Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. On the same day, a large Venizelist rally was held at Athens, with Venizelos as the main speaker. [53], In the event, the Serbian army was moved by ship to Macedonia, where it was grouped into three field armies. This is a very unpopular move on the behalf of the Greek government, going against the traditional allies of Greece. The suggestion was quickly dropped, because the Allies continued insisting on concessions to Bulgaria, but precipitated a major crisis between Venizelos and the King, like the latter, against Venizelos' recommendations, refused to agree to participate in an Allied attack on the Ottomans unless Turkey attacked first. On 15 February, the Allies reiterated their request and even offered to send Anglo-French troops to Thessaloniki. [62], On 8 June, in an effort to reduce the financial burden on the state and appease Sarrail's suspicions about a stab in the back, Athens decided to begin the demobilization of the Greek army: 12 older classes were demobilized entirely, while a two-month furlough was given to those hailing from southern Greece. #1 Kotka In September 1915 Bulgaria joined the Allied powers in WW1 after being offered Ottoman Thrace and border corrections with Serbia (later Yugoslavia). however, the Serbian Army retreated into Western Macedonia down into Northern Greece and west into Albania, where French and British Ships picked them up. The disagreement between King Constantine, who favoured neutrality, and the pro-Allied Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos led to the National Schism, the division of the state between two rival governments. ago The map is that of Bulgaria and its newly acquired territory after the First Balkan War. We're here to explore alternate history scenarios in interesting ways. Still, King Constantine, who enjoyed the protection of the Russian Tsar as a relative and fellow monarch, could not be removed until after the February Revolution in Russia removed the Russian monarchy from the picture. [69] As the Bulgarian advance continued, sporadic clashes erupted in places, while elsewhere Greek units, such as the 18th Regiment and the 5th Division, were encircled and disarmed. Bulgaria entered the war on the side of the Central Powers in Octomber 1915, while Romania joined the side of the Entente not earlier than after the signing of the. [8], King Constantine I on the other hand, backed by Foreign Minister Georgios Streit and the General Staff, were convinced of Germany's eventual triumph and furthermore sympathized with the German militarist political system. However, at 15:05, orders arrived from Athens mandating the withdrawal of Greek covering forces without resistance. Both steps were taken without the agreement of the Greek authorities or even consultation with General Mahon, but enraged Greek public opinion, which began to turn against the Allies. [79] On 9 September, Hatzopoulos thwarted an attempt to embark his units on Allied ships; only a handful sailed for Thasos. [73], On 27 August, Romania entered the war on the Allied side. Jan 27, 2004 #2 Max Sinister Banned in 1883, the Kingdom of Romania joined into the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary, the German Empire, and the Kingdom of Italy. [59] A number of senior Greek officers, including the heads of the Greek Gendarmerie's Macedonia command and the city's police, were expelled. He promptly set up a rival gov't that, with Allied aid, forced King Constantine to abdicate. [66], The Zaimis government, on the other hand, made an offer to the Allies of entering the war in exchange for financial support and a guarantee regarding the country's territorial integrity. [54] This was delayed as the demands placed by the ongoing Battle of Verdun on the Western Front did not allow the transfer of more troops to Macedonia, but conversely, the Allies sought to tie down German and Austrian forces that had begun to withdraw in Macedonia. However, within a few days they were joined by other uprisings led by local politicians at Chania, Herakleion, and Samos; in all cases, the loyalist officers were expelled and the entry of Greece into the war on the side of the Allies demanded. [64] At the same time, the royalists also began organizing against a potential threat to the throne: demobilized officers and soldiers were organized in the "Reservist Associations". Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Lt. General Moschopoulos took over their positions, as the senior official representative of the Greek government in the city. [16], In early September, the ongoing negotiations between Greece and the Ottoman Empire were stopped, as the Ottomans drifted further towards entry into the war, despite Berlin's urging them to refrain from actions that might drive Greece into the Allied camp. this is a list of rifles that the Romanian Army used during WWI. [63] In mid-July, a French-controlled newspaper published articles insulting the King and the Greek officer corps. the Romanians, Germans, and Austrians, backed by expeditionary forces sent by Italy, Greece . [96], As Greece emerged victorious from World War I, it was rewarded with territorial acquisitions, specifically Western Thrace (Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine) and Eastern Thrace and the Smyrna area (Treaty of Svres). Colonel Konstantinos Pallis on the other, a compromise was achieved: the Greek 11th Division would remain in Thessaloniki, and the Karabournou Fortress would remain in Greek hands; on the other hand, the Greek government promised not to interfere with any Allied measures to fortify their positions, and would remain neutral if Allied activity caused a third power to invade Greek territory. the Romanians, Germans, and Austrians, backed by expeditionary forces sent by Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria, forced the Russian Empire to collapse in late 1917, thus terminating the Eastern Front. Venizelos attempted an Allied Powers backed coup to over throw Constatine's government, but failed. [55], On the same day, two events of major importance occurred. The garrison provided no resistance, in accordance with its instructions. Milovanovi informed Metaxas that the pressure on the Serbian Army left them unable to spare forces for any such operation. Tepelen was captured by the Italians on 30 August, and the rest of Northern Epirus followed in October: the Italians landed at Sarand on 2 October and occupied the eastern part of the region around Gjirokastr, while the French occupied the western half around Kor. [16] King Constantine and Streit considered ousting the Prime Minister, but hesitated doing so given Venizelos' considerable parliamentary majority; instead, on 18 August, the same day that Venizelos submitted his proposals to the Allies, Streit resigned. [17], On 24 January 1915, the British offered Greece "significant territorial concessions in Asia Minor" if it would enter the war in support of Serbia, and in exchange for satisfying some of the Bulgarian territorial demands in Macedonia (Kavala, Drama, and Chrysoupolis) in exchange for Bulgarian entry into the war on the Allies' side. What If Greece Had Directly Joined World War One Against The Central Powers, And United It's Old Lands From Bulgaria And The Ottoman Empire To Recreate The B. [33], The new government was pressured by Germany and Austria not to allow the Allies to withdraw into Greek territory, to which Skouloudis replied that Greece would implement the terms of the Hague Conventions, according to which the Allied forces would have to be disarmed once crossing into Greek soil. You are using an out of date browser. Constantine was profoundly impressed by German militarism, Streit was a major proponent of royalist and conservative ideas, while the highly influential Chief of the General Staff Metaxaswho as dictator of Greece in 19361941 presided over a Fascist-leaning authoritarian regimewas already toying with proto-Fascist ideas. Finally, Greece united and joined the Allies in the summer of 1917. In addition, a Greek entry into the war on the Allied side might also precipitate the entry of the Ottomans on the side of the Central Powers, a prospect of particular concern to the British, who feared an adverse impact on the millions of Muslim colonial subjects of the British Empire should the Ottoman Caliph declare war on Britain. Colonel Konstantinos Mazarakis, and with the encouragement and support of Sarrail, had been engaged in a conspiracy to foment a revolt among the Greek military forces in Macedonia and lead them into war against Bulgaria. When the Serbian staff colonel Milan Milovanovi visited Athens to elicit the new government's intentions, Metaxas informed him that if Greece sent two army corps to Serbia, eastern Macedonia would be left defenceless, so that the line of communication of both the Serbs and the Greek forces would be cut off by the Bulgarians. The 6th Division commander, Major General Andreas Bairas, mobilized his forces and issued orders to resist any attack, while sending word to Athens, IV Corps, and notifying the Allied forces that had advanced up to the village of Strymoniko (about 40 kilometres (25mi) to the south) for possible assistance. what if Greece joined the central powers in ww1 526 views Feb 20, 2021 comment like and subscribe this video is about what if greece joined ww1 . What if Greece joined the Central Powers in WW1? On the next day, Greece requested the assistance of Serbia should matters come to a head, but on 16 June, the Serbian government replied that due to the country's exhaustion after the Balkan Wars, and the hostile stance of Albania and Bulgaria, Serbia could not commit to Greece's aid and recommended that war be avoided. However, the Greek government again refused, its final decision again hinging on the stance of Romania, which again decided to remain neutral. King Constantine of Greece disagreed. Metaxas judged that even if Bulgaria joined the Allies, it still would not suffice to shift the balance in Central Europe in the Allies' favour. [9] The thinking of Streit, the King's main political advisor on the subject, was influenced by his fear of pan-Slavism (in the first instance Bulgaria, but ultimately represented by Russia) against which Germany supposedly fought, as well as by his belief that the traditional European balance of power would not be upset by the war, leaving little room for territorial gains by Greece in the event of her participation in the conflict. