The Greek navy fought many victorious battles in the marine front, during which important personalities of the freedom fight emerged, playing a very important role in the outcome of the Greek War of Independence. The contribution of the navy was so critical, that many scholars of history agree that it is doubtful whether the results of the war would be successful without it.
Greek shipping profited from the favorable circumstances it faced in the Mediterranean already from the mid-18th century, which helped it to gradually flourish. The Treaty of Küçük Kaynardji, the Napoleonic Wars, and other factors gave the opportunity to Greek ship owners to increase their naval operations. Thus, just before the Greek revolution, a remarkable Greek fleet of merchant ships had already been created, a large part of which was used in the Greek War of Independence. These ships had already been equipped with light weapons in order to face pirate raids but also to break naval blockades, and were easily retrofitted into warships.