History
Along with the other Corps formations of the Hellenic Army, V Army Corps was formed in December 1913, following the Balkan Wars. It was headquartered in Ioannina and comprised the 8th (Ioannina) and 9th (Preveza) infantry divisions, covering the Greco-Albanian border in Epirus. At the time of its establishment, the Corps's zone also included Northern Epirus, which had come under Greek control during the First Balkan War. The Corps withdrew its units from there in February 1914, which led to an uprising of the local Greek population. In October 1914, following the outbreak of World War I, the region was reoccupied with the assent of the Entente powers. Following the Greek mobilization in September 1915, V Corps expanded to include the 8th, 9th, 15th, and 16th Infantry Divisions. The corps was demobilized and disbanded as a result of the National Schism and the Greek demobilization in late 1916.
The Balkan Wars consisted of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan Peninsula in 1912 and 1913. Four Balkan states defeated the Ottoman Empire in the first war. The main victor of the four, Bulgaria, fought and pushed back all four original combatants of the first war along with halting a surprise attack from Romania from the north in the second war. The conflicts ended catastrophically for the Ottoman Empire, which lost the bulk of its territory in Europe. Austria-Hungary, although not a combatant, became relatively weaker as a much enlarged Serbia pushed for union of the South Slavic peoples. The war set the stage for the Balkan crisis of 1914 and thus served as a "prelude to the First World War".
Ioannina, often called Yannena within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. Its population is 112,486, according to 2011 census. It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 metres above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis (Παμβώτις). Ioannina is located 410 km (255 mi) northwest of Athens, 260 kilometres southwest of Thessaloniki and 80 km east of the port of Igoumenitsa in the Ionian Sea.
The 8th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Hellenic Army.
It was re-established with the July 1926 Army reorganization, but disbanded again a year later. It was re-established again in 1935, this time based in Alexandroupoli, covering Western Thrace with the 12th Infantry Division at Komotini, and the islands of the eastern Aegean with the 13th Infantry Division. However, with the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War on 28 October 1940, all available forces were switched to Epirus, and on 15 December 1940, V Corps was disbanded and its name transferred to the "K" Group of Divisions on the Albanian front. The latter was a corps-sized battle group, formed on 11 November to facilitate the Greek counter-attack against the Italians. It came under the operational control of Western Macedonia Army Section (TSDM) and was named after its commander, Lt. Gen. Georgios Kosmas. On 10 March 1941, when Kosmas was transferred to command of I Army Corps, V Army Corps was finally disbanded and its component units directly subordinated to TSDM.
Alexandroupoli or Alexandroupolis is a city in Greece and the capital of the Evros regional unit in East Macedonia and Thrace. It is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.
Western Thrace or West Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country; East Thrace, which lies east of the river Evros, forms the European part of Turkey, and the area to the north, in Bulgaria, is known as Northern Thrace.
Komotini is a city in the region of East Macedonia and Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Rhodope regional unit. It was the administrative centre of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture until its abolition in 2010, by the Kallikratis Plan. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973. Komotini is home to a sizeable Turkish-speaking Muslim minority.
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The Greek First Army, is the highest formation of the Hellenic Army and its only extant field army.
The I Army Corps was an army corps of the Hellenic Army, founded in December 1913. Originally based in Athens and covering southern Greece, since 1962 it was responsible for covering Greece's northwestern borders. It was disbanded in 2013.
The 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division is a division of the Hellenic Army.
Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos was a distinguished Greek army Lieutenant General who served in World War I, the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, World War II and the Greek Civil War, rising to become Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff. He also served as Greece's Ambassador to Yugoslavia.
Konstantinos Sapountzakis was a Greek Army officer. He is notable as the first head of the Hellenic Army General Staff and as the first commander of the Army of Epirus during the First Balkan War.
The 3/40 Evzone Regiment or 40th Evzone Regiment is a historic regiment of Evzones of the Hellenic Army, recruited in Epirus and headquartered in Arta. It was formed in 1913 after the Balkan Wars, and disbanded in the post-World War II period. It exists today as a nominal reserve formation to be mobilized in wartime.
The following is the order of battle of the Hellenic Army during the First Balkan War.
Konstantinos Moschopoulos was a senior Greek Army officer who distinguished himself in the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 and served as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff.
Agamemnon Gratzios or Gratsios was a Greek Army officer who rose to the rank of full General, and held the posts of Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff and of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff.
The 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Hellenic Army.
Nikolaos Vlachopoulos was a Greek Army officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant general. He participated in all the Greek wars of the early 20th century, and served twice as chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, in 1922–24 and in 1927–28.
The 11th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Hellenic Army.
The Serres Division was an infantry division of Greece in World War I and the occupation of Western Thrace.
Georgios Kosmas was a senior Greek Army officer who distinguished himself in the Greco-Italian War of 1940–1941, served as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff in 1949–51, and became a Member of the Hellenic Parliament and cabinet minister.
Dimitrios Giatzis was a senior Greek Army officer who held senior commands during the Greek Civil War of 1946–49, serving as commander of First Army and Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff in 1947–49.
The 4th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Hellenic Army. Originally formed in 1897, it served until 1912. Re-formed in the lead-up to the Greco-Italian War in 1940, it was expanded and renamed as the 15th Infantry Division after the war started. It was again reactivated in 1998, and served until 2013.
The Western Macedonia Army Section was a field army of the Hellenic Army active during the Greco-Italian War (1940–41).
The Army of National Defence was the military force of the Provisional Government of National Defence, a pro-Allied government led by Eleftherios Venizelos in Thessaloniki in 1916–17, against the royal government of King Constantine I in Athens, during the so-called National Schism. By the spring of 1917, it comprised three infantry divisions that formed the National Defence Army Corps and fought in the Macedonian Front. Following the ousting of King Constantine and the reunification of Greece under the leadership of Venizelos in June 1917, the Corps continued as part of the reconstituted Hellenic Army until 1920, when it became the Army of Thrace.
