Chapter 15: Papaflessas
When the news arrived in Nafplion of the Egyptian army’s landing at Methoni and their attack on Navarino, the reaction was mixed at best. Most of those who gathered were Senators from the Islands or Rumelia with little sympathy for men, who until recently threatened war against them. Many delegates from Hydra and Spetses saw the suffering of the Moreots as a proper punishment for their haughtiness and rebelliousness against the very order they had created. The Roumeliotes, the Moreot’s natural allies, were distracted by an invasion of their own by the Ottomans, who recently commenced a third siege against Missolonghi in as many years. More worrying was the campaign in Eastern Greece as the Ottomans made a determined effort to break through the defenses at Thermopylae and push towards Livadeia and Salona. While some did see the dangers of allowing Ibrahim Pasha and his army of Egyptians to run wild through the Morea, they were in a clear minority.
One of the most vocal advocates of action was the Minister of Internal Affairs, a man called Papaflessas. Born Georgios Dimitrios, Papaflessas was a clergyman within the Greek Orthodox Church for much of his life and managed to rise to the office of Archimandrite, for which he earned his famous moniker Papaflessas during the war. Even during his time as a Priest, Papaflessas was a firebrand preacher renowned for his exuberant homilies calling for the independence of Greece. Despite being a man of the cloth, Papaflessas purchased arms, organized partisans, and collected money for the coming revolution even when it put him at odds with the position of the Church. As a servant of Christ, he believed it to be his sacred duty to not forsake those who lived in suffering and believing the Porte to be the root of that suffering, he did everything in his power to oppose them. So, it was when the war began he supported the effort in any way he could.
Papaflessas was a prominent figure in the early months of the Revolution, organizing the revolts across the Peloponnese and aiding Theodoros Kolokotronis in battle at Tripolitsa and again at Dervenakia, during this time he met the British Philhellene, Colonel Thomas Gordon. Gordon best described him as a courageous man in battle, good tempered and generous like the kindly priest that he was, but Gordon also called him a vain and dissipated man who lavished himself with glories that were not rightfully his. Following the battle of Dervenakia, Papaflessas entered politics serving in the Executive of Alexandros Mavrokordatos and then again under Petros Mavromichalis as Minister of Internal Affairs. Even with the ensuing disgrace and expulsion of Mavromichalis, Papaflessas would continue to hold the post until the May of 1825 due to his strong support of the National government. During his tenure as Internal Affairs Minister, Papaflessas organized the nascent police forces throughout the country, established the first official mail system in Greece and commissioned the building of numerous schools in villages and towns across the land. He also assisted Archstrategos Demetrios Ypsilantis in establishing the position of Inspector General to increase the organization of the separate military units throughout the country and to ensure greater cooperation between them. By far his most important act during the war was his involvement in the Debate of 1825.
Georgios Dimitrios Dikaios, Papaflessas- Priest and Patriot
Using his influence and reputation, along with his constant flair for the dramatic, Papaflessas, spearheaded the effort to reach a compromise between the divided Greeks in the Spring of 1825. According to legend, when news arrived that the Moreots had called for aid, and none appeared forthcoming from the Government, the Priest flew into a rage. Marching into the Senate chamber at the head of a burgeoning crowd he opened into a vicious tirade. Papaflessas publicly lambasted the Senators for putting their petty squabbling before the greater cause of independence. He called them cowards, whoremongers, thieves, liars, hypocrites, and many unsightly things that any upstanding priest should not say. He pronounced to the assembled masses that if no help would be sent by the government, then he vowed that he himself would lead a group of volunteers to drive the Egyptians back into the sea or die trying.
Once emotions had settled and the Senators had time to think, they withdrew momentarily to debate their course of action. Moments later they returned with decision, the Nafplion Government would dispatch the newly christened Hellenic Army to aid the Moreots and repel the Egyptians, so long as the Tripolitsa Government and those that followed it submitted themselves to the Central Government. Whether Papaflessas’ words had any impact on the deliberations or if the recent dispatch from Phthiotis detailing a decisive defeat of the Ottoman advance, none can say, but the result was clear.
