Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian
Encyclopedia
Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian was a Greek
Army
officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
. He served thrice as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
, occupied ministerial positions and was elected a member of the Academy of Athens
for his historical studies.
in 1874. He entered the Hellenic Army Academy in 1890 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Artillery on 30 June 1895. He participated in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 commanding an artillery battery, and served for three years in the newly founded Geographical Service
. In 1905, during the Greek Struggle for Macedonia
against the Bulgaria
n-sponsored IMRO, he was attached to the Greek Consulate-General in Thessaloniki
under the cover name Ioannidis. He served there for three and a half years, until the end of the Struggle in 1908. In 1906 he was promoted to Lieutenant.
After returning from Macedonia, he came first in a contest for further studies in the École Supérieure de Guerre in France. In the Balkan Wars
he served as a staff officer in the 7th Infantry Division. In 1914 he was promoted to Major and became Chief of Staff of the 5th Infantry Division at Drama
. In September 1916 he joined the Venizelist Movement of National Defence
in Thessaloniki
. Promoted to Lt. Colonel and full Colonel, he served in various General Staff departments during World War I
. He then accompanied Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos
as a military expert to the Paris Peace Conference
, and prepared ethnological and military studies to support the Greek claims.
He returned to Greece in July 1919, and assumed command of the Smyrna Division in Asia Minor
. In 1920 he was promoted to Major General, and led his division to the capture of Balıkesir
and in the advance towards Bursa during the Greek summer offensive. From there he and his division were recalled to be used in a landing operation in support of the occupation of Eastern Thrace: Mazarakis commanded the landings of troops ferried from Asia at Ereğli
and Rodosto, and thence advanced north. After overcoming Turkish resistance at Lule Burgas, Babaeski
and Çorlu
and capturing the local Turkish commander, Cafer Tayyar
, his units reached Adrianople. Returning to Asia, he led his division to new positions around Bursa, and commanded a series of raids against Turkish territory. Following the Venizelist defeat in the November 1920 elections
, he resigned his commission.
In 1921 he published a series of articles criticizing the new government's conduct of the war in Asia Minor, recommending the stabilization and fortification of the then-held lines instead of an advance into the interior of Turkey. Following the Greek defeat and retreat from Asia in August 1922, he was appointed Greek representative at the armistice negotiations at Mudanya
, but initially refused to sign the Armistice of Mudanya
when it was revealed that Greece would have to evacuate Eastern Thrace. He was subsequently recalled to active service and placed as Chief of Staff of the Army of the Evros in Western Thrace
, and then participated in the Greek mission to Conference of Lausanne
as a military adviser.
In 1924 he was promoted to Lieutenant General
and appointed Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
, beginning the process for its reorganization and re-equipment following the Asia Minor Disaster. He was dismissed from his position following the coup d'état of general Theodoros Pangalos
in June 1925, but was reinstated in September 1926, following the overthrow of the Pangalos dictatorship. He served as Minister for Military Affairs in the 1926–1928 Alexandros Zaimis
cabinets, and was elected as a member of the Academy of Athens
in September 1928. He was appointed as Inspector General of Military Schools in March 1929 and soon after again as Chief of the Army General Staff, occupying the post until June 1931.
In the March 1933 emergency cabinet of Lt. General Alexandros Othonaios
, Mazarakis occupied the portfolio of National Education, as well as, as interim holder, of Foreign Affairs (6/7 March) and Aviation (9/10 March). In 1935, following the outbreak of a pro-Venizelist coup attempt, he was suspended from active service, and finally retired in 1937 due to the age limit. In the same year, he served as president of the Academy of Athens.
Mazarakis died in Athens in 1943. He was married but childless.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. He served thrice as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
Hellenic Army General Staff
The Hellenic Army General Staff is the general staff of the Hellenic Army, the terrestrial component of the Greek Armed Forces. It was established in 1906 as the Army Staff Service . Since 1950, the HAGS is subordinated to the Hellenic National Defense General Staff...
, occupied ministerial positions and was elected a member of the Academy of Athens
Academy of Athens (modern)
The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education...
for his historical studies.
Life
Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian was born in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
in 1874. He entered the Hellenic Army Academy in 1890 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Artillery on 30 June 1895. He participated in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 commanding an artillery battery, and served for three years in the newly founded Geographical Service
Hellenic Military Geographical Service
The Hellenic Military Geographical Service or HMGS -History:Established in 1889 as the “Geodetic Mission” with the purpose of compiling the “Topographic and Cadastral Map of the Country”, the service acquired its current name in 1926...
. In 1905, during the Greek Struggle for Macedonia
Greek Struggle for Macedonia
The Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians in the region of Ottoman Macedonia between 1904 and 1908...
against the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n-sponsored IMRO, he was attached to the Greek Consulate-General in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
under the cover name Ioannidis. He served there for three and a half years, until the end of the Struggle in 1908. In 1906 he was promoted to Lieutenant.
After returning from Macedonia, he came first in a contest for further studies in the École Supérieure de Guerre in France. In the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
he served as a staff officer in the 7th Infantry Division. In 1914 he was promoted to Major and became Chief of Staff of the 5th Infantry Division at Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
. In September 1916 he joined the Venizelist Movement of National Defence
Movement of National Defence
The Movement of National Defence was an uprising by Venizelist officers of the Hellenic Army in Thessaloniki in August 1916 against the royal government in Athens. It led to the establishment of a separate, Venizelist Greek government in the north of the country, which entered the First World...
in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. Promoted to Lt. Colonel and full Colonel, he served in various General Staff departments during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He then accompanied Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos was an eminent Greek revolutionary, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century. Elected several times as Prime Minister of Greece and served from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932...
as a military expert to the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference may refer to:* Paris Peace Conference, 1919, negotiated the treaties ending World War I* Paris Peace Conference, 1946 July 29 to October 15, 1946See also...
