Timeline of the Hellenic Army

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Hellenic Army Ελληνικός Στρατός

"Freedom stems from Valor" "ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΝ ΤΟ ΕΥΨΥΧΟΝ"

Components List of formations Structure of the Hellenic Army History History of the Hellenic Army Timeline of the Hellenic Army Personnel List of senior officers Officer rank insignia Warrant officer rank insignia Enlisted rank insignia Equipment Current equipment Historical equipment

Military of Greece Hellenic Army Hellenic Navy Hellenic Air Force

Contents 1 1821-1832 2 1833-1862 3 1862-1877 4 1878-1897 5 1897-1913 6 1914-1918 7 1919-1922 8 1923-1940 9 1941-1944 10 1944-1949 11 1949-Present

[edit] 1821-1832

• September 1814 - The secretive Philiki Etaireia is founded at Odessa. From the start it is the locus of anti-Ottoman activity among Greeks. Members with military experience will form the core of Ypsilantis staff.
• 6 March 1821 - Alexander Ypsilantis crosses the River Prut into Wallachia with two battalions of volunteer infantry and a troop of cavalry raised in Russia.
• 23 March, 1821 - Petrobey Mavromichalis is proclaimed "commander-in-chief of the Spartan forces" by the newly-founded Senate of Messenia in the wake of the successful capture of Kalamata.
• August, 1822 - Theodoros Kolokotronis ambushes and destroys the army of Mahmoud Dramali at the Dervenaki pass; the sultan turns to Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt for help in suppressing the Greek revolt.
• March 1824 - the motley "Byron Brigade" comprised of Greek and Philhellene volunteers begins to organize at Messolonghi.

[edit] 1833-1862

• 1833 - The newly-arrived King Othon creates battalions of line infantry on the West European model, using foreign troops. Each battalion includes a company of native Greek sharpshooters or Evzones. Othon also forms ten battalions of Greek light infantry.
• 1836 - The number of Greek light infantry battalions is reduced from ten to eight. Four new Mountain Guard battalions are organized to patrol the Greco-Turkish frontier and hunt down bandits in the countryside.
• 1843 - The Mountain Guards are reorganized and expanded into four full regiments.
• 1867 - Four elite Evzones battalions are formed.
• 1868 - The Royal Guard Detachment is formed, consisting of two Evzone companies and a troop of cavalry.

[edit] 1862-1877

[edit] 1878-1897

[edit] 1897-1913

• 1912 - The Hellenic Army fields its first Aviators Company, which will eventually become the Army Aviation branch.

[edit] 1914-1918

[edit] 1919-1922

• 15 May, 1919 - Greek troops land and occupy Smyrna (İzmir), meeting only token resistance: this will become the opening skirmish of the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922).
• 9-11 January, 1919 - Greek and Turkish forces fight the inconclusive First Battle of İnönü.
• March 1921 - Greek and Turkish forces fight to a stalemate at the Second Battle of İnönü.
• June 1921 - The Greek advance is checked at Battle of Sakarya.
• 26-30 August, 1922. The Greeks are routed at the Battle of Dumlupınar. Cut-off in a Turkish pincer movement, Major General Nikolaos Trikoupis and his men are taken prisoner. Surviving Hellenic Army units begin withdrawing to Smyrna.
• September 1922 - The Turkish Army captures Smyrna.

[edit] 1923-1940

• 1925 - Production at Breda of the "Philipides" design for an improved Mannlicher-Schönauer rifle is cancelled.

[edit] 1941-1944

[edit] 1944-1949

[edit] 1949-Present