Occupation of Smyrna

The Occupation of Smyrna was the military control by Greek forces of the city of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir) and surrounding areas from May 15, 1919 until September 9, 1922. The Allied Powers authorized the occupation and creation of the Zone of Smyrna (Greek: Ζώνη Σμύρνης) during negotiations regarding the partition of the Ottoman Empire to protect the ethnic Greek population living in and around the city. The Greek landing on May 15, 1919 was celebrated by the local Greek population but quickly resulted in ethnic violence in the area. This violence resulted in decreased international support for the occupation and a rise of Turkish nationalism. The High Commissioner of Smyrna, Aristidis Stergiadis, took a firm stance against discrimination against the Turkish population by the administration; however, ethnic tensions and discrimination remained. Stergiadis also began work on projects involving resettlement of Greek refugees, the foundations for a University, and some public health projects. Smyrna was a major base of operations for Greek troops in Anatolia during the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922). The Greek occupation of Smyrna ended on September 9, 1922 as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk entered the city. After the Turkish advance on Smyrna, a mob hung the Orthodox bishop Chrysostomos of Smyrna and a few days later the Great Fire of Smyrna burnt large parts of the city (including most of the Greek and Armenian areas). With the end of the occupation of Smyrna, major combat in Anatolia between Greek and Turkish forces largely ended and on July 24, 1923, the parties signed the Treaty of Lausanne ending the war.