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWvenizelos.htm, http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/constantine.htm. [53] The addition of the 130,000 Serbs gave the Allies over 300,000 men in Macedonia, raising the prospect of an Allied offensive that might draw Romania into the war on the Allied side. The Bulgarian attack cut off the Serbian retreat south to Greece, forcing the Serbian army to retreat via Albania. There were already several Entente members or allies in the region: Serbia, Greece, Romania, and farther away Russia. [2] On 19 June 1914, the Army Staff Service, under Lt. [54], On 14 March, Falkenhayn informed the Greek government that German-Bulgarian troops would advance up to Neo Petritsi. As a result, only Britain replied to Venizelos' offer of alliance, to the effect that as long as the Ottomans remained neutral, Greece should do the same, whereas if Turkey entered the war, Greece would be welcome as an ally. On the other side, the front was held mostly by the Bulgarian army, backed by a few German and Ottoman battalions; the German high command was content to follow a defensive stance in Macedonia. Greece was prepared to enter the conflict only in the event of a Bulgarian intervention, in which case the entire balance of power in the Balkans would be jeopardized. A grab-bag of alternate WWI set-ups (changing the timing of Balkan entrants). the Allies landed troops at Salonika in Northern Greece to help the Serbian Army retreat in December 1915. there were some minor clashes between the Anglo-French forces and the Bulgarian Army, but the two respective armies just bogged down and constructed trenches all across Northern Greece. What if the British concluded an Ottoman alliance before World War I ? [25] In the meantime, on 3 August, the British formally requested, on behalf of the Allies, the cession of Kavala to Bulgaria; this was rejected on 12 August, before Venizelos took office. During WWI, Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos wanted Greece to join the Allies (and, in his mind, replace Serbia as the Entente's Balkan ally). the Serbian and Montenegran Armies managed to eventually halt the Central Powers advances long enough to where the winter came in and would halt all Military actions for both sides in the region. Venizelos, however, asked the French ambassador to send Allied troops to Thessaloniki as quickly as possible, but to give a warning of 24 hours to the Greek government; Greece would lodge a formal complaint at the violation of its neutrality, but then accept the fait accompli. At this point Japan would had 10 fleet aircraft carrier and 3 light . Took Paradox an entire year to improve those odds with La . On the next day, however, he was confronted by German demands to concentrate his forces inland at Drama. [3] However, on the previous day, the Ottoman government had suggested joint talks, and the tension eased enough for Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos and the Ottoman Grand Vizier, Said Halim Pasha, to meet in Brussels in July. On multiple occasions prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Sweden. 1 Yamato class battleship was nearly equal to 2 Shokaku class carrier and Shokaku class carriers were called "arguably the best aircraft carriers in the world" when built. the Bulgarian Army Invaded eastern Serbia in October 1915, in coordination with the Italian Army capturing Montenegro and the German and Austrian armies joining together to push down through the the center of the country while the Bulgarians would link up with them and push the Serbian Army into the Bulgarian spearhead that was at it's back. Omissions? The Ministry of Military affairs immediately issued orders for all covering forces to be withdrawn so as to avoid contact with the GermanBulgarian forces. [97], The two protagonists of the Greek political scene during World War I: King. the most of the Montenegran Army followed the Serbians into Albania, but about 15,000 Montenegran soldiers launched a Guerrilla war against the occupying central Powers. Even Venizelos and many of his leading supporters condemned it as illegal and premature. [61] The French played the leading role in these events, led by Sarrail and ambassador Jean Guillemin, who pressed