Vasileios Melas

Last updated
Lieutenant General

Vasileios Melas
Pavlos melas with his brothers.jpg
Vasileios Melas (standing left) with his brothers c. 1897
Native name
Βασίλειος Μελάς
Born1874
Athens, Kingdom of Greece
Died1956
Allegiance State flag of Greece (1863-1924;1935-73).svg Kingdom of Greece
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Second Hellenic Republic
Service / branchHellenic Army War Flag.svg  Hellenic Army
Years of service1897–1936
1940–1941
Rank GR-Army-OF8-1912.svg Lieutenant General
CommandsSenior Military Commander of Argyrokastro
Battles / wars
Alma mater Hellenic Army Academy
Spouse(s)Eleni Soutsou
Relations Michail Melas (father)
Pavlos Melas (brother)
Anna Mela-Papadopoulou (sister)
Other workAdjutant to King Alexander of Greece
President of the Athenian Club
President of the Management Committee of Vasileios G. Melas
President of the Philippos Union
President of the Epirote Society of Athens

Vasileios Melas (Greek : Βασίλειος Μελάς; 1879 in Athens – 1956) was a Lieutenant General of the Hellenic army. He was Pavlos Melas' younger brother.

Contents

Biography

Vasileios Melas was born in Athens and was the last of the seven children of the jurist, merchant and politician Michail Melas and Eleni G. Voutsina from Kefalonia. When he finished secondary school, Vassileios studied in the Hellenic Military Academy. At the age of 17, he discontinued his studies, joined the cavalry as a corporal and took part in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. By the end of the war, he continued his studies and graduated from the academy with the rank of second lieutenant. [1]

Later he continued his military studies at the Infantry and Cavalry School in Namur in Belgium and then he studied as lieutenant in the Cavalry School at Saumur (France) (1910–11). He fought in the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 and in the Northern Epirote autonomy struggle in 1914. In 1915–16, Melas studied at the Captains School. He took part in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–22 as Commander of the Cavalry Division (1920). [2] As colonel, he also served as adjutant of King Alexander of Greece.

From 1923 until 1925, Melas served as military attaché of Greece in Belgrade and later in Paris and London. [1] [3] In 1926 Melas was promoted to the rank of major general and in 1930 he became a lieutenant general. [4]

Although, at his request, he retired in 1936. However, he took part in the Greco-Italian War, when he was appointed as senior military commander of Argyrokastro. At the end of the war, he retired. For this period of his life, he wrote the “Αναμνήσεις και εντυπώσεις αντιστρατήγου Βασ. Μιχ. Μελά από την διοίκησίν του εν Αργυροκάστρω κατά τον Ιταλικόν πόλεμον 1940-1941” (“Memories and impressions of the Lieutenant General Vas. M. Melas from his command in Argyrokastro during Italian War 1940-1941”). [2] During his military career he was injured 3 times. Melas was honored many times for his heroism.

He participated in many associations and unions. He was also president of the Athenian Club (1938–41 and 1949–56), [2] [3] the Management Committee of Vasileios G. Melas, the Philippos Union and the Epirote Society of Athens, of which he was founding member. Melas was also collaborator in writing the Great Greek Encyclopedia .

After his retirement, he participated in many public welfare activities. Vasileios Melas was a mason in Skenderbeis lodge of Athens, while during the Axis occupation of Greece he was imprisoned by the German forces.

He died in 1956 in Athens. His personal archive has been deposited in the National Historical Museum of Greece. He married Eleni Soutsou, daughter of Alexandros Soutsos (General and President of the Athenian Club) and Sophia Nikolaou Mavrokordatou.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anastasios Charalambis</span> Greek Lieutenant General

Anastasios Charalambis was a Greek Lieutenant General and interim Prime Minister of Greece for one day in 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spyros Spyromilios</span> Greek Gendarmerie officer and guerrilla fighter

Spyros Spyromilios was a Greek Gendarmerie officer and guerrilla fighter who took part in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Greek Struggle for Macedonia, and the Balkan Wars. In 1914 he proclaimed the Autonomy of his native town, Himarra, and joined the autonomist struggle of Northern Epirus against its inclusion within the newly established Principality of Albania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimitrios Doulis</span> Greek Army officer (1865-1928)

Dimitrios Doulis, was a Greek military office, minister of Defence of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus. He was from Nivica in modern southern Albania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgios Tsontos</span> Greek general and politician

Georgios Tsontos also known with the nom de guerreKapetan Vardas, was a Greek guerrilla fighter, general, and later politician from Crete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michail Melas</span> Greek politician

Mihail Melas was a Greek politician and merchant, who served as Mayor of Athens from 1 October 1891 – 31 October 1894.

