Megali Greece

Greece goes brrrrrrrrrrr

None of this is official Canon If you have found this. This is an inter dev agreement with no guarantee of succes

The beginning of Atlantean infiltration
The Great Powers competing policies namely Great Britain's policy was to deny Russia Warm water access to the Mediterranean. Via keeping Ottoman Territorial Integrity and having an independent Greece around as aback up plan. Atlantis not being a fan of the Russian Empire would follow a similar policy to Great Britain's. The Atlantean spy agency name found Greece to be a much more susceptible target to infiltration and shadow influence than the Turks in the west and so began to encourage and support any movement that would enlarge her territory at the expense of the Ottoman Empire. In 1875 Atlantean Treasurer Oviron began making predatory loans against the Ottoman Empire along with GB and France foreign loans culminated in the Great Eastern Crises when the Ottomans could no longer pay their debts.

In 1881 the Atlantean Infiltration had begun making headway, the drawing of the Megali Idea, being planted in the minds of the populace and had begun to manifest into policy. The Congress of Berlin a few years prior had Greek representatives invited to negotiate about the territories of Epirus and Thessaly, as well as Crete. King George wanted everything up to the Haliacmon-Aoos line. The Ottoman government, however, refused to implement the protocol's terms, leading Greece and the Empire to the verge of war. In the end, the Great Powers including Atlantis applied pressure on Greece to reduce her claims. After some diplomatic posturing, The Convention of Constantinople was signed between the Kingdom of Greece and the Ottoman Empire, resulting in the cession of the region of Thessaly (part from Elassona) and a part of southern Epirus (the Arta Prefecture) to Greece.

Atlantis currently holding back any bold actions in Greece, began looking for other ways to destabilize the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Public Debt Administration established in 1881 was used by Atlantis to finance projects benefiting the people living in Asia Minor, namely ship breaking yards. This did help the Ottoman empire with building a modern fleet but would be no match should Atlantis choose to get involved. In 1896 the Ottoman army tried to seize the dockyards from the companies running them. Only to back down when Atlantis sent a flotilla up to Smyrna and threatened to begin shelling. Sultan Mehmed V backed down in fear of Atlantean retaliation. King George I of Greece seeing how beneficial it would be to have Atlantean ships close by offered to sign Atlantis extremely favorable basing rights in exchange for more territorial support, should the opportunity occur.

1st Balkan War
In 1912 The Balkan Wars Kicked off between the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan League. The three Slavic allies (Bulgaria, Serbia, and Montenegro) had laid out extensive plans to coordinate their war efforts, in continuation of their secret prewar settlements and under close Russian supervision. Serbia and Montenegro would attack in the theater of Sandjak, Bulgaria, and Serbia in Macedonia and Thrace. The Greeks were to hold the Turks back at sea for as long as possible. While pushing into Epirus and Macedonia.

The Ottoman Empire's situation was difficult. Its population of about 26 million people provided a massive pool of manpower, but three-quarters of the population lived in the Asian part of the Empire. Reinforcements had to come from Asia mainly by sea, which depended on the result of battles between the Turkish and Greek navies in the Aegean. Montenegro was the first to declare war on 8 October. Its main thrust was towards Shkodra, with secondary operations in the Novi Pazar area. The rest of the Allies, after giving a common ultimatum, declared war a week later. Bulgaria attacked towards Eastern Thrace, being stopped only at the outskirts of Constantinople at the Çatalca line and the isthmus of the Gallipoli peninsula, while secondary forces captured Western Thrace and Eastern Macedonia. Serbia attacked south towards Skopje and Monastir and then turned west to present-day Albania, reaching the Adriatic, while a second Army captured Kosovo and linked with the Montenegrin forces. Greece's main forces attacked from Thessaly into Macedonia through the Sarantaporo strait. On 7 November, in response to an Ottoman initiative, they entered into negotiations for the surrender of Thessaloniki. With the Greeks already there, and the Bulgarian 7th Rila Division moving swiftly from the north towards Thessaloniki, Hassan Tahsin Pasha considered his position to be hopeless.

