11 September 1922 Revolution

A military uprising by Greek forces in September 1922 that forced King Constantine I to abdicate after Greece’s defeat in the Greco-Turkish War.

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Nikolaos Plastiras: A Greek army officer who led the 1922 uprising and later served as prime minister. He became the revolt’s leading figure and headed its revolutionary committee.
Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922): A war between Greece and the Turkish National Movement that ended in Greek defeat in Anatolia. The military disaster created the immediate crisis that triggered the uprising.
Trial of the Six: The 1922 Greek trial that convicted six former politicians and military leaders of treason after the defeat in Anatolia. The revolutionary authorities’ pursuit of accountability culminated in executions and lasting controversy.
Eleftherios Venizelos: A Greek statesman who served repeatedly as prime minister and led the Liberal Party. His political camp opposed the royalist government whose wartime leadership the uprising challenged.
Stylianos Gonatas: A Greek army officer and politician who helped lead the 1922 uprising. He joined Plastiras in directing the military movement that forced the government’s resignation.
Battle of Dumlupınar: The decisive Turkish victory in August 1922 that destroyed the Greek army’s position in Anatolia. Its outcome precipitated the retreat and collapse that fueled the revolt.
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey: The compulsory exchange of Greek Orthodox and Muslim populations agreed by Greece and Turkey in 1923. The defeat and flight of Greeks from Anatolia formed the crisis behind the exchange.
Royalist faction in Greece: The Greek political camp that supported the monarchy and Constantine I during the National Schism. The revolution targeted a government identified with royalist leadership and responsibility for defeat.
Revolutionary Committee of 1922: The body of Greek military leaders that assumed authority after the September 1922 uprising. It coordinated the revolt’s demands and imposed a new political settlement.
Asia Minor Catastrophe: The Greek defeat in Anatolia and the destruction or evacuation of Greek communities there in 1922. The catastrophe intensified public and military demands for political responsibility.