The Balkan Wars

With the emergence of nation-states in the European territories of the Ottoman Empire in the second half of the 19th century, Europe is a boiling cauldron. Throughout the 19th century the Great Powers shared different goals on the “Eastern Question” and the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire.

In Greece, the first serious measures of military reconstruction are taken by the Theotokis government. The "General Command of the Army" is established under the then Successor Constantine and the new organization of the army is approved and voted. The land army and the Greek navy are being trained, equipped and staffed at a fast pace. Significant donations from benefactors, such as Averoff, ensure the naval superiority and armament of Greece in relation to the now tired Turkey.

The preparations are timely and successful, since in the Balkan Wars, Greece achieves some important victories and espands its borders. The Greek state doubles in size and population. However, the structure of the population shifts radically, not only in Greece, but in all the Balkans, with mass movements of peoples.

With the integration of Thessaloniki and Macedonia in general, the Greek state, from mono-ethnic and rural, suddenly becomes multinational but also, with the integration of new territories, enriches its social structure acquiring more bourgeois and workers. Large masses of Muslims, Jews and to a much lesser extent Slavs are integrated (until the exchange of populations in 1923). In the Greek and Vlach urban centers of Macedonia, wealthy bourgeois enjoy a life completely comparable with the European way of life. The sudden urbanization and increased multiculturalism of the Greek state, together with the rise of the working class, create fertile conditions for the development of the economy and higher standards of living, while the land area of the country increases from 64 thousand square kilometers to 120 thousand and its population from 2 , 8 million inhabitants reaches 5 million.

In this thematic exhibition you will find historical photographs, works of art, telegrams and letters, maps and other records that illuminate this period. Propaganda cards, photographs of the army and the battleships of the fleet and heroic battle paintings showcase the pride and optimism that Greeks feel with the annexation of the northern territories and the military successes of the Balkan wars.