When the Greeks of Smyrna Welcomed the Hellenic Fleet in Asia Minor

Crowds gathered to invited the Hellenic Fleet successful Smyrna successful May 1919. Public Domain

On May 14, 1919, thousands of Greeks of Smyrna wore their champion apparel and rushed to the city’s seafront to get a glimpse of the Hellenic Navy. On that day, what had been for centuries the Greek metropolis successful Asia Minor was liberated.

Men and women holding their umbrellas climbed connected chairs and tables to get a amended presumption of the approaching fleet.

The Greek concern of Smyrna, which was sanctioned by the Allied powers, started the pursuing day, erstwhile thousands gathered connected the seafront, waving Greek flags connected the docks wherever the Greek troops were expected to arrive.

The Metropolitan of Smyrna, Chrysostomos, blessed the archetypal troops arsenic they arrived astatine 08:00 connected May 15th.

Smyrna was erstwhile 1 of the most illustrious of each past and Hellenistic-era Greek cities. One of the main centers of Greek colony successful occidental Anatolia, it erstwhile had a temple dedicated to Athena and was the residence of the epic writer Homer.

Rebuilt during the Hellenistic era, it flourished for immoderate time, becoming a hub of Armenian and Greek civilization for galore years, adjacent aft the Turkish concern of the country centuries later.

Greeks march into the city

The 1/38 Evzone Regiment marched by, passing a ample portion of the Greek crowds celebrating the landing and the Ottoman authorities Konak and barracks of Ottoman troops.

Greek ‘evzone’ soldiers successful Smyrna. Public Domain

A Turk fired a changeable and chaos resulted with the Greek troops firing aggregate shots into the Konak and barracks. The Ottoman troops surrendered, and the Greek regiment began marching them up the seashore to a vessel to service arsenic a impermanent prison.

Greek troops marching connected Izmir’s coastal street. Public Domain

Donald Whittall, a British national and 1 of the fewer neutral observers during the landing, remarked connected the attraction of Turkish prisoners: “They were made to spell done nary humiliation and received a bully deal.” But Whittall estimated that 30 unarmed prisoners were slaughtered.

Atrocities against section Turks did so occur, but the orders fixed to the landing troops were to refrain from specified acts.

Greek troops onshore successful Smyrna. Public Domain

Commander of the 1st Infantry Division of the Hellenic Army, Colonel Nikolaos Zafeiriou, issued the pursuing bid to his soldiers, who learned astir their destination lone aft the departure from the larboard of Kavala successful bluish Greece. Zafeirious said:

Wherever we whitethorn go, we indispensable cognize that we are going to liberate our brethren nether alien rule. The enthusiasm filling our hearts is afloat justified but immoderate improper manifestation of this enthusiasm volition beryllium wholly retired of place. We indispensable not hide that erstwhile we scope our destination we shall conscionable Turks, Jews and Europeans of different denominations. Everybody should beryllium treated successful the aforesaid way. In a small portion they volition go our brothers arsenic if they were existent Greeks.

Greeks established the Smyrna Zone until the 1922 catastrophe

The Greek landing created the Smyrna Zone that administered the country from 1919 until September 9, 1922.

France and Italy each became resistant to imperishable Greek occupation, and the stillborn Treaty of Sèvres successful 1920 gave administrative power of the country to Greece portion Turkey would clasp sovereignty with imperishable sovereignty to beryllium decided aft 5 years.

The Greek concern ended erstwhile Turkish forces entered Smyrna connected September 9, 1922, resulting successful the Asia Minor catastrophe.

The demolition of Smyrna, erstwhile Greeks were forced to fly the metropolis owed to a occurrence acceptable by Turkish forces, inactive haunts Greece a period later.