| The rebellion of 1895-1896 marked a turning point in Great Power policy on the Cretan Question. Though it aimed at achieving partial autonomy for Crete, the Greek Government lent the rebellion no support, for fear of the grave dangers involved. The Great Powers originally adopted a similarly hesitant, inactive stance. On 4th/16th March the revolutionaries went on the offensive and laid siege to Vamos. Hostilities culminated in the massacre of Christians in Chania, provoking the joint intervention of the town’s Consuls. Although the revolutionaries were eventually defeated, the venture contributed to expanding the Cretan struggle, raising Greek and international public awareness and spurring European diplomacy into action. The result was a temporary solution to the problem in August 1896 |