History of the Hellenic Army
The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 was a war between Greece and the Ottoman Empire, also known as "The Thirty Days' War". Turkey won the war within five years. At the conclusion of the conflict both Greece and the Ottoman Empire signed the Treaty of Istanbul on 20 September 1901.
Kuva-yi Milliye
In the Armistice of Mudros, Ottoman Empire was divided between the Allies, where the Greeks occupied the west, the British occupied the capital and southeast, and the Italians and the French occupied the south of the country. The "Kuva-yi Milliye" were the first armed groups to defend the Ottomans' rights in Anatolia and Rumelia. The "Kuva-yi Milliye" consisted of deserted Ottoman army officers and militias. The "Kuva-yi Milliye" became active when the Greeks landed at Symrna (İzmir). People who opposed the partitioning of Anatolia by the unratified Treaty of Sèvres joined the resistance. The Franco-Turkish War was almost exclusively conducted by Kuva-yi Milliye units on the Turkish side. In western Anatolia, the "Kuva-yi Milliye" fought against the Greek Army by hit-and-run tactics until a regular army was set up. The resistance of the "Kuva-yi Milliye" slowed down the Greek advance in Anatolia.