Right now I'm working on a scenario where Greece becomes independent in 1807 and by 1854 is able to annex the lands of the Megali Idea, mainly through opportune moves during Russo-Turkish wars and then a Turkish civil war, and I was wondering how that would affect the industrialization of Greece and western Anatolia vs OTL. I don't know much of the industrial history of the area, but it seems like there was little industrialization iOTL by 1855, and even a more industrial Greece would still pale in comparison to the Great Powers. What would be the best way for this Megali Greece to industrialize?
Isn't that much of expansion unfeasible during such a short time span?
Also how did Greece achieved it's independence in 1807?
Through foreign intervention or through an earlier locally inspired uprising? (Like the
Filiki Eteria)
Generally speaking, the earlier the independence POD, the more industrialized Greece is gonna end up.
(Have you thought of setting the Orlov revolt in 1770-71 as your independence POD? It was a pretty decent opportunity for independence, the best the Greek people got for centuries tbf)
Other than that, stability matters a lot when it comes to industrialization, IOTL revolutionary Greek government was set on the wrong foundations (heavy infighting, opportunist-cronyist officials etc leading to heavy instability/extremely weak governments for decades post independence that did nothing of essence).
An Orlov revolt POD could provide a far more stable Greek Revolutionary government, due to the heavy Russian meddling during and after the Orlov Revolt if successful.
A compromise candidate would still more than likely take the Greek throne regardless if the earlier date and the lack of support from other great powers, as Russia would be unwilling to expend diplomatic capital in the ensuing peace conference to install a Russian King on the Greek throne, especially when Russia itself is so overextended due to controlling the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The Russian Empire would opt for strategic annexations throughout the Black Sea, exactly like they've pursued IOTL.
Using this background, it's easy to have another great power, a constitutional monarchy like Great Britain, gradually countering the russian influence in the Greek government by influencing/enticing the Greek regime with trade opportunities and capital influx, until eventually the British render the Greek gov into a pro-british one, that would certainly be way less heavy handed, bringing about a Greek constitutional monarchy on far more solid foundations, (without a horrible King like Otto).
From there, it would be pretty easy for Greece to industrialize, then exploit all the opportunities present during the Russo-Turkish wars to greatly enlarge itself, in pursuit of the Megali Idea concept.
Generally I don't think that there is any way for Greece to industrialize fast by western European standards, as it lacks substantial natural resources reserves, and it also completely lacks the capital, so there's single event, or even a combination of events, that could possibly trigger a rapid growth of the Greek industry, given the existence of only minimal natural resources on the Greek soil.
What would be possible would be for a Greece that achieves it's independence earlier to acquire some resource rich colonies in Africa and elsewhere to secure enough resources for it's emerging industry.
Also the Balkans have quite a few resources that Greece could really use for it's nascent industry, maybe the newly independent Balkan states emerging from the collapse of the earlier Ottoman Empire could enter into the Greek orbit, at least Albania & Serbia that is, as the Kosovo and Nis area is a decently resource rich one.