Cretan State

Heraldry of the World
Civic heraldry of Greece

CRETAN STATE

Origin/meaning

The Cretan State (Κρητική Πολιτεία) was established in 1898, following the intervention by the Great Powers (Britain, France, Italy and Russia) on the island of Crete. In 1897 an insurrection in Crete led the Ottoman Empire to declare war on Greece, which led the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Russia to intervene on the grounds that the Ottoman Empire could no longer maintain control. It was the prelude of the island's final annexation to the Kingdom of Greece, which occurred de facto in 1908 and de jure in 1913.

The arms are based on the Greek Royal arms of the time, with an addition of a red quarter and silver star.