Coat of arms -Samian Hegemony
The last Sunday , November 12th 2017 , Samos was celebratining its union with mother Hellas in 1912, after almost 5 centuries of Turkish occupation.
The fight for liberty !
In April 1821, Samos declared the Revolution in Vathy with Konstantinos Lahanas 
and the oficialisation on May 8, led by Lykourgos Logothetis
(https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9B%CF%85%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%9B%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%BF%CE%B8%CE%AD%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82)
and the other chief-captains in Karlovasi. Samian people eith the assist of Hellenic fleet prevented the island's catastrophy by the Turks. In 1834 the three great forces of England, France and Russia came in agreement with the Sultan and decided on the future status of Samos. Samos, with the protection of the three, would be governed by a commander appointed by the Sultan, with limited privileges and subordination status for the people.
From 1834 to 1912, 18 Rulers passed.
The people have been fighting all these years for their rights, with their eyes always facing the west, at Mother Hellas. People managed to send back to Turkey many of the Rulers, as they could not tolerate their excessive behavior. On the eve of the Balkan War of 1912, the ruler in Samos was Andreas Kopassis, a Turkophilus, authoritarian, who had trampled almost all the privileges of the Samian people, bringing enough Turkish army to the island to keep the order. For his treacherous actions, he was murdered on March 9, 1912 on the beach of Vathi,by Stavros (son of Dimitrios) Baretis
Begleris was the new ruler of Samos. Meanwhile, the Turkish army, violating the status of the Hegemony, remains in Samos, abolishing all notions of democracy and legitimacy. In the meantime Turkish reinforcements arrive from the Asia Minor coast. On September 7, a group of armed Samians, headed by Themistocles Sofoulis,
https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%AE%CF%82_%CE%A3%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%8D%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%82
disembarke in Marathokampos. The news is transmitted as lightning and on the same day in Karlovassi many hundreds of armed patriots were gathered and the people of Karlovasi after the speech of Themistocles Sofoulis and Emmanuel Vliamos, by vote, adopted the resolution.
There followed a proclamation by Sofoulis to the people of Samos with patriotic content. Hundreds of armed men went to Mytileneoi village to be ranked, where Sofoulis had its headquarters.
The events are rapidly evolving and the battles of the rebels in the area of Paleokastro and Baikratari place,start.Turks are fortified and reinforced with artillery in these areas. Sofoulis' Headquarter is transported to Zervou.
The Battle of Baikratari stubbornly stood all day with dead and wounded.
With the intervention of British consul Louis Marcus, a five-day truce was set for September 13-18. The villages of eastern Samos almost empty and the inhabitants go to Vathi for protection as well as to the villages of western Samos. The Turks in Paleokastro burn the houses, the crops, the tobacco and all the belongings. The same thing happened in Messokambo, where they had disembarked. In Ano Vathy the inhabitants were warned to leave and descend to Vathy for more safety.
During the five-day truce,negotiations took place and it was agreed to guarantee the authorities of the island with the protectorate forces the safe transfer of the Turkish army to the opposite coast. The Turkish soldiers, with Sofoulis' intervention, were transported by the Samian Hegemony flag.
With the departure of the Turkish army the people celebrated. On the evening of September 19, 1912, Sofoulis announces with a proclamation that the only authority in the place is the revolutionary goverment. On October 5, the Balkan states: Hellas, Bulgaria and Serbia, are declaring the war against Turkey. 500 Samian volunteers, with Sofoulis, are transferred to Athens, having at the same time a considerable sum of money from patriotic efforts to strengthen the Hellenic army, which in the meantime had occupied Thessaloniki . Sofoulis agreed with Venizelos for the union of Samos and returning on November 10 to island, declaring the Union of Samos with Hellas.
On November 11, Sunday, Themistocles Sofoulis arrives at Saint Spyridon church ,
accompanied by the authorities of the island, except for the Hegemon, who had been warned to leave the hegemonic mansion. Meanwhile the people had swamped the church and the surrounding areas, the bells jammed and the Hellenic flag was all over Vathy.
Sofoulis, unable to keep his tears, declares union of Samos with Mother Hellas. The struggles and sacrifices of the Samian people were justified. The status of subordination was shattered and its position was taken by freedom and democracy.
But, despite the joy of the Samian people, official recognition had not yet been made by the Hellenic government, and our supposed protectors. Because of conflicting interests, they did not accept the revolutionary regime and union. Many ralies in main Hellas took place so the goverment been forced to send, on 2 March 1913 in Samos, battleships 'Spetses'
to accompany the commercial ship 'Thessaly' with two army companies to occupy the island. The union , was now a reality.
Till next post , tace care !
