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The outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in March 1821 was met by mass executions, pogrom-style attacks, the destruction of churches, and looting of Greek properties throughout the Empire. The most severe atrocities occurred in Constantinople, in what became known as the Constantinople Massacre of 1821. The Orthodox Patriarch Gregory V was executed on April 22, 1821 on the orders of the Ottoman Sultan, which caused outrage throughout Europe and resulted in increased support for the Greek rebels.[9] By the late 19th and early 20th century, the Greek element was found predominantly in Constantinople and Smyrna, its ancient areas of settlement on the western and northern coasts, and a few cities in the interior such as Alaşehir. The Greeks of Constantinople constituted the largest Greek urban population in the Eastern Mediterranean.[10] Prior to the outbreak of the First World War, up to 1.8 million Greeks lived in the Ottoman Empire