Georgios Karaiskakis

Georgios Karaiskakis (Greek Γεώργιος Καραϊσκάκης; * 1782 Agrapha, Epirus, † May 4, 1827 in Athens ) was a general in the Greek War of Independence.

Youth

Karaiskakis was born in a monastery near the village Mavrommati (Greek Μαυρομμάτι ) in the Agrafa mountains in Karditsa in Thessaly. His father Dimitris Iskos or Karaiskos was Armatole, his mother's name was Zoe Dimiski. After the father died, his mother became a nun. As "Nuns son " and known for his dark skin as "Gypsies ," he was at a young age Klephte at a Klephts unit in Agrafa Mountains. He climbed into the Klephtenorganisation soon to protopalikaro '' '' or lieutenant. At 15, he was captured by the troops of Ali Pasha and imprisoned in Ioannina. Impressed by his courage and his intelligence and of his fighting strength left him Ali Pasha free and entrusted it to his personal bodyguards. He served Ali Pasha several years as a bodyguard until he lost his favor and fled into the mountains to continue life as Klephte.

Freedom fighter

In the early days of the Greek War of Independence Karaiskakis served in one unit in the Peloponnese; he took part in the intrigues that divided the Greek leadership. However, because he recognized the need for a stable Greek government, he supported Ioannis Kapodistrias, who was the first Greek state.

Karaiskakis ' reputation grew in the course of the war. He supported the repeal in 1823 of the first siege of Missolonghi and tried to save the city from the second siege in 1826.

In 1826 he was appointed commander in chief of the Greek forces in Central Greece ( Roumeli ). He did not work effectively with the other leaders of the liberation movement and the foreign sympathizers together, but won military successes against the Ottomans.

His most famous - and most valuable in terms elsewhere suffered defeats - victory came at Arachova (Greek Αράχωβα ), where his army defeated a force of Turkish and Albanian troops under Mustafa Bey Bey and Kehagia.

1827 Karaiskakis participated in a vain attempt to break the siege of Athens. Karaiskakis fell on 23 April 1827. The Karaiskakis Stadium in Neo Faliro is named after him because he was mortally wounded in this area. At his request, he was buried at Salamis.