Battle of Doliana

Coordinates: 37°23′16″N 22°29′55″E / 37.387643°N 22.498677°E

Battle of Doliana
Part of the Greek War of Independence
Date 18 May 1821 Location Ano Doliana, Greece Result Greek victory
Belligerents
Greek revolutionaries	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Nikitaras	Kâhya Mustafa Bey Mehmed Salih Agha Sieh Necip
Strength
200	2000
Casualties and losses
3 dead	300 dead

The Battle of Doliana took place during the Greek War of Independence on 18 May 1821.

Battle

The Ottoman army met up with a Greek force of 200 men under Nikitas Stamatelopoulos (Greek:Νικήτας Σταματελόπουλος), better known as "Nikitaras" (Greek:Νικηταράς). The Greeks, though outnumbered, managed to knock out the Ottoman artillery and spread panic among their enemies, who left 300 dead on the battlefield and much booty. Nikitaras, who had up to that point lived in the shadow of his uncle Theodoros Kolokotronis, earned a name for himself and the nickname "Tourkofagos" (Greek: Τουρκοφάγος) (Turk-eater). Legend says that after the battle his sword got stuck to his hand and could not be removed.

Significance

The victorious Battle of Doliana was a big morale boost for the irregular Greek army. It marked the last time the besieged Ottoman army left Tripoli, and it opened the way for the fall of the city and the firm establishment of the independence movement in the Peloponnese.

References

• This article uses text taken from Phantis.com, a GFDL wiki.