, and prepared ethnological and military studies to support the Greek claims.
He returned to Greece in July 1919, and assumed command of the Smyrna Division in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. In 1920 he was promoted to Major General, and led his division to the capture of Balıkesir
Balikesir
Balıkesir is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 265,747 inhabitants. Old name is Karesi or Karasi.- History :...
and in the advance towards Bursa during the Greek summer offensive. From there he and his division were recalled to be used in a landing operation in support of the occupation of Eastern Thrace: Mazarakis commanded the landings of troops ferried from Asia at Ereğli
Eregli
Ereğli is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2009 census, the population of the district is 135,008 of which 95,056 live in the town of Ereğli.-History:...
and Rodosto, and thence advanced north. After overcoming Turkish resistance at Lule Burgas, Babaeski
Babaeski
Babaeski is a town and district of Kırklareli Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The countyship has a population of 27,712 and the total area of the district is 652 km².-Name:...
and Çorlu
Çorlu
Çorlu is a northwestern Turkish city in inland Eastern Thrace that falls under the administration of the Province of Tekirdağ. It is a rapidly developing industrial center built on flatland located off the E80 highway between Istanbul and Turkey's border with Greece and Bulgaria. As of the 2000...
and capturing the local Turkish commander, Cafer Tayyar
Cafer Tayyar Eğilmez
Cafer Tayyar Eğilmez was an officer of the Ottoman Army and the general of the Turkish Army.-External lınks:* Zülal Keleş, , Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi Dergisi, Sayı 44, Cilt: XV, Temmuz 1999....
, his units reached Adrianople. Returning to Asia, he led his division to new positions around Bursa, and commanded a series of raids against Turkish territory. Following the Venizelist defeat in the November 1920 elections
Greek legislative election, 1920
The legislative elections of 1920 were probably the most crucial elections in the modern history of Greece, influencing not only the few years afterwards, including Greece's defeat by Kemal Atatürk's reformed Turkish army in 1922, but setting the stage for Greece's political landscape for most of...
, he resigned his commission.
In 1921 he published a series of articles criticizing the new government's conduct of the war in Asia Minor, recommending the stabilization and fortification of the then-held lines instead of an advance into the interior of Turkey. Following the Greek defeat and retreat from Asia in August 1922, he was appointed Greek representative at the armistice negotiations at Mudanya
Mudanya
Mudanya , is a town and district of Bursa Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. It is located on the Gulf of Gemlik, part of the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. As of 1911, it was connected with Bursa by a railway and a carriage road, and with Istanbul by steamers...
, but initially refused to sign the Armistice of Mudanya
Armistice of Mudanya
The Armistice of Mudanya was an agreement between Turkey on the one hand, and Italy, France and Britain on the other hand, signed in the Ottoman town of Mudanya on 11 October 1922....
when it was revealed that Greece would have to evacuate Eastern Thrace. He was subsequently recalled to active service and placed as Chief of Staff of the Army of the Evros in Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
, and then participated in the Greek mission to Conference of Lausanne
Conference of Lausanne
The Conference of Lausanne was a conference held in Lausanne, Switzerland during 1922 and 1923. Its purpose was the negotiation of a treaty to replace the Treaty of Sèvres, which, under the new government of Kemal Pasha, was no longer recognised by Turkey....
as a military adviser.
In 1924 he was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and appointed Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
Hellenic Army General Staff
The Hellenic Army General Staff is the general staff of the Hellenic Army, the terrestrial component of the Greek Armed Forces. It was established in 1906 as the Army Staff Service . Since 1950, the HAGS is subordinated to the Hellenic National Defense General Staff...
, beginning the process for its reorganization and re-equipment following the Asia Minor Disaster. He was dismissed from his position following the coup d'état of general Theodoros Pangalos
Theodoros Pangalos (general)
Major General Theodoros Pangalos was a Greek soldier and politician. A distinguished staff officer and an ardent Venizelist and anti-royalist, Pangalos played a leading role in the September 1922 revolt that deposed King Constantine I and in the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic...
in June 1925, but was reinstated in September 1926, following the overthrow of the Pangalos dictatorship. He served as Minister for Military Affairs in the 1926–1928 Alexandros Zaimis
Alexandros Zaimis
Alexandros Zaimis was a former Greek Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Justice, and High Commissioner of Crete. He served as Prime Minister six times.-Early Life and Family:...
cabinets, and was elected as a member of the Academy of Athens
Academy of Athens (modern)
The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education...
in September 1928. He was appointed as Inspector General of Military Schools in March 1929 and soon after again as Chief of the Army General Staff, occupying the post until June 1931.
In the March 1933 emergency cabinet of Lt. General Alexandros Othonaios
Alexandros Othonaios
Alexandros Othonaios was a distinguished Greek general, who became briefly Prime Minister of an emergency government during an abortive coup in 1933.- Early life and career :...
, Mazarakis occupied the portfolio of National Education, as well as, as interim holder, of Foreign Affairs (6/7 March) and Aviation (9/10 March). In 1935, following the outbreak of a pro-Venizelist coup attempt, he was suspended from active service, and finally retired in 1937 due to the age limit. In the same year, he served as president of the Academy of Athens.
Mazarakis died in Athens in 1943. He was married but childless.