As the Greek situation in their war of independence looks worse and worse, Sultan Mahmud II finally executes his masterstroke to begin reforming the Empire. But, with European sentiments towards the Greeks and Ottomans changing, the geopolitics of the Balkans are about to change dramatically.

Major Characters in this Episode

Sultan Mahmut II

Mohammad Ali

Ibrahim Pasha

Tsar Nicholas of Russia

Timeline for this Episode

• 1826, The massacre of the janissaries, or “auspicious incident”

• 1826, Akkerman Convention

• 1827, Treaty of London

• 1827, Battle of Navarino

• 1827-1827, the Bulgarian population of the Skopje diocese rose up against the local Greek Bishop

• 1828, 15,000 French soldiers land in the Peloponnese to supervise the Egyptian withdrawal. Most return home after around 8 months.

• 1828-9 Russo-Ottoman war leads to as many as 250,000 Bulgarian exiles

• July 1828, near Shumen, a delegation arrived to the Russians and asks them to offer protection to the Bulgarians

• 1829, Treaty of Adrianople

• 1830, Treaty of London forms a Greek state