Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian (Greek:Αλέξανδρος Μαζαράκης-Αινιάν,c. 1874–1943) was aHellenic Army officer who rose to the rank oflieutenant general. He served thrice as Chief of theHellenic Army General Staff, occupied various important ministerial positions and became president of theAcademy of Athens.
Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian was born inAthens in about 1874. He entered theHellenic Army Academy in 1890 and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Artillery on 30 June 1895. He participated in theGreco-Turkish War of 1897 commanding an artillery battery, and served for three years in the newly foundedGeographical Service.[1][2]
In 1905, during theGreek Struggle for Macedonia against theBulgarian-sponsoredInternal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), he was attached to the Greek Consulate-General inThessaloniki under the cover name Ioannidis. He served there for three and a half years, until the end of the Struggle in 1908. In 1906, he was promoted to lieutenant.[1][2]
After returning from Macedonia, he came first in a contest for further studies in theÉcole Supérieure de Guerre in France. In theBalkan Wars he served as a staff officer in the7th Infantry Division. In 1914, he was promoted to major and became chief of staff of the5th Infantry Division atDrama. In September 1916, he joined theVenizelistMovement of National Defence inThessaloniki. Promoted to lieutenant colonel and full colonel, he served in various General Staff departments duringWorld War I. He then accompanied Prime MinisterEleftherios Venizelos as a military expert to theParis Peace Conference, and prepared ethnological and military studies to support the Greek claims.[1][2]
He returned to Greece in July 1919, and assumed command of theSmyrna Division inAsia Minor. In 1920 he was promoted to major general, and led his division to the capture ofBalıkesir and in the advance towardsBursa during theGreek summer offensive. From there he and his division were recalled to be used in a landing operation in support of the occupation ofEastern Thrace: Mazarakis commanded the landings of troops ferried from Asia atEreğli andRodosto, and thence advanced north. After overcoming Turkish resistance atLule Burgas,Babaeski andÇorlu and capturing the local Turkish commander,Cafer Tayyar, his units reachedAdrianople. Returning to Asia, he led his division to new positions around Bursa, and commanded a series of raids against Turkish territory. Following the Venizelist defeat in theNovember 1920 elections, he resigned his commission.[1][2]
In 1921, he published a series of articles criticizing the new government's conduct of the war in Asia Minor, recommending the stabilization and fortification of the then-held lines instead of an advance into the interior of Turkey. Following theGreek defeat and retreat from Asia Minor in August 1922, he was appointed Greek representative at the armistice negotiations atMudanya, but initially refused to sign theArmistice of Mudanya when it was revealed that Greece would have to evacuate Eastern Thrace. He was subsequently recalled to active service and placed as chief of staff of theArmy of Evros inWestern Thrace, and then participated in the Greek mission toConference of Lausanne as a military adviser.[1][2]
In 1924, he was promoted tolieutenant general and appointed Chief of theHellenic Army General Staff, beginning the process for its reorganization and re-equipment following the Asia Minor Disaster. He was dismissed from his position following the coup d'état of generalTheodoros Pangalos in June 1925, but was reinstated in September 1926, following the overthrow of the Pangalos dictatorship.[1][2] He served asMinister for Military Affairs in the 1926–1928Alexandros Zaimis cabinets,[3][4][5] and in September 1928 he was elected a member of theAcademy of Athens for his historical studies. He was appointed as Inspector General of Military Schools in March 1929 and soon after again as Chief of the Army General Staff, occupying the post until June 1931.[1][2]
In the March 1933 emergency cabinet of Lt. GeneralAlexandros Othonaios, Mazarakis occupied the portfolio of National Education, as well as, as interim holder, of Foreign Affairs (6/7 March) and Aviation (9/10 March).[6] In 1935, following the outbreak of a pro-Venizelistcoup attempt, he was suspended from active service, and finally retired in 1937 due to the age limit. In the same year, he served as president of the Academy of Athens.[1]
Following the suicide of Prime MinisterAlexandros Koryzis on 18 April 1941, amidst theGerman invasion of Greece, KingGeorge II of Greece gave Mazarakis the mandate to form a new government. The latter refused to formally accept before being briefed on the military situation inEpirus, and on the 20th returned the mandate to the King, both due to the rapid German advance, as well as due to his refusal to form a government with the widely loathed security minister of theMetaxas Regime,Konstantinos Maniadakis.[7]
Mazarakis died in Athens in 1943. He was married but childless.[1]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for Military Affairs ofGreece 4 December 1926 – 4 July 1928 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for National Education and Religious Affairs ofGreece 6–10 March 1933 | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by Major GeneralPetros Klados | Chief of theHellenic Army General Staff 1924 – June 1925 | Succeeded by Major GeneralPtolemaios Sarigiannis |
| Preceded by Major GeneralPtolemaios Sarigiannis | Chief of theHellenic Army General Staff 1 September 1926 – 1927 | Succeeded by Lt GeneralNikolaos Vlachopoulos |
| Preceded by Major GeneralAlexandros Merentitis | Chief of theHellenic Army General Staff 17 October 1929 – June 1931 | Succeeded by Lt GeneralKonstantinos Manetas |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| People | |
| Other | |
