The Army of the Evros ( el, Στρατιά Έβρου) was a field army of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
, stationed in
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or West Thrace ( el, υτικήΘράκη, '' ytikíThráki'' ; tr, Batı Trakya; bg, Западна/Беломорска Тракия, ''Zapadna/Belomorska Trakiya''), also known as Greek Thrace, is a geographic and histori ...
between December 1922 and August 1923.
History
The Army of the Evros was formed following the defeat and evacuation of the
Army of Asia Minor The Army of Asia Minor ( el, Στρατιά Μικράς Ασίας, links=no) was the field army-level command controlling the Greek forces in Asia Minor (Anatolia) during the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922.
History
1919
Following the Gree ...
from
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...
in August 1922. Hostilities between Greece and Turkey ceased with the
Armistice of Mudanya
The Armistice of Mudanya (in Turkish: ''Mudanya Mütarekesi'') was an agreement between Turkey (the Grand National Assembly of Turkey) on the one hand, and Italy, France, and Britain on the other hand, signed in the Ottoman town of Mudanya, in t ...
, but the Armistice obliged the Greek army to evacuate
Eastern Thrace
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
(awarded to Greece with the
Treaty of Sèvres
The Treaty of Sèvres (french: Traité de Sèvres) was a 1920 treaty signed between the Allies of World War I and the Ottoman Empire. The treaty ceded large parts of Ottoman territory to France, the United Kingdom, Greece and Italy, as well ...
in 1920) and withdraw behind the
Evros river
Maritsa or Maritza ( bg, Марица ), also known as Meriç ( tr, Meriç ) and Evros ( ell, Έβρος ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of ,Negotiations for a final peace treaty began between Greece, Turkey and the Allied Powers in
, but the resumption of warfare in a new Greco-Turkish war remained a possibility as irreconcilable differences separated the Greek and Turkish positions, especially in the matter of
war reparations
War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war.
History
Making one party pay a war indemnity is a common practice with a long history.
...
demanded by the Turkish delegation.
The revolutionary military government that had seized control of Greece in September 1922 immediately set about reorganizing the remnants of the Army of Asia Minor as the "Army of the Evros". This task was undertaken by the capable Lt. General Theodoros Pangalos, who quickly managed to restore order and discipline in the army and form a capable fighting force comprising the II, III and IV Corps.
Plans were even prepared for the crossing of the Evros and the recapture of Eastern Thrace, where the local Turkish forces were considerably outclassed.
In the event, the signature of the Treaty of Lausanne on 24 July 1923 pre-empted the resumption of war, and the Army of the Evros was disbanded soon after. The decision was vehemently opposed by Pangalos, who likened Lausanne to another " Treaty of Antalcidas".