Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos
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Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos in Athens c. 1944
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| Native name |
Θρασύβουλος Τσακαλώτος
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| Born | 3 April 1897 Preveza, Janina Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (now Greece) |
| Died | 15 August 1989 (aged 92) Athens, Third Hellenic Republic |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Greece Second Hellenic Republic |
| Service/ |
 Hellenic Army |
| Years of service | 1913–1952 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | 3/40 Evzone Regiment (1940–41) 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade (1944–45) I Army Corps (1948) II Army Corps (1948–49) Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff (1951–52) |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards |  Gold Cross of Valour |
| Alma mater | Hellenic Military Academy |
| Other work | Greek Ambassador to Yugoslavia |
Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos (Greek: Θρασύβουλος Τσακαλώτος; born April 3, 1897 – died August 15, 1989) was a very important Greek army leader. He was a Lieutenant General in the Hellenic Army. He fought in many big wars, including World War I, the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, World War II, and the Greek Civil War. He even became the head of the entire Greek Army. After his military career, he also worked as Greece's Ambassador to Yugoslavia.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos was born in 1897 in a place called Preveza. At that time, Preveza was part of the Ottoman Empire, not Greece. When he was 13, he traveled to Alexandria to meet a cousin who lived there.
Military Journey
Tsakalotos started his military training in 1913 at the Hellenic Military Academy. He finished his studies in 1916 and became an Infantry 2nd Lieutenant.
Fighting in World War I
He fought in World War I on the Macedonian front. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1917.
Greco-Turkish War
After World War I, he also fought in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, which is sometimes called the Asia Minor Campaign. During this war, he became a Captain in 1920.
Between the Wars
In the years between the two World Wars, Tsakalotos worked in different army roles. He also taught at the Superior War Academy. He continued to rise through the ranks, becoming a Major in 1924, a Lieutenant Colonel in 1930, and a Colonel in 1938.
World War II Service
When the Greco-Italian War started, Tsakalotos led the 3/40 Evzone Regiment. This was a special unit of Greek soldiers. Later, in March 1941, he became the Chief of Staff for the II Army Corps. This was just before Germany attacked and occupied Greece.
In 1942, he managed to escape from Greece, which was under occupation. He went to Egypt, where the Greek government was staying in exile. There, he was put in charge of a training center. In April 1944, he took command of a new group of soldiers called the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade. He led this brigade in Italy during the Gothic Line offensive. They fought bravely in battles like the Battle of Rimini.
After Greece was freed from Axis control, Tsakalotos and his brigade returned to Athens. He was very against communism. He did not follow orders to leave the city center with his men. He also disagreed with the British General Ronald Scobie about leaving Athens. Instead, he and his soldiers took part in the Dekemvriana clashes in December 1944. These were fights against pro-communist groups in Athens.
Role in the Greek Civil War
After World War II, Greece faced a difficult period known as the Greek Civil War. Tsakalotos played a very important part in this conflict.
- In March 1945, he became the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division.
- The next year, he was put in charge of the Superior War Academy and became a Major General.
- He quickly moved up the ranks, becoming commander of III Army Corps in 1946.
- In 1947, he became Assistant Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff.
- In 1948, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of I Army Corps, and then II Army Corps.
He was key to the Greek Army's victory in the Civil War. He led efforts to bring peace to western Epirus in 1948. He also helped stabilize the situation at the Battle of Vitsi. Later, he started operations to stop communist guerrilla activity in the Peloponnese. When communists captured Karpenisi, Tsakalotos led the group sent to chase them. He also defended Arta from being captured. Finally, he led the last attack against the communist stronghold at Mount Grammos in 1949, which was a decisive battle called Operation Pyrsos.
Tsakalotos had a strong personality, which sometimes caused tension with his superior, Alexander Papagos. A British officer named Christopher Woodhouse, who knew both, compared their relationship to that of Eisenhower and Montgomery in World War II. Woodhouse said Tsakalotos was a brilliant field commander, always sure that where he was in command was the most important place. Papagos, on the other hand, was excellent at planning and calculations.
Later Military Career
From May 1951 to November 1952, Tsakalotos served as the Chief of the Army General Staff. This meant he was the highest-ranking officer in the Greek Army. Before this, Papagos had resigned to go into politics. King Paul asked Tsakalotos to arrest Papagos, but Tsakalotos refused to do it.
Diplomatic Work
From 1957 to 1960, Tsakalotos became Greece's ambassador to Yugoslavia. This was a different kind of service, representing his country in another nation.
In April 1967, Tsakalotos was suggested as a possible leader for a national unity government. However, this idea was not pursued.
After 1974, Tsakalotos became a supporter of Andreas Papandreou and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). In the 1985 elections, he even published a statement asking people to vote for PASOK, saying he felt Andreas was like a brother to him.
In a symbolic act of peace and healing from the Civil War, Tsakalotos publicly met and shook hands with Markos Vafiades on March 23, 1984. Vafiades had been a commander of the communist forces during the war, so this meeting showed a desire for reconciliation.
Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos passed away in Athens on August 15, 1989.
Family Connections
Tsakalotos' first cousin's grandson, Euclid Tsakalotos, is also a well-known figure. He is a Member of Parliament for the Syriza party and served as the Minister of Finance in a later Greek government.
His Writings
Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos also wrote several books about his experiences and the wars he fought in:
- Ioannina as an indomitable power in three historical instances of the struggle of the Greek Nation (1956)
- Forty years a soldier of Greece: how we won the struggles of 1940-49 (1960)
- December 1944: The Battle of Athens (1969)
- Grammos (1970)
- The battle of the few (1971)
Sources
- (in el) Συνοπτική Ιστορία του Γενικού Επιτελείου Στρατού 1901–2001. Athens: Hellenic Army History Directorate. 2001. ISBN 960-7897-44-7.
