the struggle for Greek independence The Siege

The final siege of Missolonghi, which culminated in 1826, was one of the most dramatic episodes of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. Beginning in April 1825, the Ottomans, led by Reşid Mehmed Pasha (later joined by the Egyptian forces of Ibrahim Pasha), launched a sustained and brutal attack on the fortified town. Missolonghi had already withstood two earlier sieges (1822 and 1823), and by 1825 it had become a symbol of Greek resistance. The defenders, a mix of Greek revolutionaries and civilians, numbered only a few thousand and were vastly outmatched in both manpower and resources. Despite this, they resisted for nearly a year, enduring constant bombardment, disease, starvation, and the progressive encroachment of Ottoman-Egyptian forces.

1826

By the spring of 1826, with supplies exhausted and hopes of relief dimmed, the defenders of Missolonghi decided on a desperate breakout attempt. On the night of April 10, 1826, in a well-organized but ultimately tragic exodus, thousands tried to escape the besieged city. The Ottomans, having been alerted, ambushed the escaping Greeks, leading to a massacre. Many were killed, captured, or drowned in the nearby lagoon, while only a small number managed to reach safety. The fall of Missolonghi shocked Europe, stirring sympathy for the Greek cause and galvanizing further philhellenic support. The city’s resistance and sacrifice came to symbolize heroic defiance and national martyrdom in the struggle for Greek independence.