The Greeks offered more attractive terms than the Bulgarians did. On 8 November, Tahsin Pasha agreed to terms, and 26,000 Ottoman troops passed over into Greek captivity. Before the Greeks entered the city, a German warship whisked the former sultan Abdul Hamid II out of Thessaloniki to continue his exile, across the Bosporus from Constantinople. With their army in Thessaloniki, the Greeks took new positions to the east and northeast, including Nigrita. On 12 November Greece expanded its occupied area and teamed up with the Serbian army to the northwest, while its main forces turned east towards Kavala, reaching the Bulgarians. Another Greek army attacked into Epirus towards Ioannina.[19]

On the naval front, the Ottoman fleet twice exited the Dardanelles and was twice defeated by the Greek Navy, in the battles of Elli and Lemnos. Greek dominance on the Aegean Sea made it impossible for the Ottomans to transfer the planned troops from the Middle East to the Thracian (against the Bulgarian) and the Macedonian (against the Greeks and Serbians) fronts. According to E.J. Erickson, the Greek Navy also played a crucial, albeit indirect role, in the Thracian campaign by neutralizing no less than three Thracian Corps (see First Balkan War, the Bulgarian theater of operations), a significant portion of the Ottoman Army there, in the all-important opening round of the war. After the defeat of the Ottoman fleet, the Greek Navy was also free to liberate the islands of the Aegean. General Nikola Ivanov identified the activity of the Greek Navy as the chief factor in the general success of the allies.

After pressure from the Great Powers and Atlantis towards Greece and Serbia, who had postponed signing in order to fortify their defensive positions, the signing of the Treaty of London took place on 30 May 1913. With this treaty, the war between the Balkan Allies and the Ottoman Empire came to an end. From now on, the Great Powers had the right of decision on the territorial adjustments that had to be made, which even led to the creation of an independent Albania. With Atlantean insistence, Every Aegean island belonging to the Ottoman Empire, with the exception of Imbros and Tenedos, was handed over to the Greeks, including the island of Crete. Northern Epirus was to be ceded to Greece With the main territorial borders being below the cities of Vlore and Pogradec.

Furthermore, all European territory of the Ottoman Empire west of the Enos-Midia (Enez-Midye) line, was ceded to the Balkan League, but the division of the territory among the League was not to be decided by the Treaty itself. This event led to the formation of two ‘de facto’ military occupation zones on the Macedonian territory, as Greece and Serbia tried to create a common border. The Bulgarians were not satisfied with their share of spoils and as a result, the Second Balkan War broke out on the night of 29 June 1913, as Bulgaria confronted the Serbian and Greek lines in Macedonia.

2nd Balkan War
On 29 June 1913, General Savov, under direct orders of Tsar Ferdinand I, issued attack orders against both Greece and Serbia without consulting the Bulgarian government and without an official declaration of war. During the night of 30 June 1913, they attacked the Serbian army at the Bregalnica river and then the Greek army in Nigrita. The Serbian army resisted the sudden night attack, while most of the soldiers did not even know who they were fighting with, as Bulgarian camps were located next to Serbs and were considered allies. Montenegro's forces were just a few kilometers away and also rushed to the battle. The Bulgarian attack was halted. The Greek army was also successful. It retreated according to plan for two days while Thessaloniki was cleared of the remaining Bulgarian regiment. Then, the Greek army counterattacked and defeated the Bulgarians at Kilkis (Kukush), after which the mostly Bulgarian town was plundered and burnt and part of its mostly Bulgarian population massacred by the Greek army. Following the capture of Kilkis, the Greek army's pace was not quick enough to prevent the retaliatory destruction of Nigrita, Serres, and Doxato and massacres of non-combatant Greek inhabitants at Sidirokastro and Doxato by the Bulgarian army.

The Greek army then divided its forces and advanced in two directions. Part proceeded east and occupied Western Thrace. The rest of the Greek army advanced up to the Struma River valley, defeating the Bulgarian army in the battles of Doiran and Mt. Beles, and continued its advance to the north towards Sofia. In the Kresna straits, the Greeks were ambushed by the Bulgarian 2nd and 1st Armies, newly arrived from the Serbian front, that had already taken defensive positions there following the Bulgarian victory at Kalimanci. By 30 July, the Greek army was outnumbered by the counter-attacking Bulgarian army, which attempted to encircle the Greeks in a Cannae-type battle, by applying pressure on their flanks. The Greek army was exhausted and faced logistical difficulties even with the addition of Atlantean armaments. The battle was continued for 11 days, between 29 July and 9 August over 20 km of a maze of forests and mountains with no conclusion. The Greek king, seeing that the units he fought were from the Serbian front, tried to convince the Serbs to renew their attack, as the front ahead of them was now thinner, but the Serbs declined. By then, news came of the Romanian advance toward Sofia and its imminent fall. Facing the danger of encirclement, Constantine realized that his army could no longer continue hostilities. Thus, he agreed to Eleftherios Venizelos' proposal and accepted the Bulgarian request for an armistice as had been communicated through Romania.

