Δευτέρα 20 Αυγούστου 2012

Greek victories against the Turks



Recently a nationalistic list of Turkish victories against the Greeks came to my attention, which had many innacurasies . The list contained victories from the medieval times till the modern era of various "Turkish" tribes including the Huns. I am not gonna make a debate weather those factions were one and the same or if they were Turkish tribes or not. In response I've decided to make a similar list of Greek victories against the Turks from medieval times till the modern era.


408 – Hunnic invasion of Moesia by Uldin= Byzantine victory

559 – Byzantines with Belisarius vs Kutrigurs with Khan Zabergan= Byzantine victory

626 - Byzantines vs Avars Siege of Constantinople = Byzantine victory

1016 - Byzantines and Russians against the Khazars=Byzantine -Russian victory

1048 - Battle of Kapetron = Byzantine victory

1069 - Battle of Iconium= Byzantine victory

1091 - Battle of Levounion, Byzantines vs Pechenegs= Byzantine victory

1091 - Naval battle near Chios island vs Chaka bey= Byzantine victory

1092 - Naval battle of in the sea of marmara vs Chaka bey=Byzantine victory

1094 - Battle near andrianople, Byzantines vs Cumans= Byzantine victory

1097 - Siege of Nicaea by Byzantines and Crusaders = Byzantine and Crusader victory

1117 - Battle of Philomelion = Byzantine victory

1122 - Battle of Beroia Byzantines vs Pechenegs= Byzantine victory

1177 - Battle of Hyelion and Leimocheir = Byzantine victory

1211 - Battle on Antioch of the meander = Byzantine victory

1223 - Siege of Trebizond= Byzantine victory

1312 - Battle of Gallipoli vs Turcopoles= Byzantine victory

1422 - Siege of Constantinople vs the ottomans= Byzantine victory

1453 - Naval Battle of Constantinople 5 Byzantine ships vs 75 ottoman ships= Byzantine victory

1790 - Naval battle in Kafirea with Lambros Katsonis=Greek victory

1821 - Battle of Gravia Inn , 120 Greeks vs 9000 ottomans=Greek victory

1821 - Battle of Vassilika =Greek victory

1821 - Battle of Valtetsi =Greek victory

1821 - Battle of Doliana =Greek victory

1822 - Naval battle of patra =Greek victory

1822 - Battle of Dervenakia =Greek victory

1822 - Naval battle of Spetses =Greek victory

1824 - Naval Battle of Samos =Greek victory

1824 - Naval Battle of Gerontas =Greek victory

1825 - Battle of the Lerna Mills =Greek victory

1826 - Battle of Arachova =Greek victory

1829 - Battle of Petra =Greek victory

1912 - Battle of sarantaporo= Greek victory

1912 - Liberation of Thessalonica= Greek victory

1912 - Battle of Korytsa= Greek victory

1913 - Battle of Bizani= Greek victory

1912 - Naval battle of Elli= Greek victory

1913 - Naval battle of Lemnos = Greek victory

1919 - Liberation of Smyrna=Greek victory

1919 - Battle of Aydın= Greek victory

1921 - Battle of Kütahya–Eskişehir= Greek victory



Some observations
  • In most of the battles both at sea and land the Greek forces were much fewer than the Turkish forces, yet the Greek forces managed to emerge victorious.
  • The Byzantine empire had encountered many Turkish tribes and had emerged victorious several times.
  • The Byzantine empire lasted for 1.150 years whereas the Ottoman empire for only 600 years.
  • WWI Greece and the allies win the war over the central powers and the Ottoman empire
  • In 1921 the Greek army reaches Ankara, only 100 years after the Greek revolution.
  • Finally the Turks have nearly zero victories over the Greeks in naval battles