Coin set proof

Crete had been under Ottoman rule since the conquest of Candia, present-day Iraklio, in 1669. The island’s predominantly Greek-speaking and Orthodox population participated in the Greek War of Independence, but Crete did not become part of the Greek state established in the 1830s. Over the course of the 19th century, repeated uprisings took place. In the process, demands for political and religious rights increasingly became linked to the aim of “Enosis”, the political union with Greece.

Following another uprising and the Greek-Ottoman War of 1897, the European great powers intervened. In 1898, the autonomous Cretan State (Kretischer Staat) was established. It formally remained under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Sultan, but had its own government and administration. Prince George of Greece was appointed High Commissioner. However, the autonomy arrangement did not end the political struggle. In 1905, Eleftherios Venizelos, who later became Greek prime minister several times, led the Theriso revolt against the government of the High Commissioner. It called for political reforms and closer ties with Greece.

In 1908, the Cretan people’s assembly unilaterally declared union with Greece. The Greek government and the great powers initially avoided formal recognition in order to prevent a new conflict with the Ottoman Empire. It was not until the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 that the political circumstances changed. In the subsequent peace settlements, the Ottoman Empire relinquished its claims to Crete.

On 1 December 1913, the Greek flag was raised in an official ceremony at Firkas Fortress in the port of Chania. Those present included King Constantine I and Prime Minister Venizelos. The choice of the theme in 2013 thus referred to a clearly datable conclusion to a decades-long political process. At the same time, the anniversary commemorated the formation of the Greek territory in connection with the collapse of Ottoman rule in the Balkans.