The I Army Corps ( el, Α' Σώμα Στρατού, abbr. Α' ΣΣ) was an
army corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
of the
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is th ...
, founded in December 1913. Originally based in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and covering southern Greece, since 1962 it was responsible for covering Greece's northwestern borders (
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...
and
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
and
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...
). It was disbanded in 2013.
History
Following the
Balkan Wars of 1912–13, the Hellenic Army began a major reorganization and expansion. For the first time,
army corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
-level formations were established on a permanent basis. Six corps were provisionally envisioned in August 1913. On 28 November 1913 (O.S.), by Royal Decree the Athens Army Corps was reorganized as a "model" formation. Alongside its constituent units, it was to serve as a training formation for the entire Army. For this purpose, it also included all military schools and academies, and was to be commanded by the head of the
French military mission to Greece and extensively staffed by French officers of the mission. The new peacetime establishment was further modified and formalized by Royal Decree on 23 December 1913 (O.S.), and the I Army Corps was officially established on that date, comprising three infantry divisions (
1st Infantry Division at
Larissa,
2nd Infantry Division at Athens, and the newly raised
13th Infantry Division at
Chalkis
Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...
), a cavalry regiment, an artillery regiment, an engineers regiment and other attendant services. The first Corps commander was Lt. General
Konstantinos Kallaris, who had commanded the 2nd Division during the Balkan Wars.
I Corps remained loyal to the royal government during
National Schism
The National Schism ( el, Εθνικός Διχασμός, Ethnikós Dichasmós), also sometimes called The Great Division, was a series of disagreements between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos regarding the foreig ...
, and was demobilized after the
Noemvriana
The ''Noemvriana'' ( el, Νοεμβριανά, "November Events") of , or the Greek Vespers, was a political dispute which led to an armed confrontation in Athens between the royalist government of Greece and the forces of the Allies over th ...
.
World War I
After Greece's entry in World War I in June 1917, the Corps was reformed and participated in the
Macedonian front operations in 1917–1918, fighting against the
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
ns on the
Struma front in eastern Macedonia.
It subsequently dispatched the major part of its force (2nd and 13th Divisions under Major Gen.
Konstantinos Nider) to the
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
and the
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, as part of the unsuccessful
Southern Russia intervention.
1st Division was tasked with the
occupation of Smyrna
The city of Smyrna (modern-day İzmir) and surrounding areas were under Greek military occupation from 15 May 1919 until 9 September 1922. The Allied Powers authorized the occupation and creation of the Zone of Smyrna ( el, Ζώνη Σμύρν ...
and the
Erythrae
Erythrae or Erythrai ( el, Ἐρυθραί) later Litri, was one of the twelve Ionian cities of Asia Minor, situated 22 km north-east of the port of Cyssus (modern name: Çeşme), on a small peninsula stretching into the Bay of Erythrae ...
peninsula, and then formed part 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 ...
along with the rest of I Corps, evacuated from Russia in late 1919. I Corps then participated in the battles of the
Asia Minor Campaign
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
until the final Greek defeat and evacuation in August–September 1922.
Interwar
During 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 ...
years, I Corps, still at Athens, comprised the 2nd Infantry Division (Athens),
3rd Infantry Division (
Patras), and
4th Infantry Division (
Nauplia
Nafplio ( ell, Ναύπλιο) is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece and it is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important touristic destination. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important seaport in the ...
). The corps was a mainly reserve formation, covering southern Greece while the majority of the Greek army was concentrated in Macedonia and Thrace against Bulgaria.
World War II
Following the outbreak of the
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War (Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdoms of Italy and G ...
in October 1940, the corps was mobilized and sent to the Albanian front under its commander, Lt. Gen.
Panagiotis Demestichas Panagiotis Demestichas ( el, Παναγιώτης Δεμέστιχας, 6 July 1885 (O.S.) – 14 November 1960) was an officer of the Greek Army who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General, leading an army corps in the Greco-Italian War. He also bri ...
. The Corps was demobilized and disbanded in April 1941, following the
Battle of Greece.
Cold War
I Corps was re-established on 16 May 1946 as part of the post-war reconstruction of the Greek armed forces, and comprised the 2nd Infantry Division, the 51st and 61st Brigades, and later the 81st Military Region (
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...
), the 82nd Mil. Region (Athens) and the
Lamia
LaMia Corporation S.R.L., operating as LaMia (short for ''Línea Aérea Mérida Internacional de Aviación''), was a Bolivian charter airline headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, as an EcoJet subsidiary. It had its origins from the failed ...
Military Command. With the outbreak of 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 and ...
, the corps was engaged in combat against the Communist-led
Democratic Army of Greece
The Democratic Army of Greece (DAG; el, Δημοκρατικός Στρατός Ελλάδας - ΔΣΕ, Dimokratikós Stratós Elládas - DSE) was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War (1946–1949). At ...
. Under the command of Lt. Gen.
Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos
Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos ( el, Θρασύβουλος Τσακαλώτος; 3 April 1897 – 15 August 1989) was a distinguished Hellenic Army Lieutenant General who served in World War I, the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, World War II and ...
, it played a major role in clearing southern Greece of the guerrillas and then in the final defeat of the Communists in the battles of Grammos and Vitsi in 1948–1949.