<i>Great Greek Encyclopedia</i>

The Great Greek Encyclopedia is a general knowledge Greek-language encyclopedia, printed initially between 1926 and 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandros Kontoulis</span> Greek general (1859–1933)

Alexandros Kontoulis was a Greek military officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Hellenic Army. He was among the driving minds behind the Macedonian Struggle and was involved in the Albanian national movement, with the nom de guerre of Kapetan Skourtis. Kontoulis fought with distinction in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and the First Balkan War, where he was heavily wounded. In the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, he commanded the I Army Corps on the southern sector of the Greek front from February 1921 to June 1922. After his retirement, he served as ambassador to Albania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Bergama</span>

The Battle of Bergama was fought at and near Bergama between the Greek army and forces of the nascent Turkish National Movement during the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. The Turkish forces pushed the Greek army from Bergama on 15 June, but the town was recaptured on 22 June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandros Hatzikyriakos</span>

Alexandros Hatzikyriakos was a Greek Navy officer who rose to the rank of rear admiral. He played a major role in the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic in 1924, and served thrice as Minister for Naval Affairs and two brief periods as Foreign Minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Konstantinos Smolenskis</span> Greek military officer and politician

Konstantinos Smolenskis or Smolents was a Hellenic Army officer. Descendant of a family that had settled in the Habsburg monarchy and returned to Greece after the Greek War of Independence, early in his career he was distinguished as a well-educated and capable officer. He particularly distinguished himself in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, where he led the Greek defenders at the Battle of Velestino. This rendered him a national hero and earned him widespread popularity; he was twice elected Member of the Hellenic Parliament, and served twice as Minister for Military Affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikolaos Tsipouras</span>

Nikolaos Tsipouras was a Hellenic Army officer who fought in the Macedonian Struggle, the Balkan Wars, the North Epirote Struggle, World War I and the Asia Minor Campaign, retiring as a Major General.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Konstantinos Pallis</span> Greek army officer

Konstantinos Pallis was a staff officer of the Hellenic Army, who served as chief of staff of the Army of Asia Minor in 1920–22, and as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff during the Greco-Italian War of 1940–41.

Vasileios Sapountzakis was a Greek general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonios Miliarakis</span>

Antonios Miliarakis was a Greek geographer, academic and historian of the 19th century. He was distinguished for his studies in history and geography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Melas</span> Greek politician (1812–1879)

Leon Melas was a Greek politician, representative to the National Assemblies of 1843 and 1862 and author. His greatest work was the novel Gerostathis. He excelled as Minister of Justice, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Education, as a university professor, magistrate and lawyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michail Anagnostakos</span> Greek Army officer

Michail Anagnostakos, better known under the nom de guerre Kapetan Matapas was a Hellenic Army officer and chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petros Hatzitasis</span>

Petros Hatzitasis (1872-1932) was a Greek chieftain from Florina who contributed to the Macedonian Struggle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bularat</span> Village in Gjirokastër, Albania

Bularat is a village in Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality of Dropull. It is inhabited solely by Greeks. It is located just 6 km away from the Greek-Albanian border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikostratos Kalomenopoulos</span> Greek Army officer

Nikostratos Kalomenopoulos was a Greek revolutionary and Army officer who reached the rank of major general. He is also known by his nom de guerre Kapetan Nidas.

Vasileios Panousopoulos was a Greek soldier who rose to the rank of major general.

References

  1. 1 2 Pavlos Drandakis, « Μεγάλη Ελληνική Εγκυκλοπαίδεια », vol. ΙΣΤ΄, p. 862.
  2. 1 2 3 Maria Papanastasiou, Αρχείο Βασιλείου Μιχαήλ Μελά, p. 78.
  3. 1 2 Giorgos Sakagiannis, Απόστρατος, κοινωνία & πολιτική από το μεσοπόλεμο στη μεταπολίτευση, Master Thesis,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 2010, p. 39.
  4. Encyclopedia Papyrus Larousse Britannica, Athens 2001, vol. 41, p. 210.

Bibliography