Andreas Londos

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Andreas Londos
1786 – 1846
Place of birth Vostitsa , Achaea
Place of death Athens, Greece
Allegiance Flag of Greece Greece
Years of service 1821 - 1846
Rank Colonel
Battles/wars Greek War of Independence

Andreas Londos (Greek: Ανδρέας Λόντος, 1786–1846) was a Greek military leader and politician. Born in Vostitsa in 1786, he was initiated into the Filiki Eteria in 1818 and was one of the first military leaders to raise the banner of revolt in the Peloponnese during the Greek War of Independence.

On 26 January 1821, under the ruse of a land dispute between landowners, Londos and other leading landowners, primates and bishops of the Filiki Eteria, including Andreas Zaimis and Germanos of Patras, met Papaflessas at the Monastery of Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Vostitsa to discuss plans for an uprising against the Turks. At first sceptical of Papaflessas's rhetoric for general uprising, Londos and the other leaders eventually raised the banner of independence on 10 March 1821 at the monastery of Agia Lavra after the Bey of Tripolis imprisoned and threatened to execute several leading Greek Bishops.[1]

The flag raised by Andreas Londos at the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence.
The flag raised by Andreas Londos at the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence.

On 23 March 1821, he and 400 Greek fighters marched on Vostitsa. Hearing rumours of a general insurrection, the Turks fled across the Gulf of Corinth and took refuge at Amfissa. The Greeks captured the town without a fight. Leaving 200 men as a garrison, Londos then marched on Patras to join the seige of the city's fortress.[2]

In July 1822, at Akrata, a force of Greek fighters under Londos, Zaimis and Petmezas surrounded and attacked a group of 4000 Turks marching to Patras after their defeat by Nikitaras at Dervenakia. Only a few Turks were lucky to escape when Yusuf Pasha sent ships to take them to Patras.[3]

Andreas Londos, with his friend and ally Andreas Zaimis, were later embroiled in the political intrigues surrounding the claims of two factions to legitimacy of government. At first siding with the government (then led by Georgios Kountouriotis), Londos later joined the Peloponnesian leaders against the government of Ioannis Kolettis, and was subsequently on the losing side of the civil war of 1824.[4]

Following Greek independence, he became involved in the September 3 Movement that finally secured a constitution for the people of Greece.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Paroulakis, Peter H. The Greeks: Their Struggle For Independence. Hellenic International Press (1984). ISBN 0-9590894-1-1
  2. ^ Brewer, David. The Greek War of Independence. The Overlook Press (2001). ISBN 1-58567-172-X
  3. ^ Paroulakis, Peter H. The Greeks: Their Struggle For Independence. Hellenic International Press (1984). ISBN 0-9590894-1-1
  4. ^ Brewer, David. The Greek War of Independence. The Overlook Press (2001). ISBN 1-58567-172-X