The April 1854 Macedonian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire

The Macedonian Revolution of April 1854 was the first serious attempt by Greek revolutionaries to regain Macedonia from the Ottomans since the first attempt during the Greek War of Independence in 1821.

Two veterans of the Greek War of Independence – Dimitrios Karatasos and Theodoros Ziakas – were two of the main leaders and protagonists of the Revolution.

Both were natives of the region who were looking to incorporate Macedonia into the Greek State.

The two main points of attack for the Greek Revolutionaries were from Grevena and Halkidiki.

The Greeks fought hard and heroically but the Great Powers of the time, namely France and Britain, viewed the operation negatively and found it contrary to their own separate agendas and actively worked to shut down the Revolution.

Although the Macedonian Revolution of 1854 did not succeed in its goal, it was the precursor to several Revolutions which would come in 1878, 1896, 1904 and again during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, where Macedonia would finally be free and join Greece.

READ MORE: The awesome street art commemorating the 1821 Greek Revolution.