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Kingdom of Greece (1832-1862)
The Kingdom of Greece was a country in southern Europe which, following the Greek War of Independence, was created by the France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, as a successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. In so doing, the Great Powers created the first independent nation-state in Europe to be carved out of an empire, and Otto, son of Ludwig I, of the King of Bavaria, became Greece's first King.

Otto's rule was despotic. His reign, beginning at the age of just 17, was characterised by a misalignment between his court's beliefs in the divine right of kings, versus the egalitarian principles which were the bedrock of the Greek War of Independence. Greece, having declared its independence as a revolutionary republic in 1822, was forced into an era of absolute monarchy; the Constitution of 1832 was ignored by Otto and his court. In its first 11 years of independence, Greece was ruled by a Bavarian oligarchy lead by Joseph Ludwig von Armansperg as Prime Minister and, later, by Otto himself, who held the title of both King and Premier. Throughout his reign Greece remained under the influence of its three protecting Great Powers, as well as Bavaria.

Despite the absolutism of Otto's reign, the early years proved instrumental in creating institutions which are still the bedrock of Greek administration and education. Important steps were taken in the creation of the education system, maritime and postal communications, effective civil administration and, most importantly, the legal code. Historical revisionism took the form of de-Byzantinification and de-Ottomanisation, in favour of promoting the country's Ancient Greek heritage. Religious reform also took place, and the Church of Greece was established as Greece's national church, although Otto remained a Catholic. 25 March, the day of Annunciation, was arbitrarily chosen as the anniversary of the Greek War of Independence in order to reinforce the link between Greek identity and Orthodoxy. Pavlos Karolidis calls the Bavarian efforts to create a modern state in Greece as "not only appropriate for the peoples' needs, but also based on excellent administrative principles of the era".

Multiple causes lead to the 1862 revolution that deposed Otto, including the Bavarian-dominated government, heavy taxation, and a failed attempt to annex Crete from the Ottoman Empire. The catalyst for the revolt was Otto's dismissal of Konstantinos Kanaris from the Premiership.

Demographics
In 1861 the largest cities in Greece were Athens (41,298), Ermoupolis (18,511), Patras (18,342), Argos (10,643), and Piraeus (6,452).

Kingdom of Greece (1862-1924)
The history of the Kingdom of Greece between 1862 and 1924 is characterised by war, rapid territorial expansion (tripling in size between 1910 and 1920), a big population increase (rising five-fold between 1862 and 1924), and by major changes in the economy and civil administration. The start of this era begins with the accession of George I to the throne of Greece and ends with the abolition of the monarchy in 1924 and the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic.