immediately recognized
The Cretan Chamber established an interim government, which began to act in the name of the Greek king. In practice, the island severed its ties with the autonomous regime, but its international status remained unresolved. The Greek government did not immediately take over officially because of the risk of a new conflict with the Ottoman Empire and the Great Powers.
Great Britain, France, Italy and Russia insisted on preserving the rights of the Sultan and the security of the Muslim population of the island. As a result, the Greek flag was lowered by foreign military units in several places, and the final settlement was postponed. The last foreign troops withdrew in 1909, without this implying immediate international recognition of the union.
After the Balkan Wars, the issue received a final solution. With the Treaty of London of 1913, the Ottoman Empire renounced its rights to Crete. On December 1, 1913, the Greek flag was raised in Chania, officially marking the island's accession to Greece.
Thus, the unilateral decision of 1908 became a real state unification five years later. The Cretan struggle pushed Eleftherios Venizelos to the center of Greek political life, where he established himself as one of the country's most influential statesmen.
Sources: cretalive.gr, in.gr, ekathimerini.com