Megali Idea
Modern Greek history has been anything but stable. After the Greek people gained their independence from the Ottoman Empire, the country entered a period of instability where they tried to establish a form of government that could work for them. At the same time, the country also strove to modernize their institutions and the countryβs infrastructure.
The Megali Idea also grew in this time period. It was a concept that expressed the goal of expansion of Greek state and Constantinople, at the time, was to be Greeceβs capital. This new state would consist of all lands mainly occupied by Greek-speaking inhabitants that were under Ottoman rule. These included parts of the Southern Balkans, Cyprus and Asia Minor. A significant portion of the Megali Idea was achieved in the early twentieth century.