Page 254 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

254 XXXIX Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

Attack of the bashibazouks on the
Christian insurgents at Akrotiri
– Major Bor and Lt Buller try to
persuade the bashibazouks to retire
– Brown Military Collection, Brown
Digital Repository

any changes in the at-
titude of Vassos and the
54
insurgents […]” , but he
added:
“With regard to the cur-
rent state of war between the
two countries the possibility
may not be excluded, how-
ever, that Vassos may go for
an offensive at places where
the Turkish flag is still flying
and an international occupa-
tion has not taken place or
where a single foreign power
has not hoisted its flag beside
the Turkish one yet.
Therefore, the rumours,
which spread from the camp
of the insurgents, that Vassos or the insurgents would start hostilities and that Candia and
Retimo would be the aim, deserve some credit anyway.” 55

The fighting between the insurgents and the bashibazouks and regular Ottoman
troops continued, the focus now shifted from Kissamos to Candia and to the road be-
tween Suda and Izzedin, where the insurgents tried to prevent the international units
56
from passing. Although one officer from each great power was sent as a parliamentary
to the insurgents informing them that the re-deployment of the troops did actually not
entail any hostile intentions, but the soldiers would force their way through, if neces-
sary, the insurgents only with delay guaranteed free passage for international but not for
Ottoman troops. 57

54 HHStA, PA XXXVIII 376, unfol.: Pinter to Gołuchowski, Canea, 24.4.1897.
55 Ibid.
56 HHStA, PA XII 285, Liasse XXXVIII Kretensische Frage 1897 IV-V, unfol.: telegram Pinter, Canea,
23.4.1897; ibid., unfol.: telegrams k. u. k. Escadre-Commando to k. u. k. Reichs-Kriegs-Ministerium/Marine-
Section, Suda, 25.4.1897.
57 HHStA, PA XII 285, unfol.: telegram Escadre-Commando to k. u. k. Reichs-Kriegs-Ministerium/Marine-
Section, Suda, 27.4.1897.