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Economist: Smyrna, 1922: End Of An Era

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  • Economist: Smyrna, 1922: End Of An Era

    SMYRNA, 1922: END OF AN ERA

    Economist
    May 1 2008
    UK

    WHEN Smyrna--modern Izmir--fell to the Turkish army in 1922, and
    much of it was destroyed by fire, the city's role as a bastion of
    Greek and Christian culture, going back nearly 2,000 years, came to
    an abrupt end. Before that, the port had been home to a diverse and
    cosmopolitan population; by the standards of the region, it was a
    beacon of tolerance and prosperity.

    In addition to the Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Turks, there were also
    Americans and Britons and what Giles Milton calls the "Levantines",
    rich families of European descent, who spoke half a dozen languages and
    occupied vast villas. Their dynasties dominated the trade and industry
    of the region. Some (like the Whittalls) retained British nationality
    over generations of Ottoman life, and it is their English-language
    diaries, letters and documents that provide Mr Milton with his best
    material. Although this slant is unrepresentatively British and
    privileged--lots of parties and picnics--it allows the author to be
    fair towards the Greeks and the Turks, who still blame one another
    entirely for the disaster.

    The city's destruction--still known in Greece as "the catastrophe"--had
    its roots in the first world war and the effort by the great powers
    to grab pieces of the disintegrating Ottoman empire.

    Britain, America and France backed Greece's charismatic leader,
    Eleftherios Venizelos, in his pursuit of the megali idea ("great
    idea"), the dream of creating a greater Greece by occupying Smyrna
    and swathes of Anatolia. Having licensed a war by proxy, the allies
    in varying degrees turned cool on it. They looked on passively as
    Mustafa Kemal (later Ataturk, republican Turkey's founder) and his
    troops routed the Greeks from Anatolia and reoccupied Smyrna, bent
    on revenge for Greek atrocities in the city and further east.

    The port was ransacked and looted for days. Women were raped and
    mutilated, children were beheaded and more than 100,000 people
    killed. Meanwhile, 21 allied warships sat in the harbour. Hundreds
    of thousands of refugees were trapped on the city's quayside, yet
    officers on the ships still dressed for dinner and ordered louder
    music to drown out the screams. "Paradise Lost" is a timely reminder
    of the appalling cost of expansionist political ambitions; it tells
    a fascinating story with clarity and insight.
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