The11 September 1922 Revolution (Greek:Επανάσταση της 11ης Σεπτεμβρίου 1922[1]) was an uprising by theGreek army and navy against the government inAthens, which installed a "Revolutionary Committee" in its place.[2][3] The uprising took place on 24 September 1922, although the date was "11 September" on theJulian calendar still in use at the time in Greece.
The Greek Army hadjust been defeated in theAsia Minor Campaign and had been evacuated fromAnatolia to the Greek islands in the eastern Aegean. Discontent among the middle-ranking officers and men for the campaign's conduct by the royal government boiled over into armed revolt led by pro-Venizelist and anti-royalist officers. The mutiny spread quickly and seized power in Athens, forcing KingConstantine I to abdicate and leave the country, with a military government ruling the country until early 1924, shortly before theGreek monarchy was abolished and theSecond Hellenic Republic established.
The defeat of the Greek forces in Anatolia had alarmed the people and caused them to ask for the punishment of those responsible for the defeat. The government ofPetros Protopapadakis resigned and on 28 August, the new government headed byNikolaos Triantafyllakos.
On 11 September a revolution was declared, with the formation of a Revolutionary Committee headed by ColonelNikolaos Plastiras as representative of the army inChios, ColonelStylianos Gonatas as representative of the army inLesvos and CommanderDimitrios Fokas as representative of the navy. The next day, the troops boarded their ships and headed toAthens. Before they arrived there, a military aeroplane delivered a manifesto that was asking the resignation of King Constantine I, the dissolution of the Parliament, the formation a new politically independent government that would have the support of the alliances of theEntente and the immediate reinforcement of the battlefront inEastern Thrace.
On 13 September, the ships with the Greek army arrived inLavrio and the next day, King Constantine resigned and went into exile inItaly. His son,George II, was declared king. On 15 September, the troops of revolution entered the city of Athens and blocked the effortsTheodoros Pangalos was making to take advantage of the situation and take control of the government. Soon a new government was formed, withSotirios Krokidas as chairman.
