Reflections on an "Ignominious Defeat": Reappraising the Effects of the Greco-Ottoman War of 1897 on Greek Politics

The Greco-Ottoman War of 1897 has created a collective national trauma for Greeks on account of the supposed magnitude of the defeat, feelings of "national shame and humiliation," and a perceived sense of damage to Greek national interests. Scholarship has not paid sufficient attention to this event, which by and large remains in the shadows of history. What is more, despite the Greek defeat in the war, the Megali Idea («Μεγάλη Ιδέα», Great Idea), the irredentist concept of Greek nationalism, continued to exist and feed the fantasy of the Greek nation, while the island of Crete gained autonomy from Ottoman rule.