Since the middle of 1912, the christian states of the Balkans succeedingly declared war against Ottoman Empire. In October, Greece went to war. The Greek fleet, was headed by Admiral Pavlos Kountourioti, captured Chios, Lesbos, Thassos, Imvros and then raised the Greek flag on Agios Oros.
Since the middle of 1912, the christian states of the Balkans succeedingly declared war against Ottoman Empire. In October, Greece went to war. The Greek fleet, was headed by Admiral Pavlos Kountourioti, captured Chios, Lesbos, Thassos, Imvros and then raised the Greek flag on Agios Oros.
In December 1912, with the victorious naval battles of Elli and Lemnos, the sovereignty of the Aegean and the Greekness of the islands were sealed.
Battleship “Averof”
Bought by the Greek government in 1909, with the financial contribution of G. Averoff, who covered the 1/4 of the total expense. On the ship was boarded admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis as commander of the fleet. She participated in many crucial and victorious naval battles of “Eli” (December 3rd, 1912) and “Limnos” (January 5th, 1913) which established Greek dominance over the Aegean Sea.
Submarine “Delfin”
It is the first submarine, on universal scale, to take part to a war mission. During the wars of 1912-13 it was constantly patrolling beyond Moudros and Dardanellia. On December 1912 it launched a torpedo attack against the Ottoman cruiser “Metzhitie”, which is the first battle attack of a submarine against an enemy’s ship. It was disarmed in 1920.
Ioannis Pastrikakis
Ioannis Pastrikakis was born in Archanes, Heraklion, Crete, in 1894. In 1910, he entered the Hellenic Naval Academy as a Naval Cadet. When the Balkan Wars were declared, only first and third year students attended the School because in 1909 and 1911 no Cadets were enrolled. Pastrikakis, along with the rest of his third-year classmates, was named Cadet Chief.
He participated, acting as a landing officer, in the liberation of the island of Chios, where he was mortally wounded during the attack against the Turkish garrison on November 16, 1912. He breathed his last the next day (November 17, 1912) at the age of 18. His bust was placed in the School garden to commemorate the First Sea Cadet who was killed in action.
Union of Crete
On Sunday, December 1, 1913, the great wish of the Cretans for tens of years was completed and the so-called Cretan Question was resolved, as the Greek Flag was raised with all solemnity at the “Firka” fortress, symbolically sealing the Union of Crete with mother Greece.
The moment of the much-desired Union of Crete with the rest of Greece. The struggles of the Cretans were vindicated on Sunday, December 1st, 1913, symbolically and with all solemnity, with the raising of the Greek Flag for the first time at the “Firka” Fortress in Chania. A particularly important and moving moment and for this reason a large number of people from every part of the island had gathered to watch the raising of the flag. Representatives of the country’s political scene were also present. In the center of the composition stands the King of Greece, Constantine I (1868-1913), who commemorates two emblematic figures of the Cretan liberation struggles, the old fighters Anagnostis Mandakas (1819-1918) and Hatzimichalis Giannaris (1833-1916). Beside the king, among others, the port master of Chania Georgios Kourkoutis (dec. 1850-dec. 1930), the admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis (1855-1935) and the prime minister of Greece Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936) can be seen.
Constantine I was king of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. His name is associated with critical periods of modern Greek history such as the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the successful Balkan wars of 1912-1913, which he was commander-in-chief of the Greek army and the Union of Crete with mother Greece.
Eleftherios Venizelos was a Greek politician, who served as Prime Minister of the Cretan State (1910) and seven times Prime Minister of Greece. As a politician he played an important role in the Cretan Question, as well as in the political events of Greece from 1910 until his death in 1936. He was the political protagonist of the doubling of Greece and organized the revolutionary government of National Defense in Thessaloniki.
Pavlos Kountouriotis (1855−1935) was Admiral of the Royal Navy, Chief of the Naval General Staff and Commander of the 2nd Fleet during the Balkan Wars (1912-1913). He participated in the revolutionary Government of National Defense in Thessaloniki, served twice as President of the Republic and twice as Viceroy of Greece.