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Hellenic Army
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The Hellenic Army (Greek: ????????? St?at??) is the land force of Greece. The Army of the modern nation of Greece has a history of nearly 190 years and came to its present form, gradually through those years.
Motto of the Hellenic Army is "Freedom Stems from Valor" (Greek: "??e??e??? t? ???????" - Eleftheron To Efpsihon) and the Hellenic Army Emblem represents the two-headed eagle looking both left and right and the white cross in blue background placed in the middle.
main mission of the Hellenic Army is the defence of the state’s independence and integrity, the safeguarding of national territory, as well as the decisive contribution to the achievement of the country’s policy objectives.
During peacetime, the Army has the following main objectives:
Early period
The modern Hellenic Army was formed shorty after the creation of the State in 1828.
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Encyclopedia
The Hellenic Army (Greek: ????????? St?at??) is the land force of Greece. The Army of the modern nation of Greece has a history of nearly 190 years and came to its present form, gradually through those years.
Motto of the Hellenic Army is "Freedom Stems from Valor" (Greek: "??e??e??? t? ???????" - Eleftheron To Efpsihon) and the Hellenic Army Emblem represents the two-headed eagle looking both left and right and the white cross in blue background placed in the middle.
Mission
The main mission of the Hellenic Army is the defence of the state’s independence and integrity, the safeguarding of national territory, as well as the decisive contribution to the achievement of the country’s policy objectives.
During peacetime, the Army has the following main objectives:
- The maintenance of high operational readiness for the prevention and effective confrontation of dangers and threats, as well as the ensuring of rapid response capability.
- The contribution to international security and peace.
- The contribution to activities of social aid and the support of state services for the confrontation of emergency situations.
History
Early period
The modern Hellenic Army was formed shorty after the creation of the State in 1828. The first out of eight tactical army regiments was established in February, 1828 after the respective order was given by the first head of state of the independent Greece, Ioannis Capodistrias.
This tactical army would replace the irregular military bands of the capetanei (?apeta?a??? - commanders) who had led the revolt against Ottoman Empire in 1821. The new formations were formed firstly in Troizina and were organized according to the ones of the French Army. First commander was appointed the French general Charles Nicolas Fabvier.
In addition to the creation of tactical infantry units, Capodistrias proceded in the establishment of various other auxiliary corps, such as the Hellenic Military Academy, the first Artillery and Cavalry battalions, the Mechanics Corps and a unit of logistical support, the Army Commissariat.
The first combined arms drills were executed in October, 1829 at Megara.
1832-1897
The Hellenic Army has taken part in the following wars:
During World War II, the Army's equipment included the French Rifle Lebel M1886, the French Machinegun St. Etienne M1907, the French machinegun Hotchkiss M1914, the Belgian Rifle Mauser M1930
the Austrian Machinegun Schwarzlose M1907/12, the French machinegun Hotchkiss M1928, the Austrian Infantry Rifle Mannlicher-Schönauer M1903, and the French Machinegun Chauchat M1915.
Structure
General Staff
Combat and Support Arms
- Most combat arms are called "Arm" (?p???). This term denotes army elements that, more or less, have direct participation in combat.
- Most support branches are called "Corps" (S?µa), with some exceptions.
Army Units and Formations
After a major reorganization which occurred in the last decade, which included the transformation of most Infantry formations into Mechanized Brigades and a parallel reduction of personnel, Hellenic Army's higher command is the Hellenic Army General Staff..
There are four major military commands which supervise all army units,
- The 1st Army, based at Larissa, that includes the I and IV Army Corps, responsible for the the defence of the northern and eastern borders.
- The II Army Corps, based ar Veroia, which groups all the rapid reaction forces of the army
- The Supreme Military Command of the Interior and Islands, based at Athens with the mission to provide cover for the islands in the Aegean Sea.
- The Supreme Military Support Command undertaking various logistics and organisational tasks.
Although divisions still exist, having the role of forward commands, the Army is mainly organised in brigades, that follow the typical NATO standards consisting of five battalions, three maneuver, one artillery, one support and some other company sized formations.
According to the latest developments, up to 2015 , all active divisions will dissolve, but all brigades will acquire one more manuever battalion, making the distinction between mechanized and armored formations bottomless, thus creating a new type brigade, which will be named Strike Brigade.
Personnel
There are three classes of personnel in the Hellenic Army, namely professional, volunteer and conscript. Conscript enlisted men and non-commissioned officers wear special rank insignia to differentiate them from volunteers. There are currently 109,266 personnel on active duty. Mobilization strength is 575,000 more.
Most professional officers graduate from the Evelpidon Military Academy in Athens (St?at??t??? S???? ??e?p?d??) and the Corps Officers Military Academy in Thessaloniki (St?at??t??? S???? ????µat???? S?µ?t??), while the rest graduate from various Military Schools according to their specialization.
In the chain of command, graduates of the two Military Academies in Athens and Thessaloniki are considered higher in seniority compared to professional officers of the same rank who graduate from specialized Military Schools. The latter officers are followed in seniority by volunteer and finally conscript staff.
Equipment
The heavy equipment and weaponry of the Hellenic Army is mostly of foreign manufacture, from German, French, American, British and Russian suppliers. A notable exception is the native-built Leonidas armored fighting vehicle by the Hellenic Vehicles Manufacturer Industry (ELBO).
Equipment runs the gamut from state-of-the art to obsolescent Cold War inventories; the latter are gradually being retired.
Uniforms and ranks
The structure of Hellenic Army ranks has its roots in British military traditions and follows NATO standard rank scale.
The rank of Stratarchis (St?at?????, equivalent to Field Marshal or General of the Army) though, has been historically used, but is no longer extant. It was first awarded to King Constantine I for his leadership in the Balkan Wars. The rank was subsequently assumed by his successors upon accession, until the abolishment of the monarchy. The only regular officer to have been awarded the rank was General Alexander Papagos on 28 October 1949.
Photo gallery
Sources and bibliography
- Dimitris Michalopoulos, "The evolution of the Greek Army (1828-68)", in War and Society in East Central Europe, vol. XIV, Brooklyn College Press, 1984, pp.317-330. ISBN 0-88033-043-0.
See also
External links
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