Heraklion massacre of 1898 and the establishment of the Cretan State

Background. Tensions in Crete escalated during the 1897–1898 revolt. The Great Powers intervened militarily in February 1897, sending warships that combined to form an International Squadron charged with halting the fighting. The powers also decided in February 1897 to restore order temporarily through an Admirals Council of admirals from the six powers. Germany withdrew from Crete and the squadron in November 1897, Austria-Hungary followed in March 1898, but the remaining four powers carried on.

The Massacre. On 25 August 1898 (Julian), a Cretan Muslim mob in Candia (Heraklion) massacred hundreds of Cretan Greeks. The violence also resulted in the murder of the British vice-consul, his family, and 14 British soldiers and sailors.

Establishment of the Cretan State. On 17 October 1898, Great Britain and the other European allies issued an ultimatum requiring the Ottoman government to withdraw its troops and citizens from Crete within 30 days. The autonomous Cretan State, under Ottoman suzerainty and garrisoned by an international military force, was founded when Prince George of Greece and Denmark arrived on 21 December 1898 to take office as its first high commissioner, effectively detaching Crete from the Ottoman Empire.