for no less than the overthrow of King Constantine, while the British opposed such extreme measures. in the west they helped bring about the Central Powers victory over France and Britain, while in the Middle East, they could not stop the Allied destruction of the Ottoman Empire. [46] In late January, the Greek government submitted a broadly similar proposal, developed by Metaxas, to the Allies; while the British military attache and Sarrail initially accepted it, the French government decided to reject it, regarding it as a trap: the evacuation of the NigritaDrama area would expose the Allied flank to Bulgarian attacks, while conversely, the presence of the Greek army in Katerini would cover the Germans' right flank. Reddit, Inc. 2023. It may not display this or other websites correctly. [49] In order to impede a possible Bulgarian advance, on 12 January, Sarrail ordered several railway bridges blown up, and on 28 January, French troops seized the Karabournou Fortress to control the entry to the Thermaic Gulf. [19] Venizelos rejected this report and recommended entry into the war in a memorandum to the King, provided that Bulgaria and Romania also joined the Allies. [48] Allied encroachments on Greek sovereignty continued to gather pace: on 10 January 1916, the Allied ambassadors announced that the Serbian troops would be ferried from Albania to the Greek island of Corfu, which was seized by French troops on the next day. [43] On 16 January 1916, Sarrail was appointed Allied commander-in-chief in Macedonia. Greece at the Paris Peace Conference/1919. in August 1914, after a period of secretly mobilizing its Army, Romania declared war on Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, France, and Great Britain. Greece could also join the Central Powers instead of Bulgaria if you think that's more realistic, since they'd have the same effect on the Ottomans) In particular, and in contrast to Venizelos, Streit believed that even if they won, the Allies would respect the territorial integrity of both AustriaHungary and the Ottoman Empire. Its commander, Major Ioannis Mavroudis, after notifying his superiors (6th Division and Thessaloniki Fortress Command), informed the approaching Germans of his orders to resist. There's also the fact that the war will be winding down ITTL by the time Venezelos returned to the mainland, which prompted Greece to join the Entente. Greek gains were largely undone by the subsequent Greco-Turkish War of 1919 to 1922. Central Powers, World War I coalition that consisted primarily of the German Empire and Austria-Hungary, the "central" European states that were at war from August 1914 against France and Britain on the Western Front and against Russia on the Eastern Front. [72] Only after 27 August, through German intervention, was the resupply of the isolated Greek garrisons allowed, which led to the relaxing of the Allied blockade as well. As the original guarantor powers of Greece, Britain, France, and Russia further claimed a right to intervene as the Greek government had violated both the alliance with Serbia and the Greek constitution by organizing what the Allies (and the Venizelists) regarded as illegal elections. Refusing, Hatzopoulos returned to Kavala where complete chaos reigned; those who could embark did so, the prisons were thrown open, and widespread looting occurred. Venizelos was outraged that the Allies had not informed him as agreed, and refused to allow their disembarkation. I'm not sure Greece would have had the strength or inclination to resist the Entente after they had landed in Salonika, but assuming they DID enter on the side of the CP, the Entente's position at Salonika would have become untenable and withdrawal would have been necessary. [52] The Allies planned to move them to Macedonia, and consequently, on 5 April, they demanded that they be moved by ship to Patras and thence overland by rail, via Athens and Larissa, to Thessaloniki. [26] While 24 classes of men were called to arms, the mobilization proceeded with numerous difficulties and delays, as infrastructure or even military registers were lacking in the areas recently acquired during the Balkan Wars. Its orders to seek embarkation by all means possible, including on Allied ships, and rescue as many of the men and material as possible, arrived at Kavala at 21:00. The legacy of the Second Balkan war, in a speculative case when Serbia is on the side of the Central Powers as odd it looks, our Saxe Coburg Gotha monarch would beg on his knees his British and Russian relatives to join Entente. In the end, it was agreed to send 150,000 troops to the "Salonika front", approximately half each Frenchthe "Arme d'Orient" under Sarrail, with the 156th, 57th, and 122nd divisionsand Britishthe "British Salonika Force" under Bryan Mahon, with 10th Division, XII Corps and XVI Corps. [10], On 2 December, Serbia repeated its request for Greek assistance, which was supported by