Konstantinos Smolenskis or Smolents ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Σμολένσκης/Σμόλεντς, 1843–1915) was a
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 the ...
officer. Descendant of a family that had settled in the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
and returned to Greece after the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
, early in his career he was distinguished as a well-educated and capable officer. He particularly distinguished himself in the
Greco-Turkish War of 1897
The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 or the Ottoman-Greek War of 1897 ( or ), also called the Thirty Days' War and known in Greece as the Black '97 (, ''Mauro '97'') or the Unfortunate War ( el, Ατυχής πόλεμος, Atychis polemos), was a w ...
, where he led the Greek defenders at the
Battle of Velestino
The Battle of Velestino ( el, Μάχη του Βελεστίνου, tr, Velestin Muharebesi) comprised two separate combats, which took place on – and –, between the Greek and Ottoman armies at Velestino in Thessaly, as part of the Greco-T ...
. This rendered him a national hero and earned him widespread popularity; he was twice elected Member of the
Hellenic Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament ( el, Ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο, Elliniko Kinovoulio; formally titled el, Βουλή των Ελλήνων, Voulí ton Ellínon, Boule (ancient Greece), Boule of the Greeks, Hellenes, label=none), also kno ...
, and served twice as
Minister for Military Affairs.
Origin and family
Konstantinos Smolenskis was born in 1843 in Athens. His family was of
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
–
Aromanian descent from
Moscopole
Moscopole or Voskopoja ( sq, Voskopojë; rup, Moscopole, with several other variants; el, Μοσχόπολις, Moschopolis) is a village in Korçë County in southeastern Albania. During the 18th century, it was the cultural and commercial ...
, where they had been landowners and tax officials before moving to the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
. There they received the surname "Smolenc" or "Smolenic", derived from
Mount Smolikas
Mount Smolikas ( el, Σμόλικας; rup, Smolcu) is a mountain in the Ioannina regional unit, northwestern Greece. At a height of 2,637 metres above sea level, it is the highest of the Pindus Mountains, and the second highest mountain in Gre ...
. The family settled in
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. The first important member, Simon Smolenic, became a wealthy merchant and was ennobled by
Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire
Francis II (german: Franz II.; 12 February 1768 – 2 March 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor (from 1792 to 1806) and the founder and Emperor of the Austrian Empire, from 1804 to 1835. He assumed the title of Emperor of Austria in response ...
in 1797 as an
Imperial Knight
The Free Imperial knights (german: link=no, Reichsritter la, Eques imperii) were free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor. They were the remnants of the medieval free nobility (''edelfrei'') and the ministeri ...
with the surname "von Smolik". Konstantinos' father was
Leonidas Smolents, a great-grandson of Simon who had tried to come to Greece as a volunteer during the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
, and joined the nascent
Greek 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 the ...
in 1830. Leonidas Smolents reached the rank of
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
and served several times as
Minister for Military Affairs.
Konstantinos' mother was Maria Axioti, daughter of a distinguished military officer and politician
Konstantinos Axiotis, after whom Smolenskis was named. The couple had two sons: Konstantinos and the older , who also became an army officer and general.
Konstantinos, who Hellenized his surname to Smolenskis, married on 22 November 1875 Charikleia Mela, daughter of the author
Leon Melas
Leon Melas ( el, Λέων Μελάς, 1812–1879) was a Greek politician, representative to the National Assemblies of 1843 and 1862 and author. His greatest work was the novel ''Gerostathis''. He excelled as Minister of Justice, Ecclesiastical A ...
and aunt of the later hero of the
Macedonian Struggle
The Macedonian Struggle ( bg, Македонска борба; el, Μακεδονικός Αγώνας; mk, Борба за Македонија; sr, Борба за Македонију; tr, Makedonya Mücadelesi) was a series of social, po ...
,
Pavlos Melas
Pavlos Melas ( el, Παύλος Μελάς, ''Pávlos Melás''; March 29, 1870 – October 13, 1904) was a Greek revolutionary and artillery officer of the Hellenic Army. He participated in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and was amongst the first ...
. They had five daughters, of whom only three survived infancy: Maria, Rallou, and Sofia. After the death of her mother, Rallou committed suicide at the age of 20.
Career
After finishing his school studies, Smolenskis enrolled in the
Hellenic Army Academy
The Hellenic Army Academy ( el, Στρατιωτική Σχολή Ευελπίδων), commonly known as the Evelpidon, is a military academy. It is the Officer cadet school of the Greek Army and the oldest third-level educational institution in G ...
in 1857, but had to interrupt his studies due to his unruly behaviour: he was reported as repeatedly striking his fellow students during arguments with them. His own father, who was Minister for Military Affairs at the time, signed the decree expelling him from the academy. Instead, Smolenskis enrolled in the
Brussels Military Academy in 1860, from where he graduated in 1862. Returning to Greece he was commissioned into the Hellenic Army as an artillery warrant officer on 5 December 1863.
On 5 May 1864, he was promoted to second lieutenant. He took part in the
Cretan revolution of 1866–1869
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
as the commander of a company of
Philhellenes
Philhellenism ("the love of Greek culture") was an intellectual movement prominent mostly at the turn of the 19th century. It contributed to the sentiments that led Europeans such as Lord Byron and Charles Nicolas Fabvier to advocate for Greek i ...
, taking part with some distinction in battles at
Kastelli,
Kissamos
Kissamos ( el, Κίσσαμος) is a town and a municipality in the west of the island of Crete, Greece. It is part of the Chania regional unit and of the former Kissamos Province which covers the northwest corner of the island. The town of Kissam ...
