History of Greece

Greece is a country in Southeastern Europe located in the Southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula. About 20 percent of the 51,000 square miles of land is made up of 2,000 islands. Only 170 of those islands are inhabited.

The territory of Greece has varied considerably throughout the ages due to their strategic location in the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean. Many wars and civilizations from early B.C. to the 19th century have been documented in early Greek history.

Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832. Greece was declared a monarchy under the 1832 Treaty of London and Price Otto of Bavaria was its first king. He served until 1862, when he was exiled and the Danish Prince, King George I was appointed the constitutional monarch.

In 1864, Greece adopted a more democratic constitution and reduced the powers of the King. However, the Greek dynasty still remained in control of the government. Greek statesman, Eleutherios Venizelos, became the Prime Minister of Greece in 1910. He built up the languishing Greek economy and modernized the military. He garnered support of surrounding countries to overthrow the Ottoman Empire which held considerable territories.

In 1912, the first Balkan War broke out when Venizelos, in coordination with Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro, attacked the Ottoman Empire and captured most of it's possessions. The second Balkan War broke out between allies Greece and Serbia against Bulgaria, over control of Macedonia. Bulgaria was defeated.

The Germans occupied Greece in World War II and put the country in total despair. Later, with help from Britain and the United States, Greece was able to regain most of its territories. Today, Greece is a member of the European Union and the New Democracy is the majority in the Parliament.