- Date:
- January 1921 - September 1922
- 1897
- Participants:
- Greece
- Ottoman Empire
- Major Events:
- Greco-Turkish War
- Greco-Turkish War
- Key People:
- Kemal Atatürk
Greco-Turkish wars
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What were the Greco-Turkish wars?
The Greco-Turkish wars include two military conflicts between Greece and Turkey, in 1897 and 1921–22.
The first war in 1897, also called the Thirty Days’ War, occurred because of growing Greek concern over conditions in Crete, which was under Turkish domination. Greece aimed to annex Crete, but European powers imposed a blockade, preventing assistance from the mainland. The Greeks attacked the Turks in Thessaly but were overwhelmed due to inadequate preparation. They withdrew from Crete and accepted an armistice.
The second war occurred after World War I, when the Greeks attempted to extend their territory beyond eastern Thrace and the district of Smyrna. Despite initial advances, the Turks, commanded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, defeated the Greeks. The Turks then assumed control of Smyrna and drove the Greeks out of Anatolia.
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Which countries were involved in the Greco-Turkish wars?
The Greco-Turkish Wars involved Greece and Turkey in two military conflicts.
The first war in 1897, also known as the Thirty Days’ War, was due to Greece's concerns over Turkish-dominated Crete. After Greece sent troops to Crete and proclaimed union, European powers blockaded Greece to prevent further action. The Turkish army overwhelmed the inadequately prepared Greek forces, leading to Greece's defeat. A peace treaty required Greece to pay an indemnity and cede territory to Turkey.
The second conflict occurred after World War I, when Greece tried to expand its territory in Eastern Thrace and Smyrna, which the Treaty of Sèvres had assigned to them. The nationalist Turks, led by Mustafa Kemal (Kemal Atatürk), defeated the Greeks, and Turkey regained control of Smyrna, driving the Greeks out of Anatolia. The Treaty of Lausanne obliged Greece to return Eastern Thrace and other islands to Turkey.
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When did the major Greco-Turkish wars take place in the Balkans?
The major Greco-Turkish wars occurred in 1897 and 1921–22. The first war in 1897 was driven by Greek concerns over Turkish-dominated Crete, leading Greece to attempt annexation. However, the Turkish army overwhelmed the ill-prepared Greeks, resulting in Greece ceding territory in Thessaly to Turkey.
The second war, after World War I, saw Greece aiming to expand into eastern Thrace and Smyrna, territories granted by the Treaty of Sèvres. Despite initial advances, the Turks, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, defeated the Greeks, leading to the return of eastern Thrace and other islands to Turkey under the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.
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What were the main reasons these wars started?
The Greco-Turkish Wars (1897 and 1921–22) stemmed from distinct factors. The first war was rooted in Greece's ambition to annex Crete, then under Turkish rule, amidst deteriorating relations between Christians and Muslim rulers. The secret Greek nationalistic society Ethniki Etairia stirred rebellion in Crete, presenting Greece with an opportunity to act.
The second war arose after World War I, when Greece sought to expand its territory beyond eastern Thrace and Smyrna, as granted by the Treaty of Sèvres. However, the nationalist Turks, defying the weak Ottoman government, resisted this expansion.
The Balkan Wars (1912–1913) originated from discontent in Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece due to disorder in Macedonia. The Young Turk Revolution of 1908, which insisted on centralized control, failed to appease the Christian nationalities in Macedonia, including Macedonians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Greeks, and Vlachs.
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How did the Greco-Turkish wars affect the people living in the Balkans?
The Greco-Turkish wars had considerable and complex effects on the people living in the Balkans. These conflicts stemmed from Greek desires to annex territories like Crete and expand into areas such as eastern Thrace and Smyrna.
The First Balkan War saw Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro uniting against the Ottoman Empire, leading to territorial gains for Greece, including southern Macedonia and Crete. However, these expansions brought new populations into Greece, creating integration challenges between "New" and "Old" Greece.
The Treaty of Lausanne (1923) required Greece to return Eastern Thrace and the islands of Imbros and Tenedos to Turkey. It also involved a population exchange between Greece and Turkey, displacing many people.
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What were the long-term effects of these wars on relations between Greece and Turkey?
The Greco-Turkish wars have had long-lasting and complex effects on the relationship between Greece and Turkey. These include territorial disputes and population exchanges, which have created lasting grievances and mistrust between the two nations.
One significant point of contention has been Cyprus, where disputes between Turkish and Greek Cypriots have led to strained relations and military intervention, with both countries at times coming to the brink of war. Despite attempts to improve relations through a "zero problems with neighbors" doctrine, issues such as the failure to extend full diplomatic recognition to Cyprus have caused setbacks and stalled progress.
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Greco-Turkish wars, (1897 and 1921–22), two military conflicts between the Greeks and the Turks.
The first war, also called the Thirty Days’ War, took place against a background of growing Greek concern over conditions in Crete, which was under Turkish domination and where relations between the Christians and their Muslim rulers had been deteriorating steadily. The outbreak in 1896 of rebellion on Crete, fomented in part by the secret Greek nationalistic society called Ethniki Etairia, appeared to present Greece with an opportunity to annex the island. By the beginning of 1897, large consignments of arms had been sent to Crete from Greece. On January 21 the Greek fleet was mobilized, and in early February Greek troops landed on the island, and union with Greece was proclaimed. The following month, however, the European powers imposed a blockade upon Greece to prevent assistance being sent from the mainland to the island. They took this step to prevent the disturbance from spreading to the Balkans. Thwarted in their attempt to assist their compatriots in Crete, the Greeks sent a force, commanded by Prince Constantine, to attack the Turks in Thessaly (April). By the end of April, however, the Greeks, who were inadequately prepared for war, had been overwhelmed by the Turkish army, which had recently been reorganized under German supervision. The Greeks then yielded to pressure from the European powers, withdrew their troops from Crete, and accepted an armistice on the mainland (May 20, 1897). A peace treaty, concluded on December 4, compelled Greece to pay the Turks an indemnity, to accept an international financial commission that would control Greek finances, and to yield some territory in Thessaly to Turkey. Subsequently, the Turkish troops also left Crete, which had been made an international protectorate, and an autonomous government under Prince George, the second son of the Greek king, was formed there (1898). Crete was finally ceded to Greece by the Treaty of London (1913), which ended the First Balkan War.
The second war occurred after World War I, when the Greeks attempted to extend their territory beyond eastern Thrace (in Europe) and the district of Smyrna (İzmir; in Anatolia). These territories had been assigned to them by the Treaty of Sèvres, August 10, 1920, which was imposed upon the weak Ottoman government. In January 1921 the Greek army, despite its lack of equipment and its unprotected supply lines, launched an offensive in Anatolia against the nationalist Turks, who had defied the Ottoman government and would not recognize its treaty. Although repulsed in April, the Greeks renewed their attack in July and advanced beyond the Afyonkarahisar-Eskişehir railway line toward Ankara. The Turks, however, commanded by the nationalist leader Mustafa Kemal (Kemal Atatürk), defeated them at the Sakarya River (August 24–September 16, 1921). A year later the Turks assumed control of Smyrna (September 1922) and drove the Greeks out of Anatolia. In Greece the war was followed by a successful military coup against the monarchy.
The Treaty of Lausanne, concluded on July 24, 1923, obliged Greece to return eastern Thrace and the islands of Imbros and Tenedos to Turkey, as well as to give up its claim to Smyrna. The two belligerents also agreed to exchange their Greek and Turkish minority populations.