The struggle for the independence of the Greeks from Ottoman rule was a giant fight. Modern Greece is more a product of this bloody effort than of the Classical period. Due to the nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule, there is still today in the consciousness of the Greeks hostility towards the Turks and also suspicion towards foreign powers, for which the Greeks believe they acted exclusively for their own benefit through manipulation.
Foreign philhellenes supported the Greek revolution, but foreign governments were more interested in the stability of Europe as it was shaped after Napoleon's defeat, rather than in Greece and the Greeks.
The charismatic leadership of Kolokotronis gave the revolution the impetus it needed, while the destruction of Chios and Kydonia, the exploits of Kanaris and Pipinos, the holocaust of Mesolongi, the death of Byron, the bloodshed in the Peloponnese, mobilized the governments of Europe and an allied fleet under Admiral Codrington sailed to the open waters of Navarino, where the final act of the heroic drama would be played out...