Following the end of the civil war, I Corps, since 1951 based at
Trikala
Trikala ( el, Τρίκαλα; rup, Trikolj) is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece, and the capital of the Trikala regional unit. The city straddles the Lithaios river, which is a tributary of Pineios. According to the Greek National Stati ...
, was also responsible for the recruitment of the
Greek Expeditionary Force in Korea
The Greek Expeditionary Force (GEF) in Korea ( el, Εκστρατευτικόν Σώμα Ελλάδος; romanized: Ekstrateftikon Soma Ellados, abbreviated ΕΚΣΕ) was formed in response to the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is ...
. In 1962, the corps headquarters was moved to
Kozani
Kozani ( el, Κοζάνη, ) is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of Western Macedonia. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley. The city lies above sea ...
, where it remained until its disbandment.
21st century
Following a wide-ranging defence review that decided upon a new force structure for the Greek armed forces, in April 2013
KYSEA The National Security Governmental Council ( el, Κυβερνητικό Συμβούλιο Εθνικής Ασφαλείας) (ex. Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence), usually known by its acronym KYSEA (ΚΥΣΕΑ), is the supreme d ...
decided the disbandment of I Army Corps. From its component units, 24th Armored Brigade came under
2nd Mechanized Infantry Division, the
15th Infantry Brigade was reduced to regimental level, the
8th Infantry Division was reduced to a brigade—while retaining its former name—and along with the
9th Infantry Brigade came under
III Army Corps.
Structure (2008)
* I Army Corps (Α' Σώμα Στρατού), headquartered at
Kozani
Kozani ( el, Κοζάνη, ) is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of Western Macedonia. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley. The city lies above sea ...
**
8th Infantry Division (VIII ΜΠ), based at
Ioannina,
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...
organised in
*** HQ Company (ΛΣ/VIII ΜΠ)
***
3/40 Evzone Regiment, "Koutsi" (3/40ο ΣΕ «Κούτσι»)
*** 8th Armored Cavalry Battalion (8η ΕΑΝ), based at
Ioannina,
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...
*** 583rd Infantry Battalion (583 ΤΠ)
*** 625th Infantry Battalion (625 ΤΠ ΚΕΝ – ΕΚΕ)
*** 628th Infantry Battalion (628 ΤΠ)
*** 708th Engineer Battalion (708ο ΤΜΧ)
**
9th Infantry Brigade (9η ΤΑΞΠΖ), based at
Florina
Florina ( el, Φλώρινα, ''Flórina''; known also by some alternative names) is a town and municipality in the mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'.
The town of Florina is the capital of the F ...
,
West Macedonia
Western Macedonia ( el, Δυτική Μακεδονία, translit=Ditikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Macedonia. Located in north-western Greece, it is divided into the regional unit ...
**
15th Infantry Brigade (15η ΤΑΞΠΖ), based at
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria regional unit, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is situated on a promontory on the weste ...
,
West Macedonia
Western Macedonia ( el, Δυτική Μακεδονία, translit=Ditikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Macedonia. Located in north-western Greece, it is divided into the regional unit ...
**
24th Armored Brigade, "1st Cavalry Regiment ''
Florina
Florina ( el, Φλώρινα, ''Flórina''; known also by some alternative names) is a town and municipality in the mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'.
The town of Florina is the capital of the F ...
''" (XXIV ΤΘΤ «1ο Σύνταγμα Ιππικού ΦΛΩΡΙΝΑ»), based at
Litochoro
Litochoro ( el, Λιτόχωρο, ''Litóchoro''; Katharevousa: Λιτόχωρον) is a town and a former municipality in the southern part of the Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it has been part of the Dio-O ...
,
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...
** 1st Armored Cavalry Battalion (A EAN), based at
Amyntaio,
West Macedonia
Western Macedonia ( el, Δυτική Μακεδονία, translit=Ditikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Macedonia. Located in north-western Greece, it is divided into the regional unit ...
** Corps Engineer Command and units (ΔΜΧ/Α'ΣΣ)
** 586th Recruits Training Center (586 KEN), based at
Grevena
Grevena ( el, Γρεβενά, ''Grevená'', , rup, Grebini) is a town and municipality in Western Macedonia, northern Greece, capital of the Grevena regional unit. The town's current population is 13,374 citizens (2011). It lies about from Ath ...
,
West Macedonia
Western Macedonia ( el, Δυτική Μακεδονία, translit=Ditikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Macedonia. Located in north-western Greece, it is divided into the regional unit ...
** 488th Signal Battalion (488ο ΤΔΒ)
** Corps HQ Battalion
Emblem
The motto at the top of the emblem,
Μολών Λαβέ, means "Come and take them", and was uttered by the
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
n King
Leonidas I
Leonidas I (; grc-gre, Λεωνίδας; died 19 September 480 BC) was a king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the Agiad line, a dynasty which claimed descent from the mythological demigod Heracles. Leonidas I was son of Kin ...
, just prior to the
Battle of Thermopylae, as a response to the
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
n King
Xerxes I
Xerxes I ( peo, 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 ; grc-gre, Ξέρξης ; – August 465 BC), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, ruling from 486 to 465 BC. He was the son and successor of D ...
's demand for the surrender of the Spartans' arms.
References
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
1
1913 establishments in Greece
2013 disestablishments in Greece
Kozani
Military units and formations of Greece in World War I
Military units and formations of Greece in the Greco-Italian War
Military units and formations established in 1913
Military units and formations disestablished in 2013
Military units and formations of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)