Restored Byzantium

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Anekcahdep

This is my first timeline like this, so please comment and help.


September 8, 1921
Giánnis Lesvoulos wished that the battle would be over soon. The fighting along the Sangarios River had been going on for 17 days, and their looked to be no end in sight. While he wasn’t in direct fighting, guarding the left flank of the army, unable to help fight the Turks, sure was stressful.


“Hey Giánnis,” whispered Konstantínos, one of his friends in the army, “looks like we got ourselves some Turks trying to outflank us”


Giánnis looked over Mount Chal, and saw that Konstantínos was right, as small party of Turkish soldiers were coming around the mountain. Giánnis and his fellow soldiers opened fire on them. Some fell instantly, but many quickly fell to the ground and started firing back. Giánnis felt pretty safe behind his bush, and continued to fight. He noticed the officer of the party, and fired at him, hitting him in the stomach. The battle continued for about half an hour more before the Turks retreated. Giánnis and his fellow soldiers went down to investigate the bodies. The injured were brought to the infirmary, and the dead were looked over. Giánnis was looking at the body of the leader, and quickly got his superior officer to confirm his suspicions. After the body was brought to army Headquarters they confirmed something that would change the course of the war.

The dead man was Mustafa Efendi, leader of the Republic of Turkey.
 
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Green Painting

Green Painting

Although a Kemalist (sort of), subscribed.

Good luck with you TL. hope to see how you solve the demographic disadvantages Greece faced vis-a-vis Turkey, and keep Greece's gains in Asia Minor permanent.
 
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Anekcahdep

September 10, 1921
For Giánnis, the last two days had been some of the most memorable in his life. As news spread throughout the army that he had killed the leader of the republic of Turkey, it seemed that everyone in Greece wanted to be his friend. He was granted an audience with the King, who offered him a triple in salary and the opportunity to become an officer. He accepted. But what happened to him was nothing compared to how the war had changed. Turkey was in disarray, with Ismet Pasha being declared the provisional president. The battle of the Sangarios has ended yesterday in a Turkish retreat to Ankyra. He wrote to his family on Lesvos, and told them of his remarkable luck. He wondered what the next few months would hold for him and his country.
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Please post any comments, critiques, questions, ideas, suggestions, etc.
 

Anekcahdep

October 31, 1921
The last month and a half had been very tiring for Giánnis. Being an officer and celebrity had many perks, but also many drawbacks. while his life had a much better overall quality, his friends had changed their attitude towards him. He was currently on leave, and had just arrived home in Mitilini that afternoon. After a delicious diner, he settled down in his parent’s parlor to read the paper. Much of it he already knew, such as that Ankyra had fallen on October 1st, and that Turkey’s government had fled to Corum.

What he didn’t know was that the Turks had agreed to enter negotiations to end the war, or that Turkey had signed treaties with both the French and the Soviets. In the Treaty of Kars Turkey ceded Alashkert plain, Bayazet, and Surmalu-Kars-Aradahan to the Soviet Union. In the Treaty of Corum Turkey recognized French control of Syria, Cizre, Nusaybin, and Artuklu. Turkey apparently signed these unequal treaties so it could focus more on the eastern front with Greece. Greece was also negotiating with England to have Constantinople and the straits areas turned over to Greece after the war, although they would still be demilitarized.
 

Anekcahdep

Text of the Treaty of Constantinople​



November 15, 1921​



THE BRITISH EMPIRE, GREECE, FRANCE, JAPAN, ITALY, AND SERBIA
on one side
AND TURKEY
on the other, being united to end war in the East which has been raging since 1914, agree to the following clauses




  • That The Turkish National Assembly denounces claim to the Vilayets of Constantinople, Archipelago, Adrianople, Aidin, Hüdavendigâr, and Kastamonu.
  • That the Turkish National Assembly recognizes Greek sovereignty over said provinces.
  • That Turkish National Assembly and the Kingdom of Greece will engage in population exchanges so that all Turks living in Greek lands shall go to Turkey and all Greeks living in Turkish lands shall go to Greece
  • That the United Kingdom, and any companies from the United Kingdom will be given rights to collect and sell natural resources in Turkey.
  • That the United Kingdom has control of Mesoptamia
  • That Turkey's army will never have conscripted more than 20,000 soldiers at one time.


