Nikolaos Trikoupis



Nikolaos Trikoupis (Νικόλαος Τρικούπης) was a Greek general and politician.

Born in Mesolongi in 1869 to Themistoklis Trikoupis, he entered the Greek Army Academy, which he graduated in 1888 as an Artillery Second Lieutenant. He furthered his studies in France, where he remained from 1889 to 1895. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics, held in Athens in the military rifle and the free rifle events. He came third in the first with a score of 1,713, after hitting the target 34 times out of a possible 40. His place and score in the second event are unknown, except that he did not finish in the top five.

In the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, he participated as chief of staff of the 1st Division. He fought in the Balkan Wars as the chief of staff of the 3rd Infantry Division. After the wars he was placed as chief of staff of the III Army Corps and then as Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff. From 1917, he fought in the Macedonian front of the First World War where he distinguished himself and was promoted to Major General. During the Asia Minor Campaign, he was placed a CO of the 3rd Division in March 1921, and in June 1921 he was promoted to commander of the Northern Corps, composed of the 3rd and 9th Divisions. In September he was moved to command of II Corps and in December to I Corps in the area of Afyon Karahisar.

During the Turkish offensive in August 1922, Trikoupis was the senior Greek commander, having 5 divisions at his disposal. Having neglected to provide for adequate reconnaissance, his command was surprised by the Turkish attack. In order to avert the collapse of the front held by the 1st and 4th divisions, he ordered a retreat to the second line of defence NW of Afyon on the 13th. The successful Turkish attacks however and the surrender of parts of I and II Corps a few days later sealed the fate of the Greek Army, which began a hasty withdrawal to the Aegean shore. On 29 August, while at Karaja Hisar (also known as Ali Veran (Greek: Ἀλῆ Βερὰν), modern Allioren, Turkey) near Kutahya, he was attacked by Turkish cavalry and surrendered along with slightly more than 5,000 men and 300 officers. His captors led Trikoupis and General Digenis (CO of II Corps) to Mustafa Kemal, who informed him that he had been appointed as commander-in-chief of the Greek Army in Asia Minor, an episode highlighting the level of confusion in the Greek command.

He returned to Greece in 1923 as part of the prisoners of war exchange, but unlike other senior officers and politicians, who were charged for their role in the disaster in the Trial of the Six, he was never prosecuted. In 1927, he was even recalled to active service and promoted to Lieutenant General, although he retired soon after. In 1928-1930, he served as prefect of Attica-Boeotia. He died in 1956.