The Battle of Valtetsi, May 12, 1821
The Battle of Valtetsi, which took place on May 12 and 13, 1821, is considered one of the most significant conflicts of the Greek War of Independence of 1821, as it marked the first major victory for the Greeks since the beginning of the revolution. Along with the battles of Doliana and Verbeni, which followed five days later, it paved the way for a closer siege of Tripoli, which ultimately led to its fall.
The Start of the Siege of Tripoli and the Dissolution of the Valtetsi Camp
The Greek revolutionaries suffered a severe defeat at the hands of the Ottomans of Tripoli when the latter managed to lift the siege of the Castle of Karytaina on March 31, 1821. Despite this failure, and despite the opposition of most of the local commanders—who preferred to prioritize the capture of the Messinian castles—Theodoros Kolokotronis insisted on the strategic importance of capturing Tripoli, which was a vital center of Ottoman presence in the Peloponnese.
For this reason, he established the first camp at Piana with the aim of besieging the city. Although this camp was dissolved by the Ottomans, as well as a corresponding camp at Vlahokerasia on April 10, Kolokotronis' plan gradually gained acceptance among the other commanders. However, the initial failures had such a negative impact on the morale of the Greeks that even the mere appearance of the Ottoman army was enough to cause panic among the revolutionaries.
The situation began to change in favor of the Greeks after their first victory at Levadi on April 14. Following this event, the revolutionaries re-established the Piana camp and established new camps at Valtetsi and Chrysovitsi. However, on April 24, the Ottomans destroyed the Valtetsi camp. Only Dimitris Plapoutas pursued the Ottoman rear guard as far as the village of Makri. After this failure, it became clear that there was a need for a general leader to coordinate the siege camps.
Finally, the Greek commanders decided to appoint Theodoros Kolokotronis as the commander-in-chief.
The March of Kehayabey to the Peloponnese
At the same time as developments in the siege of Tripoli, the Ottomans, who were trapped within the city, anxiously awaited reinforcements from Khourshid Pasha, who was in Ioannina and involved in military operations against Ali Pasha. In an effort to strengthen the Ottoman position in the Peloponnese, Khourshid sent a strong expeditionary force, headed by Kiose Mehmet. The latter divided his forces into two main sections. The first, under his personal leadership and that of Omer Vryonis, consisting of 8,000 men, moved toward Eastern Central Greece. This force defeated the Greeks at the Battle of Alamana but failed to break through the Greek defenses at the Battle of Gravia. The second section, consisting of about 3,500 Albanian soldiers, headed toward Western Greece under the command of Kehayabey, Mustafa.
Kehayabey's army passed through Antirio towards Patras without encountering resistance or suffering casualties. Along the way, they burned Vostitsa (modern-day Aigio) and then advanced to Argos, where they defeated the Greek forces. In addition, they managed to lift the sieges at Akrokorinthos and Nafplio, thereby strengthening the Ottoman position in the region. Some fighters from Levadi tried to resist by holding the Acropolis of Argos (Larisa) for a short time, while a small force under Nikitaras, sent by Kolokotronis to Mount Parthenio, failed to halt the Ottoman advance. Ultimately, Kehayabey entered Tripoli, a fact that greatly boosted the morale of the Ottomans, who now considered the suppression of the revolution in the Peloponnese almost certain.
Re-establishment of the Valtetsi Camp
On May 10, the Greeks recaptured Valtetsi, and following a suggestion by Theodoros Kolokotronis, they proceeded with the re-establishment of the camp. The church at the center of the village, along with several houses, were fortified, and redoubts were built on the surrounding hills. The leadership of the camp was assumed by Kyriakoulis and Ilias Mavromichalis, while Kolokotronis maintained overall supervision, as he toured the various camps in the area, overseeing every detail of the preparations.
Kolokotronis greatly admired Ilias Mavromichalis for his bravery and strategic acumen. Ilias, determined to keep the camp intact against any enemy attack, insisted that all fighters remain at their posts. He clearly declared his intention to defend the camp until the end. He immediately began constructing the first fortification, a closed redoubt, and personally participated in transporting the stones. A total of four redoubts were built, with the church of the village serving as the fifth.
