Demetrios Ypsilantis (alternatively spelled Demetrius Ypsilanti; el, Δημήτριος Υψηλάντης, ; ro, Dumitru Ipsilanti; 1793August 16, 1832) was a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

army officer who served in both the

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

and the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

. Ypsilantis played an important role in the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

, leading several key battles. He was also member of the

Filiki Eteria Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends ( el, Φιλικὴ Ἑταιρεία ''or'' ) was a secret organization founded in 1814 in Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek ...

and the younger brother of

Alexander Ypsilantis Alexandros Ypsilantis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης, Aléxandros Ypsilántis, ; ro, Alexandru Ipsilanti; russian: Александр Константинович Ипсиланти, Aleksandr Konstantinovich Ipsilanti; 12 Dece ...

Early life

A member of

Phanariote Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots ( el, Φαναριώτες, ro, Fanarioți, tr, Fenerliler) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumeni ...

noble

Ypsilantis family The House of Ypsilantis ( el, Υψηλάντης; ro, Ipsilanti) was a Greek Phanariote family which grew into prominence and power in Constantinople during the last centuries of Ottoman Empire and gave several short-reign ''hospodars'' to the D ...

, he was the second son of Prince Constantine Ypsilantis of Moldavia. He was sent to France where he was educated at a French military school.

Union of Moldavia and Wallachia

He distinguished himself as a

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

n officer in the campaign of 1814. In 1821 he took part in the

Wallachian uprising The uprising of 1821 was a social and political rebellion in Wallachia, which was at the time a tributary state of the Ottoman Empire. It originated as a movement against the Phanariote administration, with backing from the more conservative bo ...

under the leadership of his brother Alexandros, that indirectly benefited the Principalities of Moldavia and

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...

.East, ''The Union of Moldavia and Wallachia, 1859'', p. 8.

The Greek War of Independence

After the failure of the uprising in Wallachia, he went to the

Morea The Morea ( el, Μορέας or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used for the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the Ottoman ...

(Peloponessus), where the

had just broken out, as representative of Filiki Etaireia and his brother. He was one of the most conspicuous of the Phanariote leaders during the early stages of the revolt, though he was much hampered by the local chiefs and by the civilian element headed by

Alexandros Mavrokordatos Alexandros Mavrokordatos ( el, Αλέξανδρος Μαυροκορδάτος; 11 February 179118 August 1865) was a Greece, Greek statesman, diplomat, politician and member of the Mavrocordatos family of Phanariotes. Biography In 1812, Mavroko ...

; as a result the organisation of a regular army was slowed and operations were limited. He took part in the sieges of Tripolitsa, Nafplion and the Battle of Dervenakia, securing the Greek dominion in Morea. On 15 January 1822, he was elected president of the legislative assembly. However, due to the failure of his campaign in central Greece, and his failure to obtain a commanding position in the national convention of Astros, he was compelled to retire in 1823. After the landing of

Ibrahim Ibrahim ( ar, إبراهيم, links=no ') is the Arabic name for Abraham, a Biblical patriarch and prophet in Islam. For the Islamic view of Ibrahim, see Abraham in Islam. Ibrahim may also refer to: * Ibrahim (name), a name (and list of people ...

at Morea, he took part in the defence of Naplion in the

Battle of the Lerna Mills The Battle of the Lerna Mills was fought on June 24, 1825, in Lerna, Greece between the Egyptian forces of Ibrahim Pasha and Greek forces led by General Yannis Makriyannis, Demetrios Ypsilantis, Andreas Metaxas and Konstantinos Mavromichalis.F ...

. In 1828, he was appointed in the new established regular army by

Ioannis Kapodistrias Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias (10 or 11 February 1776 – 9 October 1831), sometimes anglicized as John Capodistrias ( el, Κόμης Ιωάννης Αντώνιος Καποδίστριας, Komis Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias; russian: � ...

as commander of the troops in eastern Greece. On 25 September 1829, he successfully compelled Aslan Bey to capitulate at the Pass of Petra ( Battle of Petra), thus ending the active operations of the war.

Personal life

He was known for an affair with

Manto Mavrogenous Manto Mavrogenous ( el, Μαντώ Μαυρογένους) (1796 – July 1848) was a Greek heroine of the Greek War of Independence. A rich woman, she spent all her fortune for the Hellenic cause. Under her encouragement, her European friends ...

, who was a Greek heroine of the Greek War of Independence.

Death

Funerary monument of Demetrios Ypsilantis 02

He died due to illness in

Nafplion Nafplio ( ell, Ναύπλιο) is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece and it is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important touristic destination. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important seaport in the ...

, Greece, on August 16, 1832.

Legacy

*The city of Ypsilanti,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, in the United States; founded in 1823, during the Greek struggle for independence; is named after him. A bust of Demetrios Ypsilanti stands between American and Greek flags at the base of the landmark

Ypsilanti Water Tower The Ypsilanti Water Tower is a historic water tower in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. The tower was designed by William R. Coats and built as part of an elaborate city waterworks project that began in 1889. Located on the highest point in ...

. *

Ypsilanti, North Dakota Ypsilanti is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States, and the primary populated place in Ypsilanti Township. A portion of the townsite is located in Corwin Township. Its population ...

, USA, was named by a person from Ypsilanti, Michigan, and is thus also indirectly named after Demetrios Ypsilantis. *Ypsilanti in

Talbot County, Georgia Talbot County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The 2020 census showed a population of 5,733. The county seat and largest city is Talbotton. History Talbot County was created from a portion of Musco ...

, USA, was once a relatively important cotton growing centre but “is now (2010) merely a crossroads with a reported five residences."

References

Sources

*East, ''The Union of Moldavia and Wallachia, 1859 - An Episode in Diplomatic History'',

Thirlwall Prize Since 1884, the Thirlwall Prize was instituted at Cambridge University in the memory of Bishop Connop Thirlwall, and has been awarded during odd-numbered years, for the best essay about British history or literature for a subject with original rese ...

Essay for 1927, Cambridge University Press (1929).

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ypsilantis, Demetrius 1793 births 1832 deaths 19th-century heads of state of Greece 19th-century prime ministers of Greece Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece Members of the Filiki Eteria Members of Sacred Band (1821) Greek generals Hellenic Army generals

Demetrios Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning “Demetris” - "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumit ...

Greek military leaders of the Greek War of Independence Russian military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Phanariotes Constantinopolitan Greeks Speakers of the Hellenic Parliament Military personnel from Istanbul