ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how Greek political elites produced collective memories of empire and suzereignty which, in turn, led to the creation of a Greek identity that came to configure how the entry of Greece into international society was represented both to the Greek nation and the members of the international society. It investigates the political, socio-cultural, religious, and economic processes that preceded the entry of Greece into international society. The chapter examines the approaches and practices that the Greeks adopted following the outbreak of their revolt against the Ottoman Empire in an effort to attract the attention and support of the European governments and publics for their cause. Three crucial channels of communication served to link the Greek cause to Europe: the Philhellenes, the foreign-oriented Greek political factions, and the acquisition of services of foreign military officers. The Westernizers intended to create an independent Greek state based on the European model of statehood.
