British document shows Greek plan to invade İstanbul
22 August 2011
A newly released book titled “İngiliz Yıllık Raporlarında Türkiye: 1922” (Turkey in Annual British Reports: 1922), part of a series of the same name by Marmara University history professor Ali Satan, includes a document drafted by the then-British high commissioner in İstanbul indicating that the Greek army had planned to invade the city in July 1922.
According to the document, written by British High Commissioner Nevile Henderson, Greece asked the allied powers for permission to invade İstanbul and was denied this approval on July 31, 1922. The British government along with France and Italy showed no tolerance for the plan and stopped Greece from realizing its ambition.
Great Britain recalled its fleet located in the Mediterranean to İstanbul to show its determination in line with the other great powers to stop Greek troops from entering the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, which was occupied by the allied powers at the time.
Henderson stated in his report that the assignment of Georgios Hatzanestis as commander-in-chief of the Greek Army in Asia Minor instead of Anastasios Papoulas in May 1922 was the first step in the occupation plan. Hatzanestis was known as a radical and a hawk in comparison to his colleague. Henderson indicated the attack on Samsun was a pre-strike prepared by the Greeks to facilitate the implementation of the occupation plan.
According to Henderson, the march of four Greek divisions to İstanbul was a very stupid move that was designed to restore the morale of Greek soldiers and thus weaken and demoralize the enemy by directly capturing the capital city. The occupation plan failed roughly a month before the last big battle, which took place between the Turkish and Greek armies on Aug. 26. Ali Satan addresses the significance of the document by implying that if the Greek army had succeeded in invading and occupying İstanbul, the Turkish army would have had to fight to take İstanbul back before fighting for İzmir.
22 August 2011
A newly released book titled “İngiliz Yıllık Raporlarında Türkiye: 1922” (Turkey in Annual British Reports: 1922), part of a series of the same name by Marmara University history professor Ali Satan, includes a document drafted by the then-British high commissioner in İstanbul indicating that the Greek army had planned to invade the city in July 1922.
According to the document, written by British High Commissioner Nevile Henderson, Greece asked the allied powers for permission to invade İstanbul and was denied this approval on July 31, 1922. The British government along with France and Italy showed no tolerance for the plan and stopped Greece from realizing its ambition.
Great Britain recalled its fleet located in the Mediterranean to İstanbul to show its determination in line with the other great powers to stop Greek troops from entering the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, which was occupied by the allied powers at the time.
Henderson stated in his report that the assignment of Georgios Hatzanestis as commander-in-chief of the Greek Army in Asia Minor instead of Anastasios Papoulas in May 1922 was the first step in the occupation plan. Hatzanestis was known as a radical and a hawk in comparison to his colleague. Henderson indicated the attack on Samsun was a pre-strike prepared by the Greeks to facilitate the implementation of the occupation plan.
According to Henderson, the march of four Greek divisions to İstanbul was a very stupid move that was designed to restore the morale of Greek soldiers and thus weaken and demoralize the enemy by directly capturing the capital city. The occupation plan failed roughly a month before the last big battle, which took place between the Turkish and Greek armies on Aug. 26. Ali Satan addresses the significance of the document by implying that if the Greek army had succeeded in invading and occupying İstanbul, the Turkish army would have had to fight to take İstanbul back before fighting for İzmir.
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