Philhellenism and the Greek Revolution of 1821

Philhellenism and the Greek Revolution of 1821: Towards a Global History reassesses one of the most important, yet still contested, dimensions of the Greek Revolution: the international mobilisation in support of the Greek cause. Although philhellenism has long attracted scholarly attention, its nature, meanings, and contribution to the course and outcome of the Revolution remain open to debate. This volume approaches philhellenism not simply as an expression of romantic enthusiasm or liberal sympathy, but as a complex transnational phenomenon that shaped, and was shaped by, the revolutionary crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean. Bringing together new research and fresh conceptual perspectives, the volume examines how philhellenism operated across different political, social, religious, and cultural settings. By situating the Greek Revolution within the wider Age of Revolutions, the volume argues that the Greek Revolution was not merely a peripheral testing ground for European ideas, but a generative site where competing visions of politics, society, gender, religion, modernity, and Europe itself were produced and contested. Its distinctive contribution lies in applying a global history approach to philhellenism and in opening new research agendas on aspects of the phenomenon that have rarely been explored. The volume will be essential reading for scholars and students of modern Greek history, the Age of Revolutions, Mediterranean and global history, intellectual history, nationalism, liberalism, humanitarianism, and transnational political mobilisation. It will also appeal to readers interested in the international dimensions of the Greek Revolution and the making of modern Europe.