alternatehistory.com

Ok been written before but let’s take a little different pitch on this:

A. First history::::

State
Entry
Exit
Combat Forces
Population
Losses
Greece
1919
1922
120000
5100000
30000
Turkey
1919
1922
450000
29000000
20000

The second war occurred after World War I, when the Greeks attempted to extend their territory beyond eastern Thrace (in Europe) and the district of Smyrna (Izmir; in Anatolia). These territories had been assigned to them by the Treaty of Sèvres, Aug. 10, 1920, which was imposed upon the weak Ottoman government. In January 1921 the Greek army, despite its lack of equipment and its unprotected supply lines, launched an offensive in Anatolia against the nationalist Turks, who had defied the Ottoman government and would not recognize its treaty. Although repulsed in April, the Greeks renewed their attack in July and advanced beyond the Afyonkarahisar-Eskisehir railway line toward Ankara. The Turks, however, commanded by the nationalist leader Mustafa Kemal (Kemal Atatürk), defeated them at the Sakarya River (Aug. 24-Sept. 16, 1921). A year later the Turks assumed control of Smyrna (September 1922) and drove the Greeks out of Anatolia. In Greece the war was followed by a successful military coup against the monarchy.

The Treaty of Lausanne, concluded on July 24, 1923, obliged Greece to return eastern Thrace and the islands of Imbros and Tenedos to Turkey, as well as to give up its claim to Smyrna. The two belligerents also agreed to exchange their Greek and Turkish minority populations.


2nd --- key players - Ataturk - put the independence party together that defeated Greeks. Greeks Eleftherios Venizelos the statesman behind the invasion.


The situation in 1919 - 1920

In return for the contribution of the Greek army on the side of the Allies, the Allies supported the assignment of eastern Thrace and the millet of Smyrna to Greece. This treaty ended the First World War in Asia Minor and, at the same time, sealed the fate of the Ottoman Empire. Henceforth, the Ottoman Empire would no longer be a European power.
On August 10, 1920, the Ottoman Empire signed the Treaty of Sèvres ceding to Greece Thrace, up to the Chatalja lines. More importantly, Turkey renounced to Greece all rights over Imbros and Tenedos, retaining the small territories of Istanbul, the islands of Marmara, and "a tiny strip of European territory." The Straits of Bosporus were placed under an International Commission, as they were now open to all.
Turkey was furthermore forced to transfer to Greece "the exercise of her rights of sovereignty" over Smyrna in addition to "a considerable Hinterland, merely retaining a ‘flag over an outer fort’." Though Greece administered the Smyrna enclave, its sovereignty remained, nominally, with the Sultan. According to the provisions of the Treaty, Smyrna was to maintain a local parliament and, if within five years time she asked to be incorporated within the Kingdom of Greece, the provision was made that the League of Nations would hold a plebiscite to decide on such matters.
The treaty was never ratified by the Ottoman Empire[16][17] or Greece.[18]

Greek expansion (October 1920)
In October 1920, the Greek army advanced further east into Anatolia, with the encouragement of Lloyd George, who intended to increase pressure on the Turkish and Ottoman governments to sign the Treaty of Sèvres. This advance begun under the Liberal government of Eleftherios Venizelos, but soon after the offensive began, Venizelos fell from power and was replaced by Dimitrios Gounaris. The strategic objective of these operations was to defeat the Turkish Nationalists and force Kemal into peace negotiations. The advancing Greeks, still holding superiority in numbers and modern equipment at this point, had hoped for an early battle in which they were confident of breaking up ill-equipped Turkish forces. Yet they met with little resistance, as the Turks managed to retreat in an orderly fashion and avoid encirclement. Churchill said: "The Greek columns trailed along the country roads passing safely through many ugly defiles, and at their approach the Turks, under strong and sagacious leadership, vanished into the recesses of Anatolia."[19]


Ok so now here is the new POD
Britain - Italy - Greece decides to split up Turkey (much as in real world). The key things that kept this situation from occurring in real time was
- America Pulling out of control of the agreement to sponsor Armenia
- Italy / France / Britain fighting over spoils (mostly Italy & France vs. Britain and Greece)
- Greek depredations in the allied occupied zone unified the Turkish opposition
- Greek greed in invading Turkey
- USSR providing massive military weapons to Turkish army

So the key is how to over come these situations

Greece hires the Hearst family to propagandize the Armenian massacres and the opportunities and gets the populace to support the Armenia independence movement. At the same time the US is supportive of the southern war against the the USSR and see this as a base to work from.

Diplomacy

- Greeks give Crete / Albania to Italy for support in S Turkey
- Greece gets America to remain in Armenia'
- Greece gets defendable land then builds a killing zone into eastern Anatolia
- Greece puts major effort in "free land" for Greeks coming back (they had lost 25% for their youth to emigration in the previous 10 years)
Eastern Front-
1919 - Hearst family supports the Armenian movement
- 1919 / 20 - US takes up the USSR struggle from the southern front on an aggressive basis. The flow of war materials from USSR to Turkey is reduced to a trickle if any at all. Armenian attacks (raids) across boarder into Turkey result in a tying down of Turkish forces in the Eastern Turkey.
Southern Front::
Italy has been given the southern portion of Turkey. To continue their active support in the war Greece has given southern Albania and Crete to Italy. In this way Italy actively has stayed in the war but more importantly have reassigned substantial 155 mm howitzers to the Greek army. As had been found in WW1 the number of troops way not anywhere near as important is the firepower produced. The Turkish army again must fight on the southern front unlike in real world 1920 -22. The Italian reliance of BB and heavy ordnance created massive Turkish losses in the few areas of where the Turks elected to fight.
Eastern front

The Greeks in the East use the Italian HA to devastate the Turkish defender then move on to the next mileage,
Use of turned over captured German aircraft (front Britain) to strafe and bomb areas in front of targeted invasion zones. This is meant for economic devastation and transportation hindrance, the use of firepower equals the numerical advantage of the Turks. Advances are based upon air power, tank and firepower and occupation of defendable areas in "Jumps" of 50 - 100 miles.

1922 - 23

The Americans are discouraged by the war and pull out of a semi independent Armenia. Turkish attacks force the Armenian government to crumble. By 1923 the Armenians had collapsed. Fearing Turkish retribution (1915 -1918 style) 45 % of the population was evacuated to the expanding Greek country. The US pulls out of Istanbul. Greece occupies the Constantinople.

In the South economic / war weariness collapse of Italian country left them to evacuate Turkey. In renege of their deal with Greece they left Crete but retained Albania. The Turkish troops rushed into the area. Greek residents flee to the Greek Anatolian occupied zones.

Violent Turkish counterattacks are driven off throughout the year.

With their country devastated and having successfully driven out the Italians - Russians - Americans - but lost 20% of Turkey to a heavily fortified Greek/ Armenian state, But looking northward to a hostile USSR and eastward to a hostile Greece.

With everyone exhausted and not at any way intreted in long term peace the war drags to an end with a peace signed in Oct 1923








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