Most of the Moreots over the coming weeks would reluctantly shallow their pride and submit to the Nafplion government after witnessing firsthand the devastation with which Ibrahim and the Egyptians inflicted upon them. By the end of May the Schism between the Greeks was effectively ended before it ever came to blows. Despite the announcement of the agreement between the factions, Papaflessas stayed true to his vow to fight against Ibrahim and resigned from his office as Minister of Internal Affairs.
[1] Compelled by the zeal of the Priest, nearly 2,500 men and boys from Nafplion, Argos, and the countryside joined with Papaflessas on the endeavor departing from Nafplion on the 15th of May.
Papaflessas and his followers were joined by the Second Regiment of the Hellenic Army, which had itself only been created, or recreated in the case of the Army, in the last few months thanks to the London loan and the tenacity of Archstrategos Ypsilantis in rebuilding the regular forces.
[2] It was, however, a severely undermanned military unit, containing barely 60% of the 2,000 men it was supposed to have. It was also an incredibly green unit, made of young boys and men with little fighting experience between them. Their leadership wasn’t much better as they were led by the newly appointed Strategos, Kiriakos Skourtis. Skourtis was a former ship captain turned army general, who was if anything else a political appointee, granted his position solely for his loyal to President Georgios Kountouriotis, rather than for a successful career as a military man. He was a former ship captain, completely lacking in any experience regarding the art of land combat. He was also a drunkard and a fool according to most of his contemporaries.
Departing from Nafplion, the Greeks moved to join with the Moreots of Panos Kolokotronis and Panagiotis Anagnostopoulos near the small village of Maniakion.
[3] Establishing themselves atop two hills flanking the road, Skourtis and Papaflessas prepared barricades and obstructions to block the road north as they awaited the arrival of their compatriots under Kolokotronis and Anagnostopoulos. When they arrived with their men the group numbered roughly 5,500 Greeks in total. It was a truly diverse assembly of Greek men with Arvanites, Epriotes, Hydriots, Moreots, Maniots, Roumeliotes, Spezziotes, and even a few Macedonians and Thracians rounding out their number. They soon received reports that Ibrahim’s force was on the move in their direction.
The Greeks Gather at Maniakion
Ibrahim’s scouts had discovered the movement of the Greeks and was forced to leave his siege of New Navarino once again, to face the new threat from the Greeks. Leaving half his force behind, Ibrahim marched Northeast in the direction of Papaflessas and the assembled Greeks. When the Egyptians appeared in the distance in the early afternoon of the 21st, the Greeks opted to make a stand on the hills overlooking the road. Most of those assembled were unfamiliar to the Egyptians fearsome reputation, the Egyptians looked like emaciated men to the Greeks, in ill fitted uniforms, led by a short and pudgy man. Believing their opponent to be of a similar disposition as their Ottoman allies, the Greeks grew overly confident in their own capabilities and thought victory was all but certain. They would soon learn that the 7,000 strong Egyptian force outclassed the Greeks in virtually every way. Ibrahim held a clear advantage in numbers at 7 to 5. His weaponry was more advanced, wielding modern muskets and rifles, they fielded two companies of cavalry, and they were supported by a full battery of artillery. Ibrahim’s officers had been drilled in the art of war by French veterans of the Napoleonic wars, many of whom had been contemporaries of Fabvier from his younger days. And while they certainly looked small and malnourished to the Greeks from a distance, they would soon learn that they were incredibly disciplined and experienced soldiers that would not break at the start of gunfire, nor would they retreat at the sight a charge.
In fact, it was Papaflessas’ own volunteers who broke first. When the Egyptians arrived at the foot of the hills, the Greeks unleashed their erratic attacks to little effect. They had attempted to ambush, but Ibrahim and his men had seen through the endeavor, blunting the worst of the attack. Ibrahim’s men in turn calmly readied their weapons and fired on the disorganized Greeks as they revealed themselves, killing scores of men and maiming many more. The green boys and unreliable Klephts immediately abandoned the fight and fled for their lives. What started as a stream gradually built to a flood as about 2,000 Greek men and boys abandoned the field after the initial volley leaving their compatriots in an untenable position. The Western hill had been left completely vacant, allowing the Egyptians the opportunity to attack the exposed flank of the Greeks. Skourtis, lacking the aptitude of an experienced general, neglected to immediately secure the hill, leaving himself and his force vulnerable to such a move. Ibrahim, recognizing the opportunity quickly pounced on the much-reduced Hellenes and began to encircle them with his larger host.
