| Date | November 2016 | Marks available | 20 | Reference code | 16N.3op5a.HL.TZ0.5 |
| Level | Higher level only | Paper | Paper 3 (Aspects of the history of Europe and the Middle East) - last exams 2016) | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Discuss | Question number | 5 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Discuss the causes of the Greek War of Independence.
Markscheme
Candidates must offer a considered and balanced review of the various causes of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1832). These should include the origins of the rebellion and could also be extended to include the reasons why the rebellion was able to survive the Egyptian intervention by
Ibrahim Pasha.
Indicative content
- The Greek War of Independence was a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire and led to the establishment of an independent Greek kingdom in 1832.
- The origins of the Greek rebellion can be traced to the Philiki Etaireia, whose leader Alexander Ypsilantis invaded Turkish Moldavia in March 1821. Although he was soon defeated, revolts broke out across Greece, especially in the Peloponnese, and an independent Greece was declared in January 1822.
- Internal division among the Greeks and the arrival of Egyptian forces under Ibrahim Pasha posed a severe challenge to the rebellion. However, the War of Independence continued to a successful conclusion, in part due to the role of foreign powers with the defeat of the Egypto-Ottoman forces at Navarino by Britain, France and Russia in October 1827.
- The longer-term causes of the rebellion could include the sense of Greek identity, fostered by the Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek language. The abuses suffered under Ottoman rule, for example the execution of Gregory V of Constantinople in 1821, aggravated the situation further as did the spread of French revolutionary ideas and the growing economic success of
some Greek communities. - Events in Serbia, where the Ottomans faced prolonged rebellions from 1804 onwards, may also have inspired the Greeks and underlined the relative weakness of Ottoman power.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, the list is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.
Examiners are reminded of the need to apply the markbands that provide the “best fit” to the responses given by candidates and to award credit wherever it is possible to do so.
[20 marks]
Examiners report
[N/A]
