National Defence Army Corps
| National Defence Army Corps | |
|---|---|
 Regimental war flag presentation to the Serres Division, December 1916, in the presence of the "Triumvirate" of the National Defence government (Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, Lt. General Panagiotis Danglis, Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis) | |
| Active | 1916-1920 |
| Country |  Kingdom of Greece |
| Allegiance |  Provisional Government of National Defence |
| Branch |  Hellenic Army |
| Role | Defend the territorial integrity of Greece. |
| Headquarters | Thessaloniki |
| Engagements | World War I |
The Army of National Defence (
Background
The question of Greece's participation in
Venizelos himself with his closest aides left Athens on 12 September, initially for his home island of
Establishment of the Army of National Defence
As soon as the revolt was successfully established, individual officers from across northern Greece began to flock to Thessaloniki. On 2 September, the "National Defence" received its first substantial reinforcement, as Colonel
The new Provisional Government made the creation of a credible fighting force a priority. Its resources were meagre—some 65 artillery pieces of various origin, and less than 10,000 shells, as well as clothing sufficient for a regiment—and it was heavily dependent both for equipment as well as funds on the Allies. However, it controlled
These first step entailed the establishment of three
- the Serres Division (under Col. Christodoulou) from the forces already available (IV Corps remnants and volunteers),
- the Crete Division (under Major General Zymvrakakis) on Crete,
- the Archipelago Division (under Major General Dimitrios Ioannou) in the islands of the Aegean.[6]
Quickly it became apparent that volunteers would not suffice, and forced conscription and mobilization of the reserves took place in the areas under National Defence control, despite local resistance in places like
As a higher command, on 13 October the "Macedonia Army Corps" (Σώμα Στρατοῦ Μακεδονίας) under Major General Leonidas Paraskevopoulos was established, giving way on 16 December to the I Corps (Serres and Archipelago Divisions) under Paraskevopoulos and II Corps (Crete, Cyclades, and Thessaloniki Divisions) under Zymvrakakis.[8]
The Thessaloniki and Cyclades Divisions existed only at the depot level, and eventually were never established due to the lack in equipment and personnel (particularly trained officers and NCOs).[9]
Combat on the Macedonian Front
Nevertheless, by spring 1917 the National Defence had brought her three divisions to the
With Venizelos back in power, the reconstitution of the Hellenic Army began, a long and arduous process. In the meantime, the three extant divisions were employed under Allied command, and were usually combined with other Allied forces. The Greek GHQ planned the creation of three army corps, i.e., the reconstituted I and II Corps, and the "National Defence Army Corps", but delays in the reconstitution of the Greek army meant that Greece could not claim a decisive voice in the conduct of operations; the "National Defence Army Corps" continued to exist, but most Greek divisions continued to serve under Allied commanders for much of the duration of the war.
Operations in Western Thrace
After the
References
- Old Style.
- ^ Επίτομη ιστορία συμμετοχής στον Α′ Π.Π., p. 117.
- ^ Επίτομη ιστορία συμμετοχής στον Α′ Π.Π., p. 103.
- ^ Επίτομη ιστορία συμμετοχής στον Α′ Π.Π., pp. 108–109.
- ^ Επίτομη ιστορία συμμετοχής στον Α′ Π.Π., p. 118.
- ^ Επίτομη ιστορία συμμετοχής στον Α′ Π.Π., pp. 118–120.
- ^ Επίτομη ιστορία συμμετοχής στον Α′ Π.Π., p. 119.
- ^ Επίτομη ιστορία συμμετοχής στον Α′ Π.Π., p. 121.
- ^ Επίτομη ιστορία συμμετοχής στον Α′ Π.Π., pp. 1120–121.
Sources
- Επίτομη ιστορία της συμμετοχής του Ελληνικού Στρατού στον Πρώτο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο 1914 - 1918 [Concise History of the Hellenic Army's Participation in the First World War 1914–1918] (in Greek). Athens: Hellenic Army History Directorate. 1993.