| Anastasios Papoulas | |
|---|---|
| 1859 – March 1935 (aged 75–76) | |
| Allegiance |  Greece |
| Rank | general |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Eskisehir Battle of Sakarya |
Anastasios Papoulas (Greek: Αναστάσιος Παπούλας, 1859 in Messolonghi - March 1935 in Athens) was a Greek general and commander-in-chief during the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922.
Life
Born in Messolonghi in 1859, Anastasios Papoulas entered politics in his early twenties eventually becoming a close friend and confidant of King Constantine. He was appointed commander of Greek forces in Anatolia by Constantine in late 1920. However his offensive to establish Greek control over western Anatolia was stopped at the First Battle of İnönü in January 1921. After being reinforced, Papoulas resumed his offensive on March 23, however his army, numbering 100,000 men,[1] were again defeated at the Second Battle of İnönü on March 28-30.
Relieved of command by Constantine, Papoulas continued to command forces at the Battle of Eskisehir (August 16-17) and Sakarya (August 24-September 16) before taking command of retreating Greek forces from Afyon from late August to September 9, narrowly preventing a rout by the Turkish army.
Following the end of the war in 1922, Papoulas became a strong opponent of the monarchy after the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic as a supporter of the Venizelos government during the late 1920s and the early 1930s. As one of the leaders of a pro-Venizelos coup attempt in March 1935, his failure resulted in his capture and eventual execution for treason later that year.
References
- ^ Forster, Edward S. A Short History of Modern Greece, 1821-1940, London, 1941.
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