The name is absent

75

attempts by individuals in positions of power to establish leadership can be seen as
evidence of this general desire for Hellenic autonomy⁷³. During this time the principles
of decentralized federation might have easily been applied in the popular imagination to
the concept of sovereignty, providing a model of quasi-anarchie, total internal freedom:
government solely to ensure no foreign leadership - a model that still resonates with
many rural Greeks today. However, the infighting, violence, and the state of disarray that
resulted from various attempts to form a governing authority following independence
would have nullified this vision for some leaving them open to the idea of either foreign
rule or pure anarchy (on the political infighting during this time see Brewer 2001 ;
Kaloudis 2002).

Of course, the early Greek anarchist movement failed, despite the fact that its
supporters were initially tolerated and managed to attract followers. The failure of these
early movements can be explained variously. Perhaps communication technology and
quick information dissemination had not developed to the point where a virtual Ieaderless
community might have been formed (a degree of spontaneity seems to be key to anarchist
group formation both today and in the past). Perhaps if backers were involved and had
activated pre-existing networks an anarchist movement could have been formed quickly
among a pre-organized group. If we take the mass anarchist movement of 1868 that
mobilized in Spain roughly around the same period of Greece’s independence as a point
of comparison, the above seem to be likely causes of anarchy’s failure: Bakunin had sent
several disciples to Spain to spread his message among the peasantry, instantly creating

⁷³ Of note, some scholars of Greek history would disagree with this point (see for example Carey & Carey
1968:12; Kaloudis 2002:84) arguing instead that Greece was ready for a monarch, and a foreign one at that
since infighting made a local candidate impossible (Van der Kiste 1994). I, however, am unconvinced that
all Greeks desired another foreign ruler or ideology and that the general state of anarchy in the country was
seen as negative by the majority.

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