#  The Asia Minor Catastrophe & the Arrival, Settlement & Integration of Refugees in Greece 

 



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- **Full Title**: The Asia Minor Catastrophe & the Arrival, Settlement & Integration of Refugees in Greece
- **Dates**: June 10–11, 2023, 11:00 am–3:00 pm
- **Location**: CHS Greece, Nafplio
- **Organized by**: CHS Greece
- **Open to**: All (up to 18 positions)
- **Application Period**: April 24–May 21, 2023
- **Language**: Greek
- **Academic Coordination**: [Emmanouil G. Chalkiadakis](http://ptde.edc.uoc.gr/sites/default/files/%CE%95%CE%BC%CE%BC%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%AE%CE%BB%20%CE%93.%20%CE%A7%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BA%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%AC%CE%BA%CE%B7%CF%82,%20%CE%91%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%BB%CF%85%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%20%20%CE%92%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C.pdf) (Ph.D. in History, Member of the Laboratory Teaching Staff at the University of Crete (D.P.E.), Tutor at the Hellenic Open University & CHS Associate in Modern Greek History 2020-2022)
- **Activity Administration**: Matina Goga (CHS Greece)

## About the workshop

### Overview

As part of the annual workshop series 2022-2023, the Center for Hellenic Studies in Greece offers the workshop " The Asia Minor Catastrophe & the Arrival, Settlement & Integration of Refugees in Greece."

The "Asia Minor Catastrophe" is an emotionally charged historical term that has been adopted by Greek historiography to describe the greatest tragedy in the history of Modern Hellenism. It refers to the uprooting of the Greeks of Asia Minor, after the defeat of the Greek army during the Asia Minor campaign (1922), and its outcomes.

The workshop focuses on all aspects of the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the movement of refugees in Greece. More specifically, the coordinator and the participants will focus on the refugee flows of the period 1914-1922, the inner political situation in Greece and the Ottoman Empire before and during the Asia Minor campaign, the role of the Great Powers and international developments, the balances and antagonisms, the mistakes and omissions of the Greek side, the "Great Idea", the defeat of the front of the Greek army, the exodus of the Greek populations from Asia Minor and the arrival, temporary settlement, rehabilitation, and final integration of refugees into the Greek state. Last but not least, the parameter of the refugees contribution to the development of modern Greece will be highlighted.

Within the workshop's context, an additional lecture on the refugees of 1922 will be held by the historian Nikos Andriotis, while the visit of the participants to the refugee settlement "New Byzantium" of Nafplio, as well as rooting around the refugee testimonies, and the interdisciplinary approach to knowledge, will ensure an experiential approach to History as much as possible.

   ![Poster for the 2023 Workshop on the Asia Minor Catastrophe.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7151/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/chsgreece/files/workshops_22-23_asia_minor_final_poster-1000x523.png?itok=U-hN4QzZ) 

 

### Thematic areas – Workshop structure

The approach to the workshop's topic will be structured on the following thematic axes:

#### Day one

- Introduction: The "Asia Minor Catastrophe" as an historical term
- The political, economic, and social situation in Greece and the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century (The Neo-Turk Movement, Goudi Movement, Balkan Wars, the persecution of Greek populations in the Ottoman Empire, World War I, the National Division, The Great Idea)
- The refugee flows since 1914
- The landing of the Greek army in Smyrna (1919) – an imperialist war or a necessary intervention to protect the Greek populations of Asia Minor?
- The Treaty of Sèvres (1920) – the elections of 1920 in Greece – the return of King Constantine of the Hellenes
- The campaign to Ankara – The collapse of the Greek front
- Persecution, Executions, Purges and Genocide of the Christian Populations of Asia Minor – the role of German Otto Viktor Karl Liman von Sanders – the attitude of the Great Powers
- Mistakes and omissions of the Greek side – factors that contributed to the Asia Minor Catastrophe – the role of the controversial High Commissioner Aristides Stergiadis
- The exodus of Greeks from Asia Minor – The Catastrophe of Smyrna/Izmir
- The role of American Asa Jennings in rescuing thousands of refugees from Smyrna/Izmir
- Lecture by historian Nikos Andriotis: "The arrival of refugees in Greece immediately after the Asia Minor Catastrophe and their temporary settlement"

#### Day two

- Places of origin and places of refugees settlements – their geographical dispersion
- The Treaty of Lausanne (1923) and the exchange of populations
- The Rehabilitation of Refugees - The Committee for the Rehabilitation of Refugees (Greek Acronym: Ε.Α.Π.) – Rural and Urban Rehabilitation
- The relations between refugees and natives - The process of integrating refugees into Greek society
- Interdisciplinary Approach to the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the refugee issue that arose: Refugee Testimonies, Literature, Photography, Press of that time, Art, Monuments
- "Nothing bad is pure good": from integration to social advancement – the strengthening of the national homogeneity of the Greek state – the role of refugees in the creation of modern Greece
- Visit to the refugee settlement of Nafplio "New Byzantium" - fieldwork and participatory observation
- Conclusions - discussion

During the workshop meetings, the academic coordinator will introduce the above topics, and participants are invited to contribute to the group's discussions and case studies actively. In addition, participants will receive relevant material that they can optionally study.

[Learn more about the workshop's objectives and participation process](https://el.greece.chs.harvard.edu/workshops/asia-minor-refugees) (in Greek).