Dimitrios Kallergis

Who was Dimitrios Kallergis?

Dimitrios Kallergis, was a Cretan-born Greek soldier and statesman.

Hailing from the distinguished Cretan Kallergis family, he studied medicine at Paris and on the outbreak of the War of Greek Independence went to the Morea and joined the insurgents. He fought under Georgios Karaiskakis, was taken prisoner by the Turks before Athens and mulcted of an ear; later he acted as aide de camp to the French philhellene Colonel Fabvier and to Count Capo d'Istria, Governor of Greece.

In 1832 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel. In 1843, as commander of a cavalry division, he was the prime mover in the 3 September Revolution, which forced King Otto to dismiss his Bavarian ministers and grant a constitution. He was appointed military commandant of Athens, promoted to Major General and aide de camp to the king, but after the fall of the Alexandros Mavrokordatos ministry in 1845 was forced to go into exile, and spent several years in London, where he became an intimate of Prince Louis Napoleon.

In 1848 he made an abortive descent on the Greek coast, in the hope of revolutionizing the kingdom. He was captured, but soon released and, after a stay in the island of Zante, went to Paris.