Cretan State

Cretan State
Κρητική Πολιτεία (Greek)
كرید دولتی (Ottoman Turkish)
1898–1913
Anthem: Cretan Anthem
Map of Crete as an autonomous state of the Ottoman Empire (1900)
Map of Crete as an autonomous state of the Ottoman Empire (1900)
StatusAutonomous state of the Ottoman Empire
Capital
and largest city
Heraklion
Common languagesGreek (official), Ottoman Turkish (recognised)
Religion
Greek Orthodox (prevailing religion),
Sunni Islam (recognised),
Judaism
Demonym(s)Cretan
High Commissioner 
• 1898–1906
Prince George
• 1906–1911
Alexandros Zaimis
Prime Minister 
• 1910
Eleftherios Venizelos
LegislatureAssembly
History 
9 December 1898
23 March 1905
• Unilateral union with Greece
7 October 1908[1]
30 May 1913
1 December 1913
Population
• 1911 estimate
336,151
CurrencyCretan drachma
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Ottoman Crete
Kingdom of Greece
Today part of Greece

The Cretan State (Greek: Κρητική Πολιτεία, romanizedKritiki Politeia; Ottoman Turkish: كرید دولتی, romanizedGirid Devleti) was established in 1898, following the intervention by the Great Powers (United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia) on the island of Crete. In 1897, the Cretan Revolt led the Ottoman Empire to declare war on Greece, which led the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Russia to intervene on the grounds that the Ottoman Empire could no longer maintain control. It was the prelude to the island's final annexation to the Kingdom of Greece, which occurred de facto in 1908 and de jure in 1913 after the First Balkan War.

  1. ^ Anderson, Frank Maloy; Amos Shartle Hershey (1918). "The Cretan Question, 1897–1908". Handbook for the Diplomatic History of Europe, Asia, and Africa 1870–1914. National Board for Historical Service, United States Government Publishing Office. Archived from the original on 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2018-11-03.