The outbreak of the Greek Revolution in the Peloponnese, Rumeli and the Aegean Islands in the spring of 1821 triggered a series of uprisings in other regions, Thessaly, Macedonia and Crete, where no preparations had been made in this respect nor were the conditions favourable for the domination of the revolutionary movement. In these regions the revolutionaries found support in some areas (for example in Pilio, Thessaly and Chalkidiki, in Macedonia) but sooner or later the Ottoman forces managed to impose themselves.

The case of Crete was different. The powerful administrative and military presence there of the Ottoman Empire, the large Muslim community, which constituted almost half the population and the absence of preparations on the part of the Philiki Etaireia did not augur well for a the Greek Revolution. Nonetheless, from the end of spring the revolutionary climate took shape, especially in inapproachable areas of Chania (Sfakia) and Rethymnon (Anogeia). The Ottoman authorities soon learnt about these movements and carried out atrocities against the Christians obviously to intimidate and prevent the outbreak of a revolt. But these actions had the opposite effect and soon armed conflicts took place in different parts of the island. Sfakia, Anogeia and other mountainous areas constituted the main revolutionary centres and despite the fact that the Ottoman forces continued to control all the forts and strong strategic points of Crete, there was still tension until the first months of 1824. However, from the summer of 1823 Egyptian troops landed on Crete and in the following months initiated violent confrontation with the Christian population. Thereafter the ports of Crete were used by Ibrahim Pasha as naval bases for the operations in the Peloponnese.

After more than three years, immediately after the destruction of the Egyptian fleet at Navarino (October 1827), the Greek Revolutionary Administration first and then the governor Ioannis Kapodistrias favoured the creation of revolutionary centres in different regions so that these could be included within the boundaries of the Greek state which were under negotiation. Thus was the uprising in Crete boosted and upto the end of 1828 successful operations legalized Greek claims on the island, although the Greeks could not achieve military dominance. Two years later the Egyptian powers once again repressed the revolt in Crete.