Timeline of the Hellenic Army

The Hellenic Army is the land force component of the Hellenic Armed Forces. It was officially founded in 1828 ^[1] and still operates today as the main contributor to the Balkan Battle Group. This article details the history of the Hellenic Army in the form a of a timeline from its de facto founding to the modern day.

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 Mahmud Dramali Pasha at the Dervenakia pass; the sultan turns to Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt for help in suppressing the Greek revolt.
• March 1824 - the motley "Byron Brigade" composed of Greek and Philhellene volunteers begins to organize at Missolonghi.

1833–1862

• 1833 - The newly arrived King Othon creates battalions of line infantry on the West European model. 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.

1897–1913

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

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 1921 - 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.

1923–1940

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

References

1. Agency, Central Intelligence (14 May 2024). The CIA World Factbook 2024-2025. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   978-1-5107-7852-8.