1. Versailles Peace Conference

1. Venezelos was the primary Greek negotiator in the aftermath of World War I.

1. The Ialians had already been given the Antalya region of southern Asia Minor and some interests in the area around Smyrna.
2. Smyrna was also the focus of Greek interests.

1. Turks were a slight majority in the area: 950,000 Turks to 620,000 Greeks.
2. Venezelos saw the Smyrna area as crucial to Greek interests.

                B. In 1919 Italian troops landed at Antalya and began moving toward Smyrna=Eastern Question (what was to                         happen with the breakup of the Ottoman Empire?).

                C. Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson agreed to the landing of Greek troops at Smyrna.

1. The Greek landing began 15 May 1919.
2. Resurgence of Turkish nationalism.

                                a. Under the leadership of Mustafa Kamel (Attatürk).

                                b. The Greek invasion/occupation of Anatolia served as a catalyst for the development of a                                          Turkish reaction.

II.  Treaty of Sèvres: 10 August 1920.

1. Peace with Turkey.
2. Smyrna (Turkish Izmir) and its hinterland were to be administered by Greece for five years--after which there would be an election and the area could be united with Greece.
3. Return of King Constantine

1. King Alexander died from a monkey bite (!) in 1920.
2. A referendum was held and it overwhelmingly called for the return of the king.
3. This was opposed by Britain and France, and was used by them as an excuse to come to terms with the Turkish nationalists. France and England always had wanted a strong and stable Turkey as a balance to other powers in the region and a force for continuity.
4. The French and Italians came to support Attatürk openly and the British declared neutrality.

III. Military Disaster

1. In 1921 Greek forces pushed into the interior of Asia Minor. For more detail on the Asia Minor campaign, click here.

1. Greece was, however, abandoned by its allies.
2. Attatürk prepared a counter-attack.

                B. In August 1922 the counter-attack began.

1. Greek troops retreated in disarray to the coast.
2. There were excesses and massacres on both sides.

IV. The Smyrna disaster (for some pictures, click here)

A. The Greek forces evacuated Smyrna on September 8.

B. The Turks occupied the city on September 9.

C. Massacre began that evening.

D. Allied ships in the harbor maintained neutrality, despite ¼ million people on the waterfront.

E. Approximately 30,000 Christians perished, with the Armenians suffering the worst.

V. Population Exchange

1. The Treaty of Lausanne – July 1923

1. Greece surrendered nearly all it had gained in the Treaty of Sèvres: eastern Thrace and the Smyrna enclave.
2. In Janury 1923 a separate convention was made between Venezelos and Ismet concerning the exchange of populations.
3. Religion was to be the main determinant: Greek Orthodox were to go to Greece, Muslims were to go to Turkey.
4. Exceptions were the Greeks of Istanbul and Imvros (Imbros) and Tenedos, and the Muslims of western Thrace, all of whom were allowed to stay where they were and who were granted special status and protection.

            B. The Exchange: 380,000 Muslims, 1,000,000 Greek Christians

1. Greece was already overpopulated, and the refugees brought with them many problems.
2. The refugees were primarily bourgeois and there was no place for them in Greece.
3. Greek urban development was pushed forward.
4. Many refugees were forced to live in newly-formed villages throughout the country.
5. Most refugees, however, formed an underclass in the great cities, especially Athens and the Piraeus.

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