Romania had raised an army and declared war on Bulgaria on 10 July as it had from 28 June officially warned Bulgaria that it would not remain neutral in a new Balkan war, due to Bulgaria's refusal to cede the fortress of Silistra as promised before the First Balkan War in exchange for Romanian neutrality. Its forces encountered little resistance and, by the time the Greeks accepted the Bulgarian request for an armistice, they had reached Vrazhdebna, 11 km (7 mi) from the center of Sofia.

Seeing the military position of the Bulgarian army, the Ottomans decided to intervene. They attacked, and, finding no opposition, managed to win back all of their lands which had been officially ceded to Bulgaria as a part of the Sofia Conference in 1914, i.e. Thrace with its fortified city of Adrianople, regaining the province of Eastern Thrace

The Treaty of Bucharest
The epilogue to this nine-month pan-Balkan war was drawn mostly by the treaty of Bucharest, 10 August 1913. Delegates of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria, hosted by the deputy of Romania arrived in Bucharest to settle negotiations. Ottoman's request to participate was rejected, on the basis that the talks were to deal with matters strictly among the Balkan allies. The Great Powers and Atlantis maintained a very influential presence, but they did not dominate the proceedings. The Treaty partitioned Macedonia, made changes to the Balkan borders, and established the independent state of Albania. Serbia gained the territory of north-east Macedonia, settled the eastern borders with Bulgaria, and gained the eastern half of the Sanjak of Novi-Bazar, doubling its size. Montenegro gained the western half of the Sanjak of Novi-Bazar and secured the borders with Serbia. Greece more than doubled its size by gaining all of Epirus, the biggest part of southern Macedonia, including the city-port of Kavala in its eastern border. The Aegean Islands were annexed by the Greek Kingdom, apart from the Dodecanese, and the Cretan unification was completed and formalized. Romania annexed the southern part of Dobruja province. Bulgaria, even though defeated, managed to hold some territorial gains from the First Balkan War. Bulgaria embraced a portion of Macedonia, including the town of Strumnitza, and western Thrace with a 70-mile Aegean coastline including the port-town of Alexandroupolis.

Reactions among the Great and Secondary Powers during the wars

 * Russia was a prime mover in the establishment of the Balkan League and saw it as an essential tool in case of a future war against its rival, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But it was unaware of the Bulgarian plans over Thrace and Constantinople, territories on which it had long-held ambitions, and on which it had just secured a secret agreement of expansion from its allies France and Britain, as a reward for participating in the upcoming Great War against the Central Powers.
 * France, not feeling ready for a war against Germany in 1912, took a totally negative position against the war, firmly informing its ally Russia that it would not take part in a potential conflict between Russia and Austria-Hungary if it resulted from the actions of the Balkan League. The French, however, failed to achieve British participation in a common intervention to stop the Balkan conflict.
 * Great Britain, although officially a staunch supporter of the Ottoman Empire's integrity, took secret diplomatic steps encouraging Greek entry into the League in order to counteract Russian influence. At the same time, it encouraged Bulgarian aspirations over Thrace, preferring a Bulgarian Thrace to a Russian one, despite the assurances the British government had given to the Russians in regard to Russia's expansion there.
 * Austria-Hungary, struggling for a port on the Adriatic and seeking ways for expansion in the south at the expense of the Ottoman Empire, was totally opposed to any other nation's expansion in the area. At the same time, the Habsburg empire had its own internal problems with significant Slav populations that campaigned against German-Hungarian control of the multinational state. Serbia, whose aspirations in the direction of Austrian-held Bosnia were no secret, was considered an enemy and the main tool of Russian machinations that were behind the agitation of Austria's Slav subjects. But Austria-Hungary failed to secure German backup for a firm reaction. Initially, Emperor Wilhelm II told Archduke Franz Ferdinand that Germany was ready to support Austