Nikolaos Vlachopoulos

Nikolaos Vlachopoulos
Born	1868^[1] Chalkis
Died	1957 Athens
Allegiance	Kingdom of Greece Second Hellenic Republic
Service/branch	Hellenic Army
Years of service	1886–1920, 1922–1928
Rank	Lieutenant General
Wars	Balkan Wars, World War I, Allied intervention in Southern Russia, Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922

Nikolaos Vlachopoulos (Greek: Νικόλαος Βλαχόπουλος, 1868–1957) was a Greek Army officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. He participated in all the Greek wars of the early 20th century, and served twice as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, in 1922–1924 and in 1927–1928.

Biography

Nikolaos Vlachopoulos was born in Chalkis in 1868. He enrolled in the Hellenic Army Academy and graduated on 9 September 1888 as an Artillery 2nd Lieutenant. He continued his studies in Germany and Belgium, and on his return to Greece served as professor in the Army Academy. During the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 he commanded a field artillery battalion, fighting in the Epirus front during the First Balkan War, and participating in all battles of the subsequent Second Balkan War against Bulgaria.^[2]

During World War I, having reached the rank of Colonel, he served in the Macedonian Front as CO of the 4th Infantry Division. Promoted to Major general in 1919, he assumed command of the Athens-based 2nd Infantry Division and led it during the Greek participation in the Allied intervention in Southern Russia against the Bolsheviks. On his return he was appointed as the first military governor of Smyrna following its occupation by Greece, and remained in Anatolia until dismissed from the army following the royalist victory in the November 1920 elections.^[2]

After the defeat of the Greek army in Anatolia by the Turkish forces in August 1922, however, Vlachopoulos was recalled to service and appointed Chief of the Army Staff Service, serving until 1924. In the same year he was promoted to Lieutenant General, and served once again as Chief of the Army Staff in 1927–1928, when he retired.^[2]

Vlachopoulos was a well-educated officer, who spoke fluently German, French, Italian and English. He also wrote an artillery manual for the Army Academy and translated into Greek the book of the German Field Marshal Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz on the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. He was married with two children, and died in 1957.^[2]

References

↑ Note: Greece officially adopted the Gregorian calendar on 16 February 1923 (which became 1 March). All dates prior to that, unless specifically denoted, are Old Style.
1 2 3 4 "Αντιστράτηγος ΒΛΑΧΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΣ του ΞΕΝΟΦΩΝΤΟΣ, ΑΜ 3705.". Συνοπτική Ιστορία του Γενικού Επιτελείου Στρατού 1901–2001 [A Concise History of the Hellenic Army General Staff 1901–2001] (in Greek). Athens: Army History Directorate. 2001. p. 148.

Military offices
Preceded by Lt General Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian	Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff 1927–1928	Succeeded by Major General Alexandros Merentitis
Preceded by Major General Ioannis Makrykostas	Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff 1922–1924	Succeeded by Major General Petros Klados

Chiefs of the Hellenic Army General Staff

Sapountzakis Danglis Nider^§ Kontogiannis^§ Dousmanis Metaxas^† Moschopoulos Stratigos^† Charalambis A. Vlachopoulos Dousmanis Gouvelis Exadaktylos^§ Makrykostas N. Vlachopoulos Klados Mazarakis-Ainian Sarigiannis Mazarakis-Ainian N. Vlachopoulos Merentitis^† Mazarakis-Ainian K. Manetas Th. Manetas Katheniotis Chasapidis Papagos Pallis Batas Maraveas Skoulas Bourdaras Laios^† Liosis^† Ventiris Liosis^† Dromazos Spiliotopoulos Ventiris Giatzis Kosmas Grigoropoulos Tsakalotos Tsingounis Gikas Nikolopoulos Seiradakis Kardamakis Sakellariou Gennimatas Spandidakis Angelis ^‡ Tsoumbas ^‡ Zagorianakos ^‡ Mastrantonis ^‡ Galatsanos ^‡ Davos ^‡ Gratzios Karagiannis Panagopoulos Kourkafas Pentheroudakis Vellidis Veryvakis Skarvelis Kapravelos K. Voulgaris Paragioudakis Panagiotakis Antonakopoulos Charvalas Douvas Grapsas D. Voulgaris Frangos Ziazias Ginis Tselios Manolas Tellidis

^§ Substitute Chiefs of the General Staff for the Rear Areas/Interior (as opposed to the Field Staff) ^† Deputy Chiefs substituting during vacancies ^‡ Under the title "Chief of the Army"

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