,
,
Gerakari,
Ambelakia, and
Mylopotamos. On 7 September 1868 he was promoted to lieutenant. After the suppression of the Cretan uprising, the ability he had shown led to him being sent to pursue further studies in Germany and France. He witnessed the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 from
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, before returning to Greece in 1871.
His qualifications and studies earmarked him for senior staff and command appointments.
In 1876 he published a manual for new officers. By 1877, he was a captain. In 1881, following the
annexation
Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
of
Thessaly
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...
and the
Arta Prefecture, Smolenskis served in the commission for the drawing of the new Greek–Ottoman border. On 16 July 1881 he was promoted to major. In 1885–86, he led the fortification program in the new provinces, and received the Gold Cross of the
Order of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer ( el, Τάγμα του Σωτήρος, translit=Tágma tou Sotíros), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the ...
for his service. This was followed later by Belgian and Serbian decorations.
He then was appointed as professor of fortifications in the Army Academy, a post which he held for several years. Promoted by special selection to lieutenant colonel on 19 September 1888, he served as prosecutor and president of the 1st Permanent Military Tribunal. As lieutenant colonel, he also served in the artillery's technical advisory board and commandant of the artillery fire school. On 26 May 1895 he was promoted to full colonel, and in 1896 assumed command of the 3rd Artillery Regiment.
Greco-Turkish War of 1897
At the outbreak of the
Greco-Turkish War of 1897
The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 or the Ottoman-Greek War of 1897 ( or ), also called the Thirty Days' War and known in Greece as the Black '97 (, ''Mauro '97'') or the Unfortunate War ( el, Ατυχής πόλεμος, Atychis polemos), was a w ...
, he was appointed to command the 3rd Brigade, comprising the
7th
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...
and
8th
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
infantry regiments, the 6th, 8th, and 9th
Evzone
The Evzones or Evzonoi ( el, Εύζωνες, Εύζωνοι, ) were several historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, they are the members of the Presidential Guard ( el, Προεδρική Φρουρά , transl ...
Battalions, along with two companies each of engineers, artillery, and cavalry. During the initial frontier battles, Smolenskis held back the Turkish attacks at
Reveni for six days (6–12 April), before being forced to retreat due to the defeat of the Greek army in the other frontier sectors. Following the main army's retreat to
Farsala
Farsala ( el, Φάρσαλα), known in Antiquity as Pharsalos ( grc, Φάρσαλος, la, Pharsalus), is a city in southern Thessaly, in Greece. Farsala is located in the southern part of Larissa regional unit, and is one of its largest towns. ...
, he was briefly nominated as chief of staff to the
Army of Thessaly, but instead dispatched with his brigade to cover the approaches to
Volos
Volos ( el, Βόλος ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional unit ...
by occupying the pass of
Velestino
Velestino ( el, Βελεστίνο; rup, Velescir) is a town in the Magnesia regional unit, Thessaly, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality Rigas Feraios.
Location
It is situated at elevation on a hillside, at the southeastern end o ...
. There he fought the
Battle of Velestino
The Battle of Velestino ( el, Μάχη του Βελεστίνου, tr, Velestin Muharebesi) comprised two separate combats, which took place on – and –, between the Greek and Ottoman armies at Velestino in Thessaly, as part of the Greco-T ...
on 15–24 April, before retreating to
Almyros
Almyros or Halmyros ( el, Αλμυρός, , , ) is a town and a municipality of the regional unit of Magnesia, region of Thessaly, Greece. It lies in the center of prosperous fertile plain known as 'Krokio Pedio', which is crossed by torrents. Alm ...
.
His conduct in this disastrous war, and especially his successful defence at Velestino, sharply contrasted with the general ineffectiveness of the rest of the military and political leadership. Lionized by the press, he became a national hero and won some international renown. Smolenskis received a field promotion to major general on 7 May 1897, and was placed in command of the
1st Infantry Division. The government decorated him with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Redeemer, and he enjoyed widespread popularity, in marked contrast to the hostility shown to him by palace circles. Already in 1897, the
Municipality of Athens gave his name to a street, and he received honorary citizenships from several Greek cities. Medals and lithographs with his portrait were in widespread demand and prominently displayed for several years thereafter.
Post-war career
This popularity allowed him to launch a political career: Smolenskis was twice elected Member of the
Hellenic Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament ( el, Ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο, Elliniko Kinovoulio; formally titled el, Βουλή των Ελλήνων, Voulí ton Ellínon, Boule (ancient Greece), Boule of the Greeks, Hellenes, label=none), also kno ...
for the
Attica and Boeotia Prefecture, and he served twice as Minister for Military Affairs, in the 1897
Alexandros Zaimis
Alexandros Zaimis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Ζαΐμης; 9 November 1855 – 15 September 1936) was a Greek politician who served as Greece's Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Justice, and High Commissioner of Crete. He serve ...
cabinet, and in the 1903
Georgios Theotokis
Georgios Theotokis ( el, Γεώργιος Θεοτόκης, 1844 in Corfu – 12 January 1916 in Athens) was a Greek politician and Prime Minister of Greece, serving the post four times. He represented the Modernist Party or ''Neoteristikon Ko ...
cabinet.
During this time, he was given the chairmanship of the Revisionary Military Tribunal, and legislation was passed to make him commander-in-chief in case of war.
He retired on 27 March 1912 with the rank of lieutenant general, and died on 27 September 1915.
References
Sources
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smolenskis, Konstantinos
1843 births
1915 deaths
Greek military personnel of the Greco-Turkish War (1897)
Hellenic Army generals
Members of the Hellenic Parliament
Ministers of Military Affairs of Greece
Military personnel from Athens
Greek people of Aromanian descent
Royal Military Academy (Belgium) alumni