With the Egyptians beginning to close in around them, Skourtis finely broke and fled the field, destroying any semblance of discipline remaining within the Greek forces. In a selfless act, Papaflessas and Anagnostopoulos organized a rearguard action with some volunteers to allow the rest of the army to escape. With no other option the remaining men retreated leaving the Priest and his followers to their fate while they broke through the thin veil of the enemy lines to their rear. Outnumbered and outgunned, Papaflessas held out for the remainder of the day under hails of gunfire from the Egyptians. Per tales of the event, Papaflessas stood up under a blistering rain of bullets and recited verses of the bible to the terrified Greeks to quell their nerves. Despite taking a shot to the shoulder, the Priest continued his liturgy ignoring the pain. With their numbers dwindling and the last of their allies’ safe, Papaflessas and some 300 men charged down the hill upon their besiegers. Many were cut down by a rain of bullets with only 50 making it to the Egyptian lines. Despite suffering another shot to the chest and several slashes to his arms and legs, the priest continued onwards running his sword through three Egyptians breaking it in the process.
Papaflessas and 7 of his men made it within sight of Ibrahim Pasha’s personal guard before being cut down in a volley of precise gunfire. By dusk all fighting had ceased as Anagnostopoulos and the last Greeks atop the hill were finally gunned down ending the battle. Instead of being insulted or angered by the Greek’s defiance, Ibrahim chose to honor their valor and bravery. The body of their leader was cleaned and propped against a tree where upon the Egyptian kissed the corpse of Papaflessas in a show of respect before having him properly buried in the Orthodox Christian rite.
[4] Nevertheless, Ibrahim had emerged victorious against the Greeks and the road into the heart of the Morea lay open before him. For the Greeks in New Navarino, the news of Papaflessas’ death and the defeat of their reinforcements signaled the end of their resistance. Before Ibrahim could return, most of the castle’s garrison attempted an escape, to varying degrees of success, leaving the sick and injured behind to surrender. Ibrahim in a show of mercy and gracious inclination spared their lives for he had other, more important matters to attend to.
Greece at the end of May 1825
Purple – Greece
Green – Ottoman Empire
Pink – The United States of the Ionian Islands
Due to the Civil Wars in OTL the Greek Government refused to aid the Peloponnesians against the Egyptians and only acquiesced after Papaflessas and his group were killed at Maniaki. The Government released the Moreots that had fought against them in the 2nd Civil War including Theodoros Kolokotronis among many others, but he had limited success against Ibrahim and was ultimately forced to fight a guerrilla war. Without the worsened relations caused by the two civil wars, I believe that the Nafplion Government would be willing to assist the Moreots now if they were properly cowed by fear of Ibrahim. Still not all Moreots will be as amenable as others.
[2] Demetrios Ypsilantis had been responsible for the creation of the first Professional Military unit in Greece, the Batiste Regiment in 1821. It was comprised of refugees from Asia Minor, Thrace, and Macedonia, and it fought in the many battles in the first year of the war before being disbanded due to rising costs both in coin and manpower. A second professional military unit was established early in 1822, comprised of former members of the Batiste Regiment and Philhellene volunteers, but they too were disbanded after many members were massacred in the Battle of Peta. With Ypsilantis in “command” of the Greek Army and the London Loan being handled better, it goes without saying that the Greeks would try to create a more professional fighting force, loyal to the state rather than a captain.
[3] This is essentially the same location as the OTL battle of Maniaki, although this battle is mostly different from that one aside from Papaflessas death and the flight of the Greek volunteers. Part 16 will be the last part that follows the OTL war this closely, as the war will begin diverging immensely from its OTL counterpart from Part 17 onward for the most part.
[4] Ibrahim Pasha did this in OTL as well. Despite his ruthlessness towards his enemies, he was incredibly respectful to opponents he deemed to be particularly honorable or brave.
Anyway, thank you for the correction, I'll fix it immediately.