 
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Anekcahdep

May 29 1922, Constantinople, Empire of the Rhomaíon

Giánnis looked over around at the people gathered in the Hagia Sophia. Just in a quick glance he saw the King of England, the Latin Patriarch, the President of France, and many other important world figures. He was very impressed and shocked by what would happen today, and how he had been the cause of it all. In just a few short hours Constantine I would be coroneted as the Emperor of Byzantium, exactly 469 years after the fall of Constantinople. He had arrived just a few days before, but finding a place to stay was easy because the Turks had been the majority, and despite many Greeks arriving from Pontus and other places, the city was far from cramped.

He was brought to his seat, and wound up next to Konstantinos Bakopoulos, another fellow soldier who had been in some of the many wars Greece had been in recently. The discussed the war, the flu that was going around, and of course the New Empire.

Then the coronation started, and everyone quieted down. Meletius IV, the patriarch started to pray over him. When he placed the crown upon Constantine’s head, it was official: The Rhomain Empire had been restored, and retake their place in the world, and the Turks had been driven away. The Ottoman Empire had ended, and the second Byzantine Empire was born.
 
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casval

Don't the byzantines call themselves the Roman empire?

Why would the Pope be there? I thought the east and west have a schism.

Interesting time-line though, subbed
 
Donald Reaver

Donald Reaver

Donor
Sorry do not recognize all the areas the Greeks took. Do they control the Dardanelles? Are they excavating Western Asia Minor.
 

Dieu Le Roi

I'm enjoying this TL a lot :)

A couple things though, in the treaty shouldn't the 'Vilayet of the Archipelago' be included in those seceded to Greece? Also I agree with casval that they should call themselves the Roman Empire (I think IOTL the Greeks considered themselves Roman rather than Greek until pushed in that direction by the Great Powers who all loved classical Greece at the time) and that the Pope probably wouldn't be there personally - may I suggest that he'd send either the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, the Apostolic Vicar of Constantinople (both of whom should be there anyway really) and/or a Papal Legate.

Subbed btw! :D
 

casval

Don't the byzantines call themselves the Roman empire?

Why would the Pope be there? I thought the east and west have a schism.

Interesting time-line though, subbed
 

ggarner57

I have a feeling this will be amazing, I'd a,ways wanted to see a greater Greek TL.

Do have to worry about how hard the treaty is on turkey though, almost Versallies-esque.
 

Anekcahdep

Okay, so I fixed the last 2 updates to fix the problems you pointed out. Here is a map

restored byzantium.png
 

Anekcahdep

May 30, 1922 London Times​
Second Byzantine Empire is Declared​
Constantine XII is crowned Emperor​


Constantinople- In a lavish ceremony,thee King of Greece, Constantine I, was crowned Emperor Constantine XII, Emperor of the Romans. Turn out for the coronation and subsequent parade exceeded 75,000 people. The Emperor’s coronation marks the official revival of the the Byzantine Empire after 469 years of Turkish control. Many heads of state, including King George V were at the coronation. The King is currently staying in the Anatolian Castle until the Great Palace that has historically been home the the Byzantine Emperors can be rebuilt. Ismet Pasha, the president of Turkey, blasted the coronation, saying that “the Greek empire died centuries ago, and this one won’t last”. Constantine XII has stated that the Byzantine Empire will have a similar constitution to that of the Kingdom of Greece, and the country will remain a constitutional monarchy. General elections for the first Prime Minister will happen on June 10, and Dimitrios Gounaris is expected to win.

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June 5, 1922 Constantinople Times​
Negotiations start with Albania​
North Epirus is expected to Join Greece​
Corfu- Negotiations are with Albania over the disputed Region of North Epirus, which has been switching back and forth between Greece and Albania for the past few years. The territory is currently under the control of Albania, but the Emperor has expressed interest in purchasing them.


October 29, 1922 London Times
Coup in Rome​
“Fascists” under Benito Mussolini seize power​
Rome-The National Fascist Party, until now an obscure group, recently seized power in Italy. Lead by a charismatic leader, the party promised many political, social, and economic changes. The party is nationalistic, and their leader has been quoted saying “the eastern Roman Empire has been revived, why not the west?”. Time will tell how this will affect Italy.
 
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Harald Sigurdson II

Roman Empire restored - the White Russians can kiss Third Rome goodbye. Whatever tatters of radical Turkish nationalist hope for an Islamic heir to Rome is burning in the trash. Also, Mussolini's fascist 'New Roman Empire' is going to have some problems with titling.
 
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