Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:02, 19 April 2005

Revision as of 19:52, 21 April 2005

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One of the most important social consequences of the Treaty of Lausanne was the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey. More than a million Greeks from Anatolia were expelled to Greece, and about 500,000 Turks moved in the opposite direction. The Greeks of [[Constantinople]] and the Turks of western Thrace were exempted from this transfer.

The exchange saw the abandonment of areas where Greeks had lived since ancient times, such as [[Ionia]] and [[Pontus]]. The Greek [[genocide]] (also known as Hellenic [[holocaust]]) was halted. Even though tens of thousands of Greeks were massacred and Greek females raped/abductedkilled during the transfers by Turkish authorities and the mob alike, the great majority of Anatolian Greeks escaped with their lives, if little else.

Another result was a violent political reaction in Greece. Military officers seized power in [[Athens]] and forced [[Constantine I of Greece|King Constantine]] to abdicate (see [[History of Modern Greece#Republic and Monarchy|History of Modern Greece]]). Five senior commanders of the Anatolian expedition were tried for treason and executed. The bitterness engendered by these events lingered in Greek politics for many years.