To the east of the village, two redoubts were constructed. The first, located southeast, was the largest and stood on the Homatovouni hill; the second, smaller, was erected at Petrovounaki (or Doumvreleika) to the northeast. Some writers refer to these two redoubts as a single construction. A third redoubt was built to the north-northwest, on the hill called Katsikeika. The fourth redoubt was placed on the western hill, known as Koukos. The fifth redoubt was the church itself, which served as a supply depot. Additionally, watchposts were set up at Epano Chrepa to monitor the Ottoman movements; the sentinels there signaled the Greek camps with smoke, allowing them to prepare or rush to their aid.
At the first redoubt, on Homatovouni, Ilias and Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis, leaders of the Maniots, took position. At the western redoubt, Mitropetros, Dimitrios Papatsonis, and other Messinians had fortified themselves. At the northeastern redoubt were Ilias D. Flessas, Nikitas Flessas, and commanders from Gortynia. The people of Boura took refuge in the church, while the sentinels at Epano Chrepa from Trikorfo were tasked with warning of the Ottoman forces' movements using smoke signals.
At dawn on May 12, Kehayabey emerged from Tripoli, intending to attack the Valtetsi camp, which he had already learned had been re-established. His plan was to destroy it and then move on to Messinia and Laconia. The most significant portion of his army, led by Vardouniotis Roubis, was sent first to the north of Valtetsi to prevent possible reinforcement from the Greek camps at Piana and Chrysovitsi and to encircle the Gortynians.
Next, he sent two more units to the south of the village, to Kalogerovouni, Fragkovryso, and the Arhamites, to reinforce Roubis, block potential assistance from the Verbenas, and cut off the retreat of the Valtetsi defenders. The Ottoman cavalry took position in the Arhamites, and a fifth force, equipped with cannons and ammunition, followed.
The fighters under the leadership of Ilias and Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis fiercely repelled the first wave of the Ottoman attack. A second, more intense assault followed, which was also pushed back thanks to the heroic resistance put up by the Mavromichalis brothers from their redoubts. Roubis, attempting to outflank the Greek fortifications, deployed his men in an effort to seize strategic positions. However, as they were exposed, they became easy targets for the Greek fighters, who continuously fired upon them. The Greeks had detected the enemy’s encirclement movements from the eastern and northern sides but did not abandon their posts; they remained in their redoubts and continued fighting with unmatched bravery, inflicting significant losses on the enemy.
Ilias Mavromichalis, an experienced warrior and excellent marksman, continually encouraged his men and urged them to decimate the enemy with crossfire—a tactic that proved to be highly effective. The Greeks' resistance continued with unwavering intensity and determination.
Theodoros Kolokotronis, who was at that time in Chrysovitsi (about two and a half hours from Valtetsi), immediately set out to reinforce the Greek positions upon receiving a signal via smoke. He was accompanied by 700 to 800 men, and he also notified Dimitrios Plapoutas, who was at Piana. Around eleven in the morning, Kolokotronis attacked the Ottomans from the northwest. Despite his initial advance, the enemy attempted to encircle him, forcing him to retreat to higher ground on the neighboring mountain.
According to tradition, the Elder of Morea climbed a ridge—now bearing his name—shouting that he was arriving with 10,000 men and that Petrobeis and all the Maniots were with him. His goal was to demoralize the Ottomans and encourage Mitropetros. Indeed, he managed to break the Ottoman encirclement and resupply the fighters holding the fortifications.
The battle continued with relentless intensity until late at night, with neither side showing signs of weakening. Around midnight, reinforcements of Greeks from Vervena arrived at Kalogerovouni, and with the first light of day, another 400 fighters arrived. On the morning of May 13th, the Ottomans launched a new attack, again using artillery, but without success.
In a letter dated May 13th, 1821, to Bouboulina and the Spetses people, Kolokotronis mentions that the battle had begun three hours after dawn, while he himself arrived approximately six hours after the first light of day. Due to a misinterpretation of signals from the Chrepa watchtower, Dimitrios Plapoutas arrived late, after noon, with a force of about 700 men. He attacked the Ottomans at Roubis from the northeast, causing the Ottomans to find themselves caught between two fires.
Kechagiabeis, in his attempt to break the resistance, sent forces to attack the fortifications of the Mavromichaloi, but without success. Every attempt to capture the Greek strongholds ended in failure. Ilías Mavromichális and his Maniots, holding the position at the eastern redoubt, inflicted significant losses on the Ottomans, who responded with frenzied artillery fire, again without effect.
