Blog

Dimitris K. Bakas

A whole hundred years have passed since then and yet the memories remain vivid ! How can the most tragic moments of the Nation be forgotten? It is not possible and should not be . Traumatic experiences always leave indelible marks on our lives and even deeper are the wounds in our souls. The Campaign in Asia Minor (MA) remained in the History of our Homeland as the "Asia Minor Catastrophe" . An adventure that began with visions and triumphs and ended in the complete destruction of the purest roots of our civilization.

On May 2, 1919 (old calendar) in the midst of a triumphant-liberation festival, Smyrna drowns in blue and white. Unfortunately, on August 27 (September 9) 1922 , after thirty-nine months and five days, an absolute deadly drama causes the uprooting of the beautiful city once and for all. An indescribable Dante's hell of the Hellenism of Ionia, Pontus and Eastern Thrace that was marked by the most macabre numbers of victims: approximately 700,000 dead and 2.500.000 violently uprooted from their land. An uprooting from where they lived and worked for many centuries before Christianity came. There, they left behind all their belongings, immeasurable property and above all they left the graves of their loved ones and their history to the sanctified. They took only with them their memories, their customs and traditions and an endless nostalgia for returning! To the macabre numbers and beyond the biblical disasters must be added the human losses of the Army of Asia Minor: Officers and soldiers (killed, deceased, missing and wounded): 91.225!

It is not possible for anyone to describe the entire adventure with any pen! The few factors that determined, all together, but not equally, the development and the painful end of the Campaign will be mentioned with respect for the millions of sufferers. They will be commented on impartially, as much as possible to approach the real truth, bringing to our memory with respect for the sufferers and capturing the main conclusions . Our minimum goal is for the omissions, behaviors and suffering to become lessons for us and future generations. Let us not fall into such experiences again. Let us all stand, if possible, with a sense of responsibility , without excommunications and useless tears, at the terrible crimes of the Turks and our own mistakes. Let us compare those conditions with what is being played out in our own years in the "theater of" with approximately the same protagonists. Let us understand what is happening with a critical and correct perception and, first and foremost, each of us, through our own participation, ensure the security of the Homeland.

The Campaign in the Mediterranean is the most important event in Greek history since the fall of Constantinople, the National Uprising of 1821 and the victorious Balkan Wars of 1912 – 1913. It began under the most favorable omens, but ended for internal and external reasons in the great disaster of August 1922, resulting in the eradication of Asia Minor Hellenism.

At the Paris Peace Conference, which followed the end of World War I, Greece prepared the ground and convinced the allies of our rights in Smyrna, the strength of the Greek army, but also the danger that the Greek Orthodox of Asia Minor faced from the actions of Turkish terrorist gangs. It assured the allies that it would not act without their consent.

The Asia Minor Campaign was an overseas operation of long duration (3,5 years), with the participation of almost the entire Greek Army , in a wide area of ​​operations with depth (approximately 300 km ) and front ( over 700 km ) in an unknown and inhospitable operational environment, with a lack of infrastructure, transportation and means of transport, with problems of organization, management of operations, communication, logistics and with changing political situations. The elections of 1 Nov. 1920 played a catalytic role in the failure of the campaign!

The Greeks of Smyrna saw the dream they had grown up with come true ! After the capture of Smyrna and with the significant reinforcement of the Greek forces, the war operations of the period 1919 - 1922 began. During the major offensive operations of the year 1921, the Greek army achieved brilliant victories and sought to neutralize and destroy the Turkish army that had already been reorganized. It succeeded in capturing important urban centers and transportation hubs and advancing to the Sangarios River, operating under extremely unfavorable conditions of terrain, crossing the salty desert, resupply, replenishment of losses, morale, errors and omissions of the military command and political authorities. Despite its successes and continuous struggle, the crucial and decisive blow to the enemy was not achieved.

Despite the difficulties and weaknesses of the Army, it was decided to continue operations towards Ankara, by carrying out a criminal offensive action, during the period in which Greece was in complete diplomatic, military and economic isolation and the allies had broken the alliances, resulting in the overthrow of all the conditions of the Campaign . The final operation failed. The battle for the capture of Ankara was lost . The Greek forces were unable to successfully confront and stop the Turkish attack on August 13, 1922, and thus the front collapsed during the sad third ten days of August.

The grandiose plan of the war council in Kütahya (July 15, 1921), which unanimously decided to continue the operations towards Ankara, awakened the national spirit of the Turks for mass voluntary resistance on all fronts of operations with the creation of a strong army and the dynamic presence of General Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk), who as a genuine spokesman for the Turkish people also became the national savior of Turkey.

The Army continued operations, and the 1st and 2nd SS crossed the Sangario River through 7 bridges on 28 and 29 August 1921 and reached approximately 60 km. outside Ankara. The Turks after Sangario had organized three lines of defense, two of which were occupied by the Greek forces, but not the third to open the road to Ankara. The defensive front of the Turkish forces had absorbed the aggressive spirit of the Greek Army, due to fatigue, exhaustion and had reduced its morale. The Army was living under difficult conditions and thus the offensive return of the Turkish forces from 29 August 1922 and the fatal retreat to the western coast began.

