The period between represents the foundational century of the modern Greek state, a turbulent era defined by the transition from an Ottoman province to a modern European nation-state.
This was one of the most liberal in Europe at the time, establishing a "crowned republic." The period between represents the foundational century of
Through strategic alliances and military success, Greece nearly doubled its territory and population, incorporating Macedonia, Epirus, Crete, and the North Aegean islands . The dominant political figure of the late 19th
The "Megali Idea" drove all major foreign policy decisions and military engagements. a Bavarian regency governed
The dominant political figure of the late 19th century, Trikoupis introduced the principle of Dedilomeni (the requirement that the Prime Minister must have the confidence of Parliament). He focused on infrastructure (railroads, the Corinth Canal) but his heavy spending led to national bankruptcy in 1893.
The first King, Otto of Bavaria , arrived in 1833. Initially, a Bavarian regency governed, centralizing power and establishing a Western-style bureaucracy, which often clashed with the local traditions of the revolutionary "warlords."