Georgios Stanotas
Encyclopedia
Georgios Stanotas was a Greek
cavalry
officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
.
in the Peloponnese
. He left his village early and went to Athens
, where, in 1909, he joined the Hellenic Army
as a simple cavalry trooper. He was an excellent rider, intelligent and bold, and soon he was promoted to non-commissioned officer. As such he participated in the First
and Second Balkan War
s in 1912-1913, where he went up the ranks quickly due to his bravery.
In 1914, he entered and graduated from the NCO Academy and was promoted to Second Lieutenant of Cavalry. In 1917 he was promoted to Captain, but as an avowed royalist, so in 1917, after the ousting of King Constantine I
during the National Schism, he was suspended from the Army for 6 months.
In the Greco-Turkish War
of 1919-1922, he demonstrated courage and extremely brave actions and initiative, so he received medals and decorations and became well known. He was promoted to Major in 1923. Although in the military, in 1924 he enrolled into Athens University
in the Pharmaceutics department. In 1927 he was promoted to Lieut. Colonel and was appointed as Cavalry School Commander, while in 1929 he took command of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment in Larissa
. In the following year, he was promoted to Colonel and in 1933 he took command of the Cavalry Brigade. He was promoted to Major General in 1938 and was appointed as CO of the Cavalry Division in Thessaloniki
in 1939.
of 1940, the Cavalry Division achieved the first great victory in the Battle of Pindus
, being instrumental in the defeat of the elite Italian Julia Alpine Division
. In the spring of 1941, Stanotas with the Cavalry Division fought against the invading Germans
in West Macedonia
, next to the rest of the Allied Forces. His combat achievements gave him a great reputation among his colleagues.
In 1943, he escaped from occupied Greece and through Turkey
and Lebanon
, he arrived in Cairo
, where he joined the Greek Armed Forces in exile. There he was appointed as Inspector General of the Army. He retired in January 1945, after the liberation of Greece.
In 1947, when Greece was in the middle of the Greek Civil War
, he was recalled to duty and was appointed as Commanding General of the Peloponnese
. His experience allowed him to organize successful sweep operations and to destroy the main strongholds of the Democratic Army of Greece
there. He finally retired in 1948 and received the honorary rank of Lieutenant General.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
.
Early life and career
He was born in the village of Kastanitsa, in the prefecture of ArcadiaArcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
in the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
. He left his village early and went to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, where, in 1909, he joined the Hellenic Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
as a simple cavalry trooper. He was an excellent rider, intelligent and bold, and soon he was promoted to non-commissioned officer. As such he participated in the First
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
and Second Balkan War
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
s in 1912-1913, where he went up the ranks quickly due to his bravery.
In 1914, he entered and graduated from the NCO Academy and was promoted to Second Lieutenant of Cavalry. In 1917 he was promoted to Captain, but as an avowed royalist, so in 1917, after the ousting of King Constantine I
Constantine I of Greece
Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in...
during the National Schism, he was suspended from the Army for 6 months.
In the Greco-Turkish War
Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
The Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, known as the Western Front of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey and the Asia Minor Campaign or the Asia Minor Catastrophe in Greece, was a series of military events occurring during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May...
of 1919-1922, he demonstrated courage and extremely brave actions and initiative, so he received medals and decorations and became well known. He was promoted to Major in 1923. Although in the military, in 1924 he enrolled into Athens University
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
in the Pharmaceutics department. In 1927 he was promoted to Lieut. Colonel and was appointed as Cavalry School Commander, while in 1929 he took command of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment in Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
. In the following year, he was promoted to Colonel and in 1933 he took command of the Cavalry Brigade. He was promoted to Major General in 1938 and was appointed as CO of the Cavalry Division in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in 1939.
Second World War and after
In the Greco-Italian WarGreco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
of 1940, the Cavalry Division achieved the first great victory in the Battle of Pindus
Battle of Pindus
The Battle of Pindus took place in the Pindus Mountains in Epirus and West Macedonia, Greece, in the autumn of 1940, between October 28 – November 13. The battle was fought between the Greek and the Italian armies during the first stages of the Greco-Italian War...
, being instrumental in the defeat of the elite Italian Julia Alpine Division
3 Alpine Division Julia
The 3rd Alpine Division Julia was a World War II light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units...
. In the spring of 1941, Stanotas with the Cavalry Division fought against the invading Germans
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
in West Macedonia
West Macedonia
West Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Greek Macedonia. It is divided into the regional units of Florina, Grevena, Kastoria, and Kozani.-Geography:...
, next to the rest of the Allied Forces. His combat achievements gave him a great reputation among his colleagues.
In 1943, he escaped from occupied Greece and through Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, he arrived in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, where he joined the Greek Armed Forces in exile. There he was appointed as Inspector General of the Army. He retired in January 1945, after the liberation of Greece.
In 1947, when Greece was in the middle of the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
, he was recalled to duty and was appointed as Commanding General of the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
. His experience allowed him to organize successful sweep operations and to destroy the main strongholds of the Democratic Army of Greece
Democratic Army of Greece
This article is based on a translation of an article from the Greek Wikipedia.The Democratic Army of Greece , often simply abbreviated to its initials DSE , was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War, 1946–1949...
there. He finally retired in 1948 and received the honorary rank of Lieutenant General.
Personal life
He was married to Aristea Toliopoulou and had a son Stamatios and a daughter Maria. After his retirement, he played pioneering role in the plastics industry in Greece. He died in 1965.Sources
- Papagos, Alexandros (1949). The Battle of Greece 1940–1941 Athens: J.M. Scazikis “Alpha”, editions. ASIN B0007J4DRU. Hellenic Army History Directorate, Concise History of Greek-Italian and Greek-German War 1940-1941, Athens 1985. Hellenic Army Publications Division, Selected Military History Articles, 1981. PAPYROS-LAROUSSE-BRITTANICA Encyclopedia, Greek version, volume 55. Pantelis Karykas, The Greek Cavalry stops the Italian Blitzkrieg, article published in the War and History magazine, April 2006. Crushing "Julia", article published in the Military History magazine, October 2004. Konstantinos Papadimitriou, The battle of lake Kastoria, article published in the Military History magazine, July 2008. Military record file of General Stanotas, archived in the Greek Military Archives Service (YSA).