Meanwhile, the pro-Turkish policy continued from Russia, France, and Italy with the provision of weapons, resulting in the revival of the morale of the Turks. On September 6, 1922, the last units of the Third SS abandoned the MA, writing the tragic epilogue.

Despite the unfavorable development of the operations and the final outcome of the Campaign, the endurance and bravery of the Greek army aroused worldwide admiration.

Thus, we arrived on September 13, 1922, at the tragic finale of the campaign with Smyrna in flames . The destruction of Smyrna constitutes the last scene of the extermination of Christianity throughout the Byzantine Empire with indescribable brutality, which was sealed with the martyrdom of Metropolitan Chrysostom of Smyrna. It should be noted that the Turks from 1822 to 1918 had slaughtered or uprooted from their homes, with abominable brutality, 1.873.822 Greek Christians and more than 1.500.000 Armenian Christians.

Smyrna presented an image of a horrible hell, which no other act of the Turkish race throughout its blood-stained history has presented worse forms of debauchery and barbarity against the civilian population. Kemal, staying in the residence of the Greek Consul, who had abandoned it when fleeing Smyrna, proudly gazed at the ashes and countless corpses that were tossed by the waves in the harbor!

With the fall of the "eternal City" by Muhammad, the nation was enslaved, but it did not die out. The slaves became thieves and robbers, teachers of the Nation and leaders of enlightenment, thus our enslaved Nation prepared the Revolution of 1821. Now, Kemal uprooted Hellenism with unspeakable plunder, vandalism, fires, and massacres once and for all from Ionia, Pontus, Cappadocia, Caesarea, that is, from the centers of the Greek spirit. Hope died out once and for all. ".. The talking water also died out."

Our Homeland lost its support, which was provided by 2.500.000 indigenous Greeks. “The Asia Minor catastrophe was greater and worse than the fall of Constantinople in 1453.” The French historian E. Driault writes. “We lost the hive of our cultural intellect.”

The adventure in Asia Minor touched the dream! Greece was ready to embrace the Aegean and revive under its national scepter the ancient cradles of Hellenism. Unfortunately, this dream not only did not remain, at least, as a dream, but it was completely extinguished from all national contemplation. Only the national spirit of the Greeks keeps the idea of ​​Greece alive.

Assessments: The general view that all the suffering, appropriately staged, is due to our then "allies" is recorded as the first factor in our defeat. For their own purposes and interests, they did not hesitate to betray Greece against the obscurantism of Islamism. Indeed, evidence is recorded that the Germans, the French, the English considered the Turks to be a "proper people", while the USA initially believed in the Monroe Doctrine: "America for America". At the same time, Russia supplied weapons to Kemal.

Kemal is another serious factor in our defeat. At the most critical hour of the war, he found himself, in a revolutionary way, at the head of Turkey to resurrect and reorganize its disintegrated army. He himself revealed and thundered: " We are the only victors among the vanquished"! In contrast to us : "who were the only vanquished among the victors".

But the big question is: what did we do, as Greeks? Our persistent illness dominated: Yes, the persistent division was the main factor in our ruin . We will cry loudly when we see the Greek people completely divided at that most critical time. With the Anglo-French, the Venizelists, and the Germanophiles, the Constantinists. The passionate Greeks think that they have closed Greece in their hearts, but the sloganeering and the extremes have blinded them. Hated among themselves in their horrible passion, which touches schizophrenia! "Not even one Greece divided, but literally, two Greeces torn apart" (K. Zavitsianos). Unbridgeable passions caused a sense of terror. In the elections of November 1920, madness and demagogy triumphed. The feeling of great joy ended with the drama of a disaster. Hope was lost in the darkness of inconsistency. Behind every impression of confidence, a hypocrisy arose!

The national division , which had also been transferred to the Army, is undoubtedly the main cause of our greatest national calamity, which left indelible wounds in our Greece. However, it also had minor "beneficial" results, such as the densification of the Greek element in Greece, the transfer of experiences for a better human life and the enrichment of cultural and social institutions. The refugees in their new Homeland became productive elements and offered their diligence and skills to trade, industry, crafts and the cultivation of the land. They deeply influenced every aspect of the life of the Greeks, although the "delicious ΙΜΑρ" remains in the coming generations.

Disastrous errors of political and military leadership were observed. The centralized and lukewarm command of the Army far from the battlefields (4 Army Corps..., commanded from Smyrna and Koutahia!). The great depth (about 300 km) and the extensive front (about 700 km) and the large gaps (50-60 km) between the Large Units allowed the penetration of the Turkish cavalry (4 Divisions) in the rear of the 1st SS. The prolonged conduct of operations under unfavorable conditions and, beyond human endurance, had created the impression of the needless sacrifices of the fighters. Morale up to Sangario was high, but since then it has been continuously decreasing.

The sad conclusion of this tragic period of our history is that Greece, which attempted to liberate the Asia Minor cradle of its ancient civilization, buried it with lamentations and tears! The Greek Army fought with bravery, endurance, heroism and self-denial under adverse conditions! The behavior of the Turks towards the prisoners was inhumane. The same was true towards the Greek population that had remained.

