_Sir R. Comyn, History of the Western Empire, chapter 31 (volume 2)._ ALSO IN: _Sir E. S. Creasy, History of the Ottoman Turks, chapter 5._ GREECE: A. D. 1645-1669. The war of Candia. Surrender of Crete to the Turks by the Venetians. See TURKS: A. D. 1645-1669. GREECE: A. D. 1684-1696. Conquests by the Venetians from the Turks. See TURKS: A. D. 1684-1696. GREECE: A. D. 1699. Cession of part of the Morea to Venice by the Turks. See HUNGARY: A. D. 1683-1699. GREECE: A. D. 1714-1718. The Venetians expelled again from the Morea by the Turks. Corfu defended. See TURKS: A. D. 1714-1718. GREECE: A. D. 1770-1772. Revolt against the Turkish rule. Russian encouragement and desertion. See TURKS: A. D. 1768-1774. GREECE: A. D. 1821-1829. Overthrow of Turkish rule. Intervention of Russia, England and France. Battle of Navarino. Establishment of national independence. "The Spanish revolution of 1820 [see SPAIN: A. D. 1814-1827], which was speedily followed by the revolutions of Naples, Sicily, and Piedmont, caused a great excitement throughout Europe, and paved the way for the Greek revolution of 1821. Since the beginning of the century the Greeks had been preparing for the struggle; in fact, for more than fifty years there had been a general movement in the direction of independence. … There had been many insurrections against the Turkish authority, but they were generally suppressed without difficulty, though with the shedding of much Greek blood. Nearly every village in Greece suffered from pillage by the Turks, and the families were comparatively few that did not mourn a father, son, or brother, killed by the Turks or carried into slavery, or a daughter or sister transported to a Turkish harem. … Notwithstanding their subjugation, many of the Greeks were commercially prosperous, and a large part of the traffic of the East was in their hands. They conducted nearly all the coasting trade of the Levant, and a few years before the revolution they had 600 vessels mounting 6,000 guns (for defence against pirates) and manned by 18,000 seamen. … In laying their plans for independence the Greeks resorted to the formation of secret societies, and so well was the scheme conducted that everything was ripe for insurrection before the Turkish rulers had any suspicion of the state of affairs. A great association was formed which included Greeks everywhere, not only in Greece and its islands, but in Constantinople, Austria, Germany, England, and other countries, wherever a Greek could be found. Men of other nationalities were occasionally admitted, but only when their loyalty to the Greek cause was beyond question, and their official positions gave them a chance to aid in the work. Several distinguished