Greek Summer Offensive

Greek Summer Offensive 1920
Part of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–22)

Greek soldiers advancing.
DateJune–September 1920
Location
Western Anatolia, southern coast of the Sea of Marmara
Result

Greek, British and Ottoman victory

Belligerents
 Ottoman Empire Ankara Government
Commanders and leaders
Strength
 Ottoman Empire 10,200 men[5]
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Greek Summer Offensive of 1920 was an offensive by the Greek army, assisted by British forces, to capture the southern region of the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Region from the Kuva-yi Milliye (National Forces) of the provisional Turkish national movement government in Ankara. Additionally, the Greek and British forces were supported by the Kuva-yi Inzibatiye (Forces of Order) of the Ottoman government in Constantinople, which sought to crush the Turkish nationalist forces. The offensive was part of the Greco-Turkish War and was one of several engagements where British troops assisted the advancing Greek army. British troops actively took part in invading coastal towns of the Sea of Marmara. With the approval of the Allies, the Greeks started their offensive on 22 June 1920 and crossed the 'Milne Line'.[6][7] The 'Milne Line' was the demarcation line between Greece and Turkey, laid down in Paris.[8] Resistance by the Turkish nationalists was limited, as they had few and ill-equipped troops in western Anatolia.[8] They were also busy on the eastern and southern fronts.[6][8] After offering some opposition, they retreated to Eskişehir on Mustafa Kemal Pasha's order.[8]

  1. ^ Erdem, Nilüfer (2010). Yunan tarihçiliğinin gözüyle Anadolu harekatı 1919-1923 [The Anatolian Operation 1919-1923 According to Greek Historiography] (in Turkish). Derlem Yayınları. p. 242. ISBN 978-6058853614. (=3,443 officers and 98,182 soldiers)
  2. ^ Umar, Bilge (2002). Yunanlilarin ve Anadolu Rumlarinin Anlatimiyla Izmir Savasi [The Izmir Battle According to the Narrations of the Greeks and the Anatolian Greeks] (in Turkish). İnkılâp. p. 62. ISBN 978-9751018267. (=3,443 officers and 98,182 soldiers)
  3. ^ BRITISH IN TURKEY MAY BE INCREASED, New York Times, 19 June 1920.
  4. ^ Sinan Meydan, 2010, page 217.
  5. ^ O. Zeki Avralıoğlu: Buldan ve yöresinin tarihçesi, 1997, page 119. (in Turkish)
  6. ^ a b Stanley Sandler: Ground Warfare: H-Q, ABC-CLIO, 2002, ISBN 1576073440, page 337.
  7. ^ Olivier Roy: Turkey Today: A European Country?, ISBN 1843311720, page 123.
  8. ^ a b c d Michael Brecher: Study of Crisis, ISBN 0472108069, University of Michigan Press, 1997, page 363.