The nucleus of the Greek Infantry was, as in all armies, the battle group. However, the Greek battle group was relatively large numerically, in an attempt to complement the one machine gun it had with a sufficient number of rifles. Each battle group was distinguished into two echelons, the machin
If the battle group is the cell of an army, the platoon is its main fabric. The platoon was then and remains the smallest combined action capable sub-unit. The platoon of the time extended three battle groups of 13 men – 39 men. It was commanded by a second lieutenant or adjutant and also had a plat
Theophilos Korydalleus was a great figure in the period of dark slavery and a great Aristotelian philosopher. He was born in Athens around 1563. His name was Theophilos Skordalos. He was named Korydalleus, after the homonymous peak of Mount Aegaleos. He was educated in Rome and then studied medic
In the spring of 548 AD the situation for the Byzantines in North Africa was not pleasant. The small Byzantine forces had been defeated by the rebellious Numidians. General Ioannis Troglitis, however, who was sent by Justinian, was not one of those who resigned easily. John moved towards the plai
With the outbreak of World War I, the Foreign Legion was forced to reorganize. This was due on the one hand to the large number of German and Austrian legionnaires it included in its ranks and on the other hand to the large number of Americans, Irish and other volunteers (even Greeks), who rushed en
The Battalion is a self-contained battle group capable of undertaking and executing a mission by its own means alone. This is what the relevant definition states. But in the Greek Army of 1940 this was not the case because the infantry battalions lacked mortars and anti-tank means. The battalion
The cooperation between Greeks and British already from October 28, 1940, until the occupation of Greece by the Germans was not flawless. The British, right from the start, saw the involuntary involvement of Greece in the Second World War as a golden opportunity to open a new Balkan front, on the sa
Anniversary of the German invasion of Greece... April 6th. In 1941, Hitlers divisions overthrew the Greek defense in the Forts of the Metaxas Line and then the Greek-British in Central Macedonia. After Kleidi (April 11-12), Kleisoura (April 13-14) and Argos Orestikos – Dispilio (April 15), the Germa
From March 8 to 23, 1941, up there in the mountains of Albania, young children from Trikala and Karditsa taught an incredible lesson to the proud Italians, their planes, their cannons and, above all, the leader himself them, Mussolini. Agis Verutis They were the members of the 5th regiment of T
The first failure to liberate the island of Tilos led the allied administration to the decision to come back with strong forces. The new operation was decided to take place on 27 February 1945. For the new operation strong forces were indeed assembled, with two detachments of the Holy Company, which
The Greek Army landed in Smyrna, in 1919, as the representative of the great powers, which, after the enormous human sacrifices of the flower of their human potential in the trenches of the First World War, did not wish for any reason, how much rather to serve the Greek interests, to repeat them fig
Ioannis Kapodistrias was one of the greatest Greeks. Perhaps this was also the reason why he ended up in the grave so early, so ingloriously and disastrously for the nation. From the moment he accepted to govern the devastated Greece, he put his whole being at the disposal of the Motherland. In h
February 21, 1913 is a historical anniversary for Greece which connects Crete with Epirus. On this day Ioannina was liberated and the Cretans played their own historical role. It was not only Eleftherios Venizelos, who as prime minister contributed the most to this sacred cause, but also the Holy Le
Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the world. Today its population is approximately 38,000 inhabitants. The small principality is located between Austria and Switzerland. The small German state has a long history linked to that of the Habsburg Empire. Liechtenstein is currently on
The silver mines of Lavrio have been known since ancient times. From the revenues of these mines was created the powerful Athenian fleet that crushed the Persians in Salamis. However, there were surface ores of silvery lead in the area. In 1864 the Italian businessman Ioannis Baptistis Serpieri (
Cyprus, in its centuries-long historical course, has known many foreign dynasties. It was severed from the national trunk in 1191 AD. after its capture by the Crusaders of the 3rd Crusade. Since then it passed successively under the rule of the Lusignan house and then of Venice. In 1571 it was occup
The battle of Caporetto is one of the greatest victories of all time, achieved against a stronger opponent in extremely difficult terrain. The Italian 2nd Army held an extensive frontal sector south of Gorizia. This particular army had won the laurels of the 11th attack of Iszonso, which was succ
Takis Lazaridis, son of Left and Resistance fighter Kostas Lazaridis who was executed by the Germans in 1943, is not a random person. Both he and his sister were implicated in the case of the radios – Belogiannis and Takis was sentenced to death, but ultimately not executed. But he remained in priso
Agathoklis is one of the most impressive personalities of ancient Greek history. A true adventurer, he managed to rise from a mercenary soldier in the Syracuse army to become emperor, leader of the strongest Greek city in Italy, Syracuse. From 312 BC the Syracuses were fighting against the mighty
Domeniko Elassonas is a small village in Thessaly. But it is also one of the villages that became a holocaust during the triple foreign occupation in 1941-44. The only difference compared to other similar crimes is that this one was committed by good Italians. In Greece, the opinion has prevailed
A cow and a horse start off from the same point P in different directions. Both travel circular paths that converge at point P. If the cow advances along a path A of 48 km. in circumference at a speed of 8 km. a day, and the horse a path B of 32 km. of circumference to 12 km. per day, how many days
The kingdom of Ahhiyawa is revealed in the book “Ahhiyawa. The Mycenaean Aegean through the Hittite Texts, by Konstantinos Kopanias, archaeologist, associate professor at the Department of History and Archeology of the University of Athens. These texts, written in the Hittite language and in cuneifo
At some point in our lives we are all Pre-Raphaelites . Without suspecting it, we imitate that same cliché of silly adoration towards the languid and archaic beauty that emanates from the paintings of the somewhat eccentric artists who altered Victorian England. Deliberately mystical, medieval, drea
Since 1995, the emeritus professor of Medicine of the AUTH, Thomas Gerasimidis, has been investigating the causes of death of the Greek soldier Alexander the Great, even rejecting other theories. Alexander the Great died of acute necrotizing pancreatitis! This conclusion was reached after many years