French Occupation

In Kefalonia, as elsewhere, Venice had lost all her authority and prestige. In the civil war between the Anninos and Metaxas families which broke out in 1755 and lasted untif 1760, the Venetian authorities did not dare intervene. It was only natural that the Kefalonians seek some other power to protect them. All eyes were turned towards Russia, insignificant before the 18th century, who had now taken her place among the important states of Europe, after Peter the Great's reforms and her attacks on the Turks. Hopes sprang up in the hearts of the Greeks that they would soon be liberated from the Turkish yoke and that Orthodoxy would be reinstated. Many Greeks decided to renounce their father­land during that period. Those who reached the Imperial court of Russia were rewarded with glory and honours. Many Kefalonians held high office under Catherine the Great.

In 1767 an earthquake claimed 253 victims on the island.

Greek revolutionaries in Russia began to instigate rebellion in the fatherland. The Kefalonian sergeant G. Papazoglou arrived in Trieste and sent some of his men to rouse Greeks to the cause. Around the same time the Orlof brothers were meeting in Venice with Slavs and Greeks. Before long the results of their endeavours were apparent,

Russia declared war on Turkey in 1768. The Venetian authorities tried in vain to stop the uprisings and turmoil that were occurring on the islands (1770­1773). Russian victories led to the treaty of 22 July 1777, under which the rebels were granted amnesty and allowed to practice the Orthodox religion openly and Greeks in Turkey were allowed to leave the country unimpeded.

In 1789 the French revolution broke out, and its repercussions were felt in Kefalonia. In 1795 the commander of the French army Napoleon Bonaparte appeared in the arena of war; he declared war on Venice on May 1, 1797. When he had defeated her, he sent envoys to the islands to assume their mil­itary and civil administration. A democrat­ic government known as the Demar­cheion was set up in Argostoli; Demar­cheia were also established in Lixouri and other farming districts. Kefalonia, Ithaki, Lefkada, Vonitsa and Preveza now constituted the Nome of Ithaki. A primary concern of the French was the improve­ment of the Kefalonians' intellectual life, which they brought about by founding schools, French colleges and libraries. But it would seem that the wretched state of the economy caused enthusiasm fo the status quo to wane after Bonaparte's campaign in Egypt, the Russians allied themselves with the Turks against him. The islanders could not hide their enthu­siasm.

The remaining Gallophiles attacked this new faction of dissenters, and this gave the middle class a chance to rebel

against the nobility; the peasants in turn refused to recognise the judiciary authori­ties and declared themselves free of any obligation towards the landowners.

Of course, the French continued to govern the island, and when the inhabi­tants of Lixouri took up arms against the central government in Argostoli, their leaders were captured and the rebellion was quelled.

In September 1798, the French guard abandoned Argostoli. On the 29th of October, the Russo-Turkish fleet landed in Argostoli and declared the Ionian islands free. In the agreement drawn up later between the Russians and Turks, the Ionian islands are mentioned as belonging to the Sublime Porte under the name of "United Septinsular State". Only nobles and well-to-do bourgeois partici­pated in the government. Internal strife was not long in appearing. It was decided to move the judicial and sanitary authori­ties to Lixouri; as soon as the fleet sailed out of the harbour, the people of Argostoli rebelled. On August 12, 1800, Omala, Livathos and Skala united against Argos­toli. Lixouri was attacked the same day by the villages of Anogi. Russia was forced to send commissaries (Dessilas and Kapodistrias) to enforce the constitu­tion, but even they were unable to restore order. Revolts, bloody conflict, firing of ships and other serious crimes not only continued but spread to the other islands. Things calmed down three years later, when the Doge loannis Mocenigo drew up a new constitution and imposed order, allowing trade to resume.

In 1806, when Austria, Prussia, Eng­land and Russia declared war on France, Turkey allied herself to Napoleon out of fear. The Septinsular State could not remain neutral for long. In the end the islands entered the conflict, and when the French defeated the allies at Austerlitz, a treaty was signed ceding the Ionian islands to France.

By the 8th of July, the French flag was flying over all the islands. Napoleon sent General Donzelot to Kefalonia to ensure that his possessions prospered.