French Army and Ottoman Army
In 1803, after the capture of Souli by Ali Pasha, Botsaris and the remnants of the Souliotes crossed over to the Ionian Islands, where he served in the Albanian regiment of the French army for 11 years and became one the regiment's officers.
In 1814, he joined the Greek patriotic society known as the Filiki Eteria. In 1820, with other Souliots, he came back to Epirus and fought against Ali Pasha in the Ottoman army at the Siege of Ioannina, but soon the Souliotes changed side and fought the Ottoman army with the troops of Ali Pasha, in exchange of their former region, the Souli.
Read more about this topic: Markos Botsaris
Famous quotes containing the words french and/or army:
“When they kept you out it was because you were black; when they let you in, it is because you are black. That’s progress?”
—Marilyn French (b. 1929)
“An army is maintained for a thousand days all to be used on one morning.”
—Chinese proverb.