Acknowledgements
This book is based on my doctoral dissertation, completed at the University of Crete between 2017 and 2022. While the first three chapters have remained largely unchanged, the rest have been revised to incorporate additional research and new methodological approaches. This research was conducted as part of the ERC project SeaLiT: Seafaring Lives in Transition, Mediterranean Maritime Labour and Shipping, 1850sâ1920s, led by Dr Apostolos Delis at the Centre of Maritime History of the Institute for Mediterranean Studies (IMS/FORTH).
This research would not have been possible without the support and guidance of numerous individuals and institutions. I am profoundly grateful to my doctoral dissertation committee, whose unstinting support and insightful feedback propelled me forward from one chapter to another. I owe a special debt to my principal supervisor, Professor Socrates Petmezas, for his meticulous editing, thoughtful guidance and constant encouragement, which have greatly enriched this study. I am also deeply thankful to Professor Gelina Harlaftis for her detailed feedback, critical interventions and unwavering support â not only during the course of my PhD but well beyond. Her intellectual generosity and belief in my work have guided and strengthened my academic path in ways I could not have foreseen. Above all, I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Apostolos Delis, who, beyond being a mentor, was a constant source of support throughout this journey. His trust made this research possible, and his encouragement and intellectual guidance over all these years have profoundly influenced my approach to history and equipped me with foundational tools to conduct this research.
I also extend my sincere appreciation to Professor Jordi Ibarz for his unfailing kindness, stimulating discussions and constructive feedback, which helped refine my arguments. A special acknowledgement is also due to Nikos Kastrinakis, whose meticulous work as a research assistant in the SeaLiT project was invaluable in managing data and helped me complete my dissertation within the given timeframe. My research also benefited significantly from the support of TELEMME (Temps, Espaces, Langages, Europe Méridionale, Méditerranée) at the Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de lâHomme (MMSH) in Aix-en-Provence. I am especially grateful to Professors Olivier Raveux, Gilbert Buti, and Xavier Daumalin for their guidance and assistance with French archival research. Their generosity in sharing their expertise, particularly during the early stages of my PhD, was invaluable.
I am also deeply indebted to the archivists, librarians and staff of the archival institutions and libraries I visited in La Ciotat, Marseille, Toulon, Le Havre, and Paris. Their commitment to open-access research and willingness to facilitate my work by allowing me to consult, photograph, and analyse archival material â many previously unexplored â has been of immeasurable value. I am particularly grateful to Michel Chatail and Jean-Louis Conil, local historians and members of the Musée Ciotaden and the Association des Amis du Vieux La Ciotat, for their enthusiasm, for granting me access to rare and previously unknown sources, including photographic material from their collections. Their collaboration exemplifies how local institutions can contribute to historical research and knowledge dissemination. My sincere appreciation also goes to Thierry Mabily, director of the Municipal Archives of La Ciotat, and his dedicated team for their support in accessing invaluable archival documents.
I am equally grateful to the colleagues who have accompanied me on this journey. I was fortunate to be part of the dynamic SeaLiT research team, many of whom I am privileged to call friends. I thank them all for their intellectual and mental support during these years. A special mention goes to Petros, Alkis, Thomas, Brendan, and Eduard, whose stimulating discussions, patience in listening to my endless thoughts on my research in different parts of the world and genuine care sustained me through this process. Throughout this journey, I have been reminded that scholarly work thrives not through competition but through collaboration and generosity. True academic growth comes from openness â the willingness to exchange knowledge, to celebrate the successes of others and to support one another in both challenges and achievements. It is this spirit of intellectual generosity that strengthens academic communities and makes research truly meaningful.
On a personal level, I am profoundly thankful for the continuous support of my close friends. Poppy, Antonis, and Ruken, your encouragement, deep conversations, and reminding me to eat, sleep and sometimes have fun meant the world to me. For being a source of beautiful inspiration, emotional and moral support, for sharing in the challenges and triumphs of this journey, and for even dreaming of my struggles, I thank deeply Matteo. I will always be grateful for his loving and steady support and his ability to bring clarity when doubts clouded my mind. Above all, I extend my deepest gratitude to my family, to my sister Maria and brother-in-law Giorgos, and most importantly, to my parents, Natassa and Kostas. Their unconditional love, patience, and sacrifices â both material and emotional â provided the foundation upon which this work was built. This book is as much theirs as it is mine.