Dimitrios Giatzis ( el, Δημήτριος Γιατζής, 1891–1964) was a senior Hellenic Army officer who held senior commands during the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...

of 1946–49, serving as commander of First Army and Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff in 1947–49.

Life

Dimitrios Giatzis was born in Lamia in 1891, and enlisted in the Hellenic Army as a volunteer on 12 March 1910. Promoted to NCO, he took part in the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...

of 1912–13, and after studies at the NCO School was commissioned as an Infantry Second Lieutenant on 27 December 1914. He subsequently fought on the

Macedonian front The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of German ...

during World War I and in the Asia Minor Campaign, first as a company commander and later as a staff officer, being promoted to Lieutenant in 1917 and to Captain in 1920. In the

interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...

period he served successively as battalion commander, chief of staff of the 3rd Infantry Division, in the staff of II Army Corps, in the Administrative Directorate of the Ministry for Military Affairs, commander of VI Border Sector (1938–40) and briefly chief of staff of the Infantry Inspectorate, before assuming command of III Infantry Brigade in September 1940. During this period he advanced to Major (1923), Lt. Colonel (1931), and Colonel (1935). He led III Brigade during the first months of the Greco-Italian War, and was appointed chief of infantry to 8th Infantry Division in January 1941, a post in which he remained until the Greek capitulation following the German invasion of Greece in April. Following liberation he joined the re-forming Army, and was named briefly commander of the 2nd National Guard Division in January 1945, before assuming command of the 9th Infantry Division in the next month. On 15 May 1946, he was appointed commander of the newly re-established I Army Corps at Athens, and in February 1947 he became the first commander of the newly formed First Army at Volos. He was moved to the post of Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff on 1 November, a post he held concurrently with the ''ad hoc'' function of Commander-in–chief of the Army following the disbandment of First Army in March 1948, until 20 January 1949, when he retired from service at his own request. Dimitrios Giatzis died in 1964.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giatzis, Dimitrios 1891 births 1964 deaths Hellenic Army lieutenant generals Greek military personnel of the Balkan Wars Greek military personnel of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) Greek military personnel of World War I Greek military personnel of World War II Chiefs of the Hellenic Army General Staff People from Lamia (city) Greek military personnel of the Greek Civil War Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Greece) People of the Greco-Italian War