With the execution of the six responsible for the failure of the Campaign in the Mediterranean (Dimitris Gounaris, Nikos Stratou, Petrus Protopapadakis, Georgios Baltatzis, Nikos Theotokis and Lieutenant General Georgios Hatzanestis), on November 15, 1922, the curtain on the drama closed, but the impressions and the pain remain!

For historical coverage, the following is briefly presented. On 11 Sep. 1922, the revolutionary movement took place in Chios and Mytilene by Colonels Nikolaos Plastiras , Stylianos Gonatas and Lieutenant Commander Dimitrios Fokas . On 28 Sep. 1922, the armistice was signed in Moudania with the intervention of the Allies. Finally, on 24 July 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed.

But hope still exists ! Of course, not to conquer the lost homelands. This is no longer possible . But the civilization and the entire spiritual human spirit that emerged in Asia Minor and spread throughout the world will never be extinguished. The Ionian Cities will never be erased! They will remain as bright beacons and eternal symbols of human civilization.

Around 1000-1100 BC the first Greeks, Ionians from Boeotia, Attica and the NE Peloponnese gradually colonized the islands of Chios and Samos as well as areas of the Asia Minor coasts, after the descent of the Dorians into Greek territory. Greece, the Aegean and Asia Minor constituted a single and indivisible cultural space. The Ionians founded powerful cities and created a religious union similar to the amphitheonies of mainland Greece, which was called the Ionian Community or "Ionian Dodecapolis" . It took the lead in the creation and development of the brilliant and pioneering Ionian civilization: Cydonia, Miletus, Halicarnassus. Pergamon, Priene, Ephesus, Colophon, Lebedus, Teos, Erythrae, Clazomenae, Phocaea,...and later Smyrna was added.

The unsurpassed Ionian Civilization has left indelible marks on all of humanity. The Eastern Peoples call us Ionians (Yunan). They advanced in letters and arts. From here, civilization was transmitted to other Greeks. Ionia is considered the homeland of Homer. Also, Thales , Anaximander, Anaximenes , Heraclitus , Anaxagoras and Empedocles were from there . The father of History Herodotus, Aspasia of Pericles, and the poet Anacreontes ….

It is not possible for Hellenism and Christianity to go bankrupt , because from these supreme spiritual magnitudes that are considered milestones, Truth, Beauty and Humanism emerge ! The deepest meaning of man's destiny on our Earth. The inherent great values ​​and symbols of man are not murdered. Humanity cannot remain in darkness and barbarity. The Turkish people also have feelings. They want to love and be loved by their fellow human beings. And the only education of every person has proven to be based on Greek cultural education . The "Gray Wolves" will not always have a place in people's lives. The struggles of mankind for moral values ​​and cultural progress will be justified.

Anyone who visits or lives in Asia Minor feels like they are living in Ionia ! They are walking and breathing Greek Culture! The Ionians in architecture created their own rhythm, the “ Ionian rhythm”, which is characteristic for its delicacy, elegance and beauty. They had a special dialect , “Ionian”. Homer wrote his poems in this language, as well as Hesiod and Pindar. The “Attic” dialect of Athens was an offshoot of Ionian . That is, the Ionian trust includes the main Symbols of Humanity.

Symbols are shaped subtle spiritual emergences, such as ideas, visions, beliefs . As a material expression, a symbol can wear out with time or by human actions. As spiritual values, however, symbols are invulnerable . They withstand the worst barbarity and insult, and in fact, then they are dematerialized, upgraded and become immortal.

Symbols as a spiritual concept are like living beings . They communicate and converse with the people and peoples who embrace them. They influence people to the greatest extent. People, in turn, influence symbols. As long as this mutual creative dialogue exists , symbols remain alive and do not degenerate . They become eternal values ​​and acquire enormous spiritual power. Symbols die when the creative dialogue with people is interrupted. We are obliged to always maintain an open, living dialogue with our spiritual Symbols. We give them life and they give it back to us brighter.

This is why we say that hope exists . It is enough for us, the Modern Greeks, to put it in our souls and in our spirits. To preserve our identity ourselves and to radiate it to all of humanity. To cultivate the Education that shapes people. Education that nurtures first and foremost human citizens who love their Homeland, care for it and protect it from every side, as equal members within the framework of the international community.

The unredeemed Homelands must be engraved in the memory of all future generations, as a horrible suffering and a primary lesson for our internal relations , which are rarely praiseworthy.

Let the hundreds of thousands of our dead remain in our souls to remind us of our lost homelands and that they were lost not only because Kemal won and our "Allies" abandoned us, but also because of the unforgettable 1922, "we defeated ourselves "!

Let us love our Homeland first . No "ally" will help us if we have not convinced them that we "deserve" to have a Homeland and a Nation.

Every day we must take care of the image of our Homeland.

 This is the supreme duty of all of us.

                                                                                Dimitris K. Bakas

                                                                                     Apr 28, 2022