A notable event occurred in the early morning of May 13th: Kechagiabeis moved the cannons opposite the eastern redoubts, targeting the redoubt of Ilías Mavromichális, known as Chomato-Vouni. However, the gunners failed to hit the target; the shots that fell too low wounded the Ottomans besieging the fortifications, while those that flew over the redoubt landed on the Turkish positions at Roubis. Then, Kechagiabeis promised a monetary reward of 500 grosia to each soldier if they could capture that position, but to no avail.
The Greek formation at Valtetsi had turned into a deadly trap for the enemy. Realizing the lack of prospects for victory, Kechagiabeis ordered a general retreat. The Greeks, spotting the signals of the Turkish withdrawal, launched an immediate attack from both the outer lines and the redoubts, chasing the retreating forces and striking them decisively.
The end of the battle
The end of the battle was dramatic and decisive. After twenty-three hours of continuous and heroic fighting on both sides, as Roubis was at immediate risk of encirclement, Kechagiabeis ordered a general retreat. Additionally, the Ottoman lookouts at Kalogerovouni had noticed the approach of reinforcements from Vervena—Nikitaras, Ioannis Kolokotronis, and other Greek fighters. However, they did not have time to engage actively in the battle, as the Greeks entrenched in the redoubts—especially the men of Dimitrios Plapoutas—pursued the Ottomans, inflicting such damage that their retreat turned into a disorganized flight.
According to prevailing estimates, the Ottomans suffered a total of 300 dead and over 500 wounded; according to other, more specific sources, the casualties were 514 dead and 635 wounded. In contrast, the casualties among the revolting Greeks were significantly lower: only 4 dead and 17 wounded. At the same time, the Greeks acquired a large amount of military equipment, enough to equip up to 4,000 men, which greatly strengthened their operational capacity and allowed them to better prepare for future conflicts.
This major victory of the Greek revolutionary forces paved the way for the siege and eventual capture of Tripoli, the key military and administrative center of Ottoman Peloponnesus. As historian Ioannis Filimon notes, after the defeat of the Ottomans at Valtetsi, discord and internal strife broke out between the Turks and their Albanian allies. Specifically, there was intense distrust between the native Turks of Tripolis and the Albanian mercenaries who had arrived with Kechagiabeis. The Turks demanded that the Albanians be placed at the front lines of the battle, as mercenaries and external allies; conversely, the Albanians believed that the Turks, who had their families and property in the city, should bear the primary responsibility for defending it.
The Battle of Valtetsi was crucial for the psychology and morale of both sides. From the Greek side, it was the first time that the revolutionaries fought with proper military organization and discipline, which inspired courage and confidence. The Greeks realized their superiority over the Ottomans, not only in strategy but also in moral strength. On the other hand, the Ottomans understood that this was not a fleeting uprising of small, scattered forces, but a well-prepared and coordinated revolutionary effort with widespread popular support.
Kanellos Deligiannis, one of the most important memoir writers of the Revolution, vividly describes the significance of the conflict, stating:
"This glorious victory was the turning point of the Greek Revolution, and it is credited with the independence of the homeland, as it encouraged and strengthened the Greeks."
This statement clearly reflects the depth and significance of the outcome of the Battle of Valtetsi, which, beyond its immediate military benefits, gave the Greek cause legitimacy, faith, and a national outlook.
The events of Valtetsi held a prominent place in the iconography of the Revolution and became a bright milestone; they laid the foundation for the hope of victory and provided the rebellious Greeks with the vision of freedom. This victory undoubtedly belongs to all the Greek fighters, even those who, although they did not manage to reach the battlefield, contributed with their expected arrival to the undermining of the Ottoman morale and their eventual flight.
However, the true protagonists of Valtetsi—the Maniots, the Messenians, and the few Arcadians who led the way in the redoubts—were sidelined in the later historical narrative. They remained humble spectators during the coronation of Theodoros Kolokotronis as the victor, while their contribution was either silenced or diminished. Kolokotronis completely reaped the glory of the battle, although his personal involvement was limited to only one part of the whole operation. The true heroes of Valtetsi, Kyriakoulis and Ilías Mavromichális, fell heroically the following year, sacrificing their lives for the homeland, yet did not enjoy the laurels that corresponded to their heroism and contribution. The historical memory, influenced by the evolution of revolutionary leadership, attributed full glory to Kolokotronis, concealing the share of others.
According to his memoirs, Kolokotronis told his compatriots: "We must give thanks for this day, which must be kept sacred forever, as the day when our Homeland gained its freedom."
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