Struggle for Independence - Zakynthos island
The emergence of a free Greece
A new era in the social mindset of the Ionian people came with the French Republicans and their slogan "Equality and Justice". This hitherto unrecognised form of government was thus supported more by the lower social classes, in whom the new freedoms awakened a desire for equality and independence. The nobility, however, was not willing to give up its privileges and therefore supported the agreement between Russia and Turkey, which subsequently took over the island. These changes, however, prompted the inhabitants of Zakynthos to seek the right to self-determination. During the British occupation, they actively supported the Greeks in their war of independence, and in 1864 the Ionian Islands became part of Greece.
French domination
As the Venetian influence on the Greek islands declined, the French became increasingly interested in the area. In 1797, French republicans appeared in the Ionian Islands, promising to change the social, economic and political system. After the conquest of Zakynthos, Napoleon declared himself the liberator of the Ionian Islands and Zakynthos became the administrative centre of the Ionian Islands.
The arrival of the French was accompanied by celebrations, the planting of the "tree of liberty" and the burning of the controversial Golden Book "Libro d′oro" in the main square. The population was divided into three classes - the nobility, the bourgeoisie and the people. Only the nobles were registered in the Golden Book and had political rights.
The French brought new freedoms to the island, abolished various types of discrimination and introduced compulsory schooling.
Russian-Turkish domination
But the freedom and innovation brought by the French soon clashed with the nostalgia of a noble class that missed the old privileges. Thus, the French change did not last long and the oligarchy was restored after only 15 months in 1798 when the island came under Russo-Turkish rule.
In 1800 in Constantinople, Russia and Turkey agreed to establish a new free state called the "Eptanisos State" or "State of the Seven Islands". Greek became the official language of the state and Orthodox Christianity was established as the official religion.
However, the new state restored the old nobility's dominance over the local people, causing constant tension in society, and the islanders repeatedly organized uprisings. The situation calmed down in 1807 when the Turks returned the island to the French. However, they did not settle there for long.
British domination
In 1809 the British, with the help of a large army, settled on Zakynthos and made it the capital of the Ionian state. The British ruled the island from 1814 to 1864. As a result, it benefited from new infrastructure, water supply, bridges, ports, schools, etc.
However, the rest of Greece was still under Turkish rule at that time and anti-authoritarian sentiment was growing in society. The Greek population even founded a secret patriotic society called "Filiki Eteria" ("Society of Friends") and the following events led to an uprising for independence. In 1821, the Greek War of Independence took place and the people of Zante played a key role in it, openly supporting the Greeks and donating money and soldiers. The Greeks eventually managed to break free from Turkish rule.
Emergence of Free Greece
The separation of Greece from Turkish influence was a strong impetus for the emergence of a radical movement in the Ionian Islands, which had long fought against the British. Zante and the Ionian Islands joined Greece on 21 May 1864, when the Greek flag flew on them.
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