HISTORY 



117 



after a rebellion in 1843, a constitution was drawn 

 up, he was compelled by another rebellion in 1862 

 to abdicate. A provisional government was then 

 set up at Athens, and the National Assembly 

 offered the vacant throne in succession to Prince 

 Alfred of England and Prince William George of 

 Denmark. The latter accepted it, and on March 

 30, 1863, was proclaimed as King George I. 

 In 1864, the Ionian Islands, which nad hitherto 

 formed an independent republic under the 

 protection of Britain, were annexed to Greece. 



From the first, Greece has sought an oppor- 

 tunity of extending its frontier northwards, so 

 as to include the large Greek population in 

 Thessaly and Epirus. In January, 1878, after 

 the fall of Plevna, Greek troops were moved 



hessaly and Epirus, but were withdrawn 

 on the remonstrance of Britain. The promises 

 held out to Greece by the Berlin Congress were 

 in danger of being withdrawn, but the persist- 

 ence of Greece led, in 1881, to the cession to her 

 of Thessaly and part of Epirus, or about one- 

 third less than the territory promised at Berlin. 

 The situation, however, always remained some- 

 what strained. The union of Eastern Rumelia 

 with Bulgaria, in 1885, gave rise to a demand 

 for a rectification of frontiers, and war with 

 Turkey was onlv prevented by the great powers, 

 who enforced the reduction of the Greek army 

 to a peace footing by blockading the Greek ports. 

 The same occurred in 1896, when war was de- 

 clared against Turkey on the people of Crete 

 den landing their right to become a portion of 

 Grecian territory. The result was disastrous to 

 their aspirations, Turkey pouring troops into 

 Thessaly and defeating the Greek troops. The 

 incompetency of the Greek generals was notori- 

 ous in the nation. Prince George of Greece being 

 held as mainly responsible. In 1904, the mili- 

 tary service of the kingdom was reorgani/ed. 

 providing for an increased army and new 

 armament. 



< . u ii powder Plot, The. The name given 

 to a conspiracy projected by Guy Fawkes and 

 some revolutionary associates against James 

 I. and the members of the two Houses of 

 Parliament, with a design to their destruction 

 by undermining the building in which they were 

 d to assemble, placing there charges of 

 gunpowder, and firing the same, November 5, 

 1605. The plot, however, proved abortive, and 

 the conspirators met the penalty of their crime. 

 Manse Towns. The name Driven to cer- 

 tain towns in (ionnanv. so called from the 

 IK league, which was formed in 1241, 

 for tin- protection of the ports against the piracies 

 of the Swedes and Danes. At first the League 



ed only of towns situated on the coast of 

 !'...! tic; but it became so powerful, and 



<-d so many privileges, that ultimately it 

 included many of the principal cities of Europe. 



ague consisted, in I37o. of rfxt 

 and forty-four confederate towns. The Thirty 

 War in Germany (1618-48) broke up 

 the association, which nad already begun to 

 decline in the preceding century. The only 

 towns now known as Hanse Towns are Ham- 

 burg. I.ulieck. and Bremen; and in their case 



:ne has no significance, except SO far as 

 it indicates that they are still free < 



Habsburg. or Hapsburg (properly 

 Habichtsburg or Habsburg, the hawk's castle). 

 A small place in the Swiss Canton of Aargau, on 

 the right bank of the Aar. The castle was built 

 about 1027 bv Bishop Werner of Strassburg. 

 Werner II., who died in 1096, is said to have 

 been the first to assume the title of Count of 

 Habsburg. After the death, about 1232. of 

 Rudolf II., the family divided into two branches 

 the founder of one of which was Albert IV. 

 In 1273, Rudolf, son of Albert IV., was chosen 

 Emperor of Germany, and from him descended 

 the series of Austrian monarchs, all of the Habs- 

 burg male line, down to Charles IV. inclusive. 

 After that the dynasty, by the marriage of 

 Maria Theresa to Francis Stephen of Lorraine, 

 became the Habsburg-Lorraine. Francis II., 

 the third of this line, was the last of the so-called 

 "Holy Roman Emperors," this old title being 



i changed by him for that of Emperor of Austria. 



| From the Emperor Rudolf was also descended 



I a Spanish Dynasty which began with the Em- 

 peror Charles V. (Charles I. of Spain), and 



! terminated with Charles II. in 1700. The castle 

 of Habsburg is still to be seen on the Wulpels- 

 berg. In 1881 the Austrians proposed to pur- 

 chase the castle of Habsburg ana give it as a 

 wedding gift to the Crown-prince of Austria; 

 but the people of Aargau refused to hear of the 

 sale. 



Helvetli. A powerful Celtic people, who 

 dwelt in what is now the west of Switzerland. 

 Their chief town was Aventicum. About 58 

 B. C. they resolved, on the advice of Orgetorix, 

 one of their chiefs, to migrate from their country 

 with their wives and children, and to seek a 

 new home in Gaul. They were, however, de- 

 feated by Caesar, and driven back into their own 

 territories, which became thenceforth a Roman 

 colony. In the commotions that followed the 

 death of Nero (A. D. 63) they were almost 

 extirpated. 



Holland. Was an independent country 

 from 863 to 1433; when Philippe of Burgundy 



I united it to his vast estates. In 1 177. Mary o*f 



I Burgundy married Maximilian, and Holland, 

 with many other estates, was united to Austria. 

 After Karl V. it passed into the Spanish branch 



' of the house, and in l.VJ.'i. under the influence of 

 Luther, it became Protestant. In l.">7!>. Holland 

 united with six other provinces in the " Union of 

 Utrecht," threw off the Spanish yoke, and be- 

 came a republic, called "The Seven Province*," 

 with William of Orange as stadt holder. In 1021. 

 Holland was united to France. In 1806, it was 

 erected into the Kingdom <>f Holland by Napo- 

 leon I. and given to his brother. Ixniis Bonaparte. 

 In 1810. it was again united to 1 ranee, but after 

 the battle of Waterloo (1814) it was united to 

 Belgium and formed "The Kingdom of the 

 Netherl.n i [n 18 10 H and Belgium 



were divided into two kingdoms, called the 

 "Kingdom of Holland" and the "Kingdom of 

 Belgium": the King "f Holland -till calU him 

 self the "King of the Netherlands." See 



"Netheriai 



Holy Alliance. The name given to a 

 treaty between -Tors of Russia and 



and the K IMsfe, rati! 



after the fall of the Emperor Napoleon (Septem- 



