Greek Civil Wars of 1823–1825

Between 1823 and 1825, while the war against the Ottomans continued, the Greek revolutionaries fought two civil wars among themselves. The conflicts arose from deep divisions between different groups. Military leaders from the Peloponnese, led by Theodoros Kolokotronis, and local notables clashed with politicians and wealthy shipowners from the islands, especially Hydra, led by Georgios Kountouriotis, and with educated Greeks from abroad such as Alexandros Mavrokordatos. They struggled over power, money, especially the funds from the foreign loans, and the direction of the revolution. The first civil war broke out in late 1823 and ended in 1824 with a victory for the government. A second, more serious conflict followed later in 1824, in which government forces, including troops from central Greece, invaded the Peloponnese. Kolokotronis's son Panos was killed, and Kolokotronis himself was arrested and imprisoned on the island of Hydra. The civil wars weakened the Greek cause at a critical moment, just as the Egyptian army of Ibrahim Pasha was preparing to invade, and Kolokotronis was released in 1825 to lead the resistance.