Greco-Turkish War

The, a war which took place between Greece and Turkey in 1897. On Feb. 3, 1897, the Turkish troops in Crete wantonly pillaged and ma acred a large number of Christians. About 15,000 Greek women and children fled to Greece, where the people had to promiee for them. In the meantime the Cretans proclaimed their independence of Turkey, their union with Greece, and appealed to that country for help. This action led King George of Greece to send a small army to occupy the island, a movement which was opposed on the part of the Powers by whom the island was blockaded March 17, 1897. After a demand was made that the Greek troops be withdrawn from Crete, which was not complied with, the Powers Janded soldiers and occupied the island. Soon afterward a vody of Greek “ irregulars ” invaded Macedonia, whereupon the Turkish cabinet declared on April 17 that a state of war existed with Greece, and Jdham Pasha, commander of the Turksh army, was ordered to take the yffensive. This i ue was promptly accepted by wreece, and hostilities were at once yegun on the Grecian frontier, which soon developed into a general cannonading along the entire frontier of The aly, while operations were likewise initiated on the sea. The Greeks, fighting their way northward, invaded Turkey and threatened A la on a, while the Turks swept down from Salonica through the mountain pa es and invad2d Greece, thus forcing the Greeks to abandon Lari a, their principal source of supplies. In the meanwhile the Greek navy was active, having bombarded and destroyed a number of important towns along the Gulf of Salonika. During the latter part of April and the beginning of May the Greeks were mainly victorious. A Grecian army of 12,000, under General Smolenski, repulsed a Turkish force of 14,000, with heavy lo , near Velestino, on April 30, and held in check another movement, May 2.. The tide, however, was soon turned, for on May 5 the Turks, with 50,000 men, compelled an army of 23,000 Greeks to withdraw from Pharsalos, The Greeks now became aware that they could not cope with the constantly increasing Turkish army, and this conviction with the knowledge that the country was without funds, disheartened the soldiers and caused the army to collapse. On May 8 the Powers were informed that the Greek troops would be recalled from Crete, thus signifying that Greece was ready to be guided by the Powers. On May 11 a joint note was sent to the Greek minister of foreign affairs offering mediation, and on May 12 a request for an armistice was sent to the Turkish government. Four days - Jater that country replied that it would not allow an armistice except on the following conditions: Annexation of The aly; an indemnity of £10,000,000; abolition of the capitulations or treaties conferring privileges on Greeks in the Turkish empire; and a treaty of extradition with Greece. These harsh terms met with a yet from all Europe. The Czar of Ru ia "now wrote a personal letter to the Sultan, with the result that hostilities immediately ceased, and on May 20 an armistice for 17 days was concluded. The question of the ce ion of The aly was referred to a military commi ion, which recommended no ce ion beyond the mountain summits on the ng Turkish frontier, which gave to Turkey a strategic boundary.