Jean Kapodistrias et la Macédoine

Abstract

The designation of John Capodistria as Governor of Greece constitutes
one of the most remarkable landmarks in the course of the War of Independence. His arrival in 1828, provided all Greeks with the opportunity to write to him and express their problems, desires, anxieties, and requests. The documents of this correspondance, which are of paramount historical significance, include those sent by the populace of the Macedonian regions, and are kept in the General Archives of the State in Athens. These documents also include
the replies of Capodistria to the Macedonian population.

A careful and penetrating study of these documents clarifies a large
number of issues. The correspondance between the Macedonians and the leaders of the War of Independence, esp. Capodistria was continuous. The Macedonians sacrificed a lot of blood, and their achievements were valuable and important. During the insurrection, the Macedonians set up revolutionary encampments and effectively restrained the Turkish military forces, suffering, nevertheless, hardship and torment. It was the regions of Cassandra,
Hassicon, Bodena, and of the Mademohoria, that suffered in particular, whereas the towns of Polygyros and Naoussa were razed to the ground. Numerous Macedonians went south and took part in the decisive battles of the War, and Macedonian representatives actively participated in the 4th National Assembly held in Argos, where the boundaries of the proposed free Greek State were drawn up. 

In the aforesaid correspondence, the Macedonians express their respect and obedience to the decrees and wishes of the Governor; they emphatically state their irrevocable rights and their demand for a unification of Macedonia
with Greece.

To meet these demands. Capodistria sent Captain A. Kriezis, of the
Navy, to the isle of Thassos with special instructions, and appointed Andreas Londos commissioner for the Northern Sporades. His foreign policy was based on maintenance of good relations with the Ottoman Empire, and for this purpose he moved the Macedonian military contingent from the Sporades to Eleusis. He envisaged a state of a war of attrition, maintaining the Macedonian populace in a state of perpetual insurrection. 

These documents clearly indicate that, during the War of Independence, the Macedonians openly showed their heartfelt desire for unison with Greece, their Greek spirit, and their Hellenic mentality.