the Allied governments. Greece and Serbia were bound by a treaty of alliance, signed on 1 June 1913, which promised reciprocal military assistance in case of an attack by a third party, referring to Bulgaria. [40] This was now firmly in the hands of the anti-Venizelist faction, as Venizelos and his supporters boycotted the elections of 19 December. How would WW1 change if the King gotten his way and Greece joined the Central Powers? As far as I know Germany offered a much larger territory to Bulgaria, almost 60% of Serbia. Finally, during the night of 12 October, Venizelos gave the green light for the disembarkation, which began on the same morning. Scan this QR code to download the app now. [27], As the likelihood of a Bulgarian entry into the war on the side of the Central Powers loomed larger, the Serbs requested Greek assistance in virtue of the terms of the treaty of alliance. Cause there would be no allied troops in their country. [37] As the Bulgarians followed closely behind the Allies and attacked them during their retreat, there was concern that they would simply continue on past the border. During SeptemberDecember, the Romanian army was defeated and almost the entire country occupied by the Central Powers. [42], On the Central Powers' side, on 29 November 1915, Falkenhayn had publicly threatened that if Greece could not neutralize the Allied and Serbian forces on its soil, the Germans and their allies would cross the border and do it for them,[44] and on 10 December, the German Foreign Ministry reacted to the new agreement between Greece and the Allies regarding their armies in Macedonia by demanding the same rights of free movement in Greek territory. So let's say in 1914 Italy gets convinced to join the Central Powers and it is agreed upon that they get Corsica, Nice, Savoy, Malta, some African colonies and Albania+Kosovo in their sphere.Possibly, if that's still not enough, Trentino and Trieste in a secret agreement with Germany.And let's assume negotiations with the Ottomans break down after Italy joins, so they join the Entente instead to reclaim their lost Italian and Bulgarian lands and, possibly if Britain allows it, to regain strategically important Cyprus, which is legally Ottoman territory, but is occupied by Britain. Jul 31, 2021 #2 Whiteshore Prime Minister Venizelos believed that even if Germany and her allies in the Central Powers prevailed in Central Europe, Britain, with her naval might, would prevail at least in the Near East where Greece's interests lay. [14][15], These initiatives deepened the rift between Venizelos and the camp around the King. What if Sweden joined the Central Powers? Welcome to HistoryWhatIf! The Bulgarians occupied eastern Macedonia, while relations with the Allies were marked by deep hostility and mistrust. You must log in or register to reply here. On the next day, the Bulgarians demanded to occupy the heights north of Kavala, leaving the city entirely defenceless. #1 Derek Jackson If Italy could have been persuaded that Austria/Hungary and Germany were going to win could they have been bribed to invade Southern France in 1914 Would this have resulted in an end to the War in 1914 with a Central Powers victory? and our 3.1 Berlin Peace Conference 3.1.1 Treaty of Potsdam 3.1.2 Treaty of Weimar 3.1.3 Treaty of Regensburg 3.1.4 Treaty of Erfurt 3.1.5 Treaty of Heidelburg 3.1.6 Treaty of Bamburg 4 1930's 5 1940's 6 1950's 7 1960's 8 1970's 9 1980's 10 1990's 11 2000's 12 2010's 1900's 1905: (POD) Norway attempts to break away from the personal union with Sweden. Informed in advance of these demands, Skouloudis had already resigned and King Constantine entrusted the veteran politician Alexandros Zaimis with forming a government and satisfying the Allied demands. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. At Rupel, Mavroudis still refused to surrender the fort without explicit instructions, until Athens authorized his withdrawal. [38], In the meantime, Greece descended further into political crisis: on the night of 34 November, the Zaimis government was voted down in Parliament, in a session in which the Minister of Military Affairs and a Venizelist MP came to blows. [80], On the morning of the next day, the Germans informed Hatzopoulos that they agreed to accept to move the IV Corps to Germany, where they would be interned as "guests" rather than prisoners of war, with their personal weapons. On 7 September, Venizelos submitted his resignation, along with a memorandum outlining his geopolitical considerations; bowing to his Prime Minister's popularity and parliamentary support, the King rejected the resignation. Reminds me of when they added the Dutch communist focus "Join the French" with Man the Guns, yet France only became communist ~4% of the time. The regular Greek military units mostly proved loyal to the government, but Moschopoulos' deputy, Colonel Nikolaos Trikoupis, sought to avoid bloodshed and a direct