CAPO D'ISTRIA, or CAPODISTRIAS, .1 on N ANTHONY, Count (1776-1831). The Presi nt of the Greek Republic from 1827 to 1531. he burn in Corfu, February I I, 1776, of :1 family which had come from the Illyrian town of Calm d'lstria, near Triest, in the Fourteenth Century. He devoted himself to political life, and after holding a high position in the Republic of the Ionian Islands (q.v.), he entered the dip lomatic set vice of Russia. He took an active interest in the movement for the liberation of Greece, hut was always identified with the Rus sian party. (See GREEcE.) In 1827 he was elected President of Greece: and in January, IRIS, lie entered upon the duties of his ofliee. He was an able diplomat and was sincerely con cerned for the welfare of his native country, but his intimate association with Russia, whose am bitious designs so complicated the whole Eastern Question (q.v.), made him unfit for the place to
which he was called. Greece was torn by factions, and the most patriotic llellenes were suspicious of Russia. and therefore of Capo d'Istria. The President had been much imbued with the cen tralizing principles prevalent at the Russian Court, and sonic of his measures, especially that restricting the liberty of the press, gave offense to advocates of civil liberty. In the latter part of his administration he suspended the Constitu tion of 1827 and ruled as dictator. He was assassinated at Nauplia. October 9, 1831, by George and Constantine Mavromichalis, whose family were leaders in the revolt against his dic tatorship and the Russian influence. Consult Mendelssolin-Bartholdy, Graf Johann Kapodis trios (Berlin, 1864).