Timeline of the Hellenic Army

1821-1832

*September 1814 - The secretive Philiki Etaireia is founded at Odessa. From the start it is the locus of anti-Ottoman activity among Greeks. Members with military experience will form the core of Ypsilantis staff.
*6 March 1821 - Alexander Ypsilantis crosses the River Prut into Wallachia with two battalions of volunteer infantry and a troop of cavalry raised in Russia.
*23 March, 1821 - Petrobey Mavromichalis is proclaimed "commander-in-chief of the Spartan forces" by the newly-founded Senate of Messenia in the wake of the successful capture of Kalamata.
*August, 1822 - Theodoros Kolokotronis ambushes and destroys the army of Mahmoud Dramali at the Dervenaki pass; the sultan turns to Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt for help in suppressing the Greek revolt.
*March 1824 - the motley "Byron Brigade" composed of Greek and Philhellene volunteers begins to organize at Messolonghi.

1833-1862

*1833 - The newly-arrived King Othon creates battalions of line infantry on the West European model, using foreign troops. Each battalion includes a company of native Greek sharpshooters or Evzones. Othon also forms ten battalions of Greek light infantry.
*1836 - The number of Greek light infantry battalions is reduced from ten to eight. Four new Mountain Guard battalions are organized to patrol the Greco-Turkish frontier and hunt down bandits in the countryside.
*1843 - The Mountain Guards are reorganized and expanded into four full regiments.
*1867 - Four elite Evzones battalions are formed.
*1868 - The Royal Guard Detachment is formed, consisting of two Evzone companies and a troop of cavalry.

1862-1877

1878-1897

1897-1913

*1912 - The Hellenic Army fields its first Aviators Company, which will eventually become the Army Aviation branch.

1914-1918

1919-1922

*15 May, 1919 - Greek troops land and occupy Smyrna (İzmir), meeting only token resistance: this will become the opening skirmish of the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922).
*9-11 January, 1919 - Greek and Turkish forces fight the inconclusive First Battle of İnönü.
*March 1921 - Greek and Turkish forces fight to a stalemate at the Second Battle of İnönü.
*June 1921 - The Greek advance is checked at Battle of Sakarya.
*26-30 August, 1922. The Greeks are routed at the Battle of Dumlupınar. Cut-off in a Turkish pincer movement, Major General Nikolaos Trikoupis and his men are taken prisoner. Surviving Hellenic Army units begin withdrawing to Smyrna.
*September 1922 - The Turkish Army captures Smyrna.

1923-1940

*1925 - Production at Breda of the "Philipides" design for an improved Mannlicher-Schönauer rifle is cancelled.

1941-1944

1944-1949

1949-Present