confrontation with the Allies. All rights reserved. The Allies, however, expected a victory of Venizelos in the forthcoming elections and were in no hurry to commit themselves. Furthermore, he noted that a Greek entry into the war would once again expose the Greeks of Asia Minor to Turkish reprisals. Reddit, Inc. 2023. [40], Following negotiations on 910 December at Thessaloniki between Sarrail and Mahon on the one side and Moschopoulos and Lt. [44] The already tense political situation in Greece was worsened by the active propaganda carried out by the warring coalitions, with the Central Powers stoking resentment at heavy-handed Allied actions, and the Allies urging Greece to side with them against its traditional rivals, the Bulgarians and the Turks. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. This was followed on 18 August by a formal offer of alliance. [10], In addition, the King and his military advisors regarded the German army as invincible,[10] while their differences with Venizelos exposed far deeper ideological divergences in Greek society as well: Venizelos represented the middle-class, liberal parliamentary democracy that had emerged after 1909, whereas the King and his supporters represented the traditional elites. Together they landed at Thessaloniki on 9 October, and formed the Provisional Government of National Defence. Well, might as well get the facts straight - the King continued with his own Prime Minister and his own pro-CP neutral policy. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Granted, it could pull French forces from the Western front, but if Greece also joined the Central Powers the troops that would otherwise go there might instead end up defending the French Alps. Italy sought support against France shortly after it lost North African ambitions to the French. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! [16] At the same time, Britain suggested staff talks on a possible joint attack on Turkey in the Dardanelles. If the latter targeted Greek forts, the latter had to be evacuated and their armament destroyed. The only effect i could think of is maybe Bulgaria getting off easier in the peace deal. [75] On 30 August, a "Committee of National Defence" ( ) announced its existence and called for a revolt. Romania in the Central Powers-WWI (Central Powers Victory), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. All rights reserved. The history of the First and Second Balkan Wars shows that Bulgaria could ally with or oppose any of its regional neighbors. shortly afterwards, Greece joined the Central Powers. Hatzopoulos' requests to be allowed to mobilize reserves and receive reinforcements from the fleet were denied. Petsalis-Diomidis, Nicholas. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. You are using an out of date browser. Likewise, III Corps' 11th Infantry Division remained in Thessaloniki, rather than proceeding to the staging areas along the border. During WWI, Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos wanted Greece to join the Allies (and, in his mind, replace Serbia as the Entente's Balkan ally). Who would win? Following the firm refusal of Romania to be drawn into the conflict at this time, the proposal was scuttled. What If Greece Had Directly Joined World War One Against The Central Powers, And United It's Old Lands From Bulgaria And The Ottoman Empire To Recreate The Byzantine Empire, Reuniting Them As In The Megali Idea, Leading Them Down A Nationalist Path, And Joining The Axis?#AlternateHistory #MonsieurZ #GreeceNew Videos Every Wednesday At 2:30 PM EST__Join Our Discord Server- https://discord.gg/zegQamH__Website: https://thezetaworkstudio.wixsite.com/monsieurz__Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monsieurz__Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/monsieur-z__Music Used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqsI5atn1U4__Guest Stars: OTL proved this; Constantine had to back down after Britain threatened to bombard Athens. with the Greco-Balkan Front abolished in June 1917, Romania could turn its full attention to Russia. They then halted and withdrew back over the border. What if the Soviets invade Turkey and seize the straits as an adjunct to their 1944 Balkans campaign? The Greek government eventually secured their return and regular trial by Greek authorities. [32] On 10 October, the Zaimis government officially informed Serbia that it could not come to her aid. [42] To these demands, the Greek government answered on 22 December that it would not actively oppose a Central Powers invasion of its territory, provided that the Bulgarians did not participate or at least stayed out of the cities, and the command of the operations was in German hands; that Bulgaria issued no territorial demands; that the Central Powers forces would withdraw once their objectives were met; and that the Greek authorities remain in place. As for the Allies, they considered the entire sequence of affairs an elaborate deception staged by the royalist Greek government in concert with the Central Powers. What if Greece joined the Central Powers in WWI. Meanwhile, Greek merchant shipping was detained in Allied harbours and an unofficial embargo placed on Greece. [24], The Liberal Party won the 12 June elections, and Venizelos again formed a government on 30 August, with the firm intention of bringing Greece into the war on the side of the Allies. [94] Soon recognized by the Allies, the new regime declared war on Germany and Bulgaria on 23 October and 24 October respectively.[95]. Alternatively if France survived might WW1 have gone on LONGER? At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the Kingdom of Greece remained neutral. Now, lets assume Japan never built Yamato and Musashi, and they built 4 more Shokaku class carrier. Nevertheless, on 21 November the Allies occupied Milos, and two days later demanded formal and categorical assurances that their forces would enjoy freedom of movement and action in and around Thessaloniki; Skouloudis accepted, but two days later, the demands were upped, by demanding the removal of the Greek army from Thessaloniki, the placing of all roads and railroads in the direction of Serbia under Allied disposal, the permission to fortify the environs of Thessaloniki and Chalcidice, and unrestricted movement of the Allied fleets in Greek waters. Although Venizelos stressed that his initiative served national rather than narrow party, interests it was welcomed in Crete and the islands of the eastern Aegean, which had been only recently seized during the Balkan Wars (when Venizelos had been prime Minister), but found few supporters in "Old Greece", the pre-1912 territory of the kingdom. [55] However, on 10 May, this order was rescinded as the government feared lest the Bulgarians take advantage of it unilaterally, and the Greek forces were ordered to oppose with arms any incursion of more than 500m into Greek soil. [7], Furthermore, the Greek political leadership was divided in its views on the likely outcome of the war, and hence on the most appropriate Greek policy regarding the combatant coalitions. [29], However, the Allies failed to inform Athens, leading to a tense stand-off. During the same night, embarkation resumed in great disorder, but when Hatzopoulos himself approached a British vessel, a representative of the National Defence informed him that the ship's captain a pledge of support to the Thessaloniki regime before he could be allowed on board. As a result, the Greek forces found themselves in two widely separate concentrations: V Corps (8th, 9th, 15th Divisions) and IV Corps (5th, 6th, 7th Divisions) in eastern Macedonia, and III Corps (10th, 11th, 12th Divisions) and the Greek forces in Thessaly to the west. [35], On 22 October, the Bulgarians captured Skopje, thus cutting off the Serbs from the Allied forces assembling in Thessaloniki. in early 1918, Romania sent 250,000 men to the Western front and 100,000 men to the Mesopotamian and Palestinian fronts. Venizelos ordered a Greek counter-mobilization on 23 September. Paraskevopoulos disobeyed, and remained at Katerini where the 4/41 Evzone Regiment was based, with the intention of joining the National Defence; likewise, in Veroia, Venizelist officers rose up and declared themselves for the National Defence Committee and against the King's government. the Allies had been invited to occupy Salonika by the Greek Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, who wanted his nation to join the Allies, even though the King of Greece, Constatine I, was pro-German. He therefore recommended the presence of four Allied army corps in Macedonia as the minimum necessary force for any substantial aid to the Greeks and Serbs. Discussion Starter Dec 19, 2022 #1 What If Bulgaria Joined The Triple Entente? Its editor was beaten up by Greek officers, who were then arrested by Moschopoulos, but Sarrail, who claimed that this was an insult to the French flag, sent an armed detachment to seize them and try them in a French court-martial. A Serbian attack on the 20th was fought off by the Bulgarians, and any hope of the Serbs linking up with Sarrail's forces evaporated. Greek ships were liable to be stopped and searched, while those in Allied harbours were detained in port. Could the Central Powers have won WW1, or would the Entente still would have won? Venizelos also considered that Greece's two main rivals, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, were likely to join the Central Powers since their interests aligned with those of Germany. In an attempt to link up with the retreating Serbs, Sarrail launched an attack against Skopje on 313 November, but the French government ordered him to stop his advance. In June 1917, King Constantine abdicated from the throne, and his second son, Alexander, assumed the throne as king (despite the wishes of most Venizelists to declare a Republic). The Central Powers' advance continued in the west, where they clashed not only with the Serbians around Kajmakalan, but also with the Greek 18th Infantry Regiment, as well as in eastern Macedonia, where Bulgarian forces crossed the Nestos river at Chrysoupolis, and approached Kavala. [9] On 14 August 1914, Venizelos submitted a request to Britain, France, and Russia on their stance towards Greece, should the latter aid Serbia against Bulgaria and Turkey. How would this effect WWI as this almost happened irl. Venizelos attempted an Allied Powers backed coup to over throw Constatine's government, but failed. The Greek government protested that this was not the case, but on 22 May 1916, the Bulgarian and German governments formally notified Athens of their intention to occupy Rupel. [60], Furthermore, on 6 June, a formal, albeit partial, blockade against Greece was imposed by the Allies. or what if greece joined the central powers. [28] The Allies gave a favourable reply on 24 September, but they did not have the 150,000 men required; as a result, the King, the Army Staff Service, and large part of the opposition preferred to remain neutral until the Allies could guarantee effective support. What if Russia didnt mobilize during the July Crisis, deployed a tripwire force to Serbia instead, using a pre-crisis alliance with Romania? On the same day, three German airplanes bombed British positions in Thessaloniki, after which Sarrail arrested all foreign consuls in the city and detained them on an Allied warship. Venizelos refused to accept it so as to avoid a political crisis, while the King also urged Streit to retract it, for fear that his replacement would allow Venizelos to push the government even further towards a pro-Allied course. Between 1527 September, Hatzopoulos and his men were moved by train to Grlitz in Germany, where they remained until the end of the war. [47] By that time, 133,000 Serbian soldiers had been evacuated to Corfu. Updates? The status of the Greek-occupied eastern Aegean islands was left undetermined and the Ottoman Empire continued to claim them, leading to a naval arms race and mass expulsions of ethnic Greeks from Anatolia. [45], On 6 January, Germany declared its willingness to respect Greek sovereignty, provided that the Greek army withdrew from the border area, with its bulk retiring west behind the Lake PrespaKaterini line, leaving only V Corps in the Kavala area, and that any Allied attempts to land at either Kavala or Katerini were to be resisted. The central powers would still probably lose. Nonetheless, in October 1914, Greek forces once more occupied Northern Epirus, from where they had retreated after the end of the Balkan Wars. ago Any one great power of that war switching to Germany's side would have been an easy victory for Germany. After Gallipoli, Venizelos invited the Entente to land in Greece (Salonika) and was dismissed as PM. Privacy Policy. [9] Thus, when on 25 July the Serbian government requested Greece's aid under the terms of their alliance, Venizelos replied on 2 August that Greece would remain a friendly neutral. [65], The long-planned Allied offensive in what was now the Macedonian front had been delayed for 20 August, but on 17 August, the German and Bulgarian forces attacked the Serbian positions north of Florina, which they captured on the same night. One by one, Hatzopoulos lost contact with IV Corps' units and forts, while such units as could be headed for Kavala, accompanied by the civilian population, which fled the Bulgarian advance and the atrocities of irregular komitadjis. [77] In Thessaloniki too, the establishment of the new regime, headed by Zymvrakakis, proved difficult, due to the reluctance of the people and the officer corps to support it. [90] On the other hand, the Allies had some successes in the Macedonian front, pushing the Bulgarian forces back in several places, before the front stabilized during the winter. Despite repeated warnings that they would resist any attempt to seize Rupel and that Athens had been notified, three German-Bulgarian columns moved to capture Mount Kerkini, Mount Angistro, and the bridge over the Strymon at Koula, until Mavroudis ordered his guns to open fire upon them. More posts from r/AlternateHistory 96K subscribers If Greece were to join the Central Powers, it would be the same thing but reversed with the Allies blowing through them. Prime Minister Venizelos in Paris during the war (1917), Venizelos inspects units at the Macedonian front, 1918. First, French battalions seized the Greek fort of Dova Tepe, located between lakes Doiran and Kerkini. [51], The mistrust between Sarrail and the Greek government was evident on 23 February when he visited King Constantine and Skouloudis to explain his unilateral actions in Macedonia. But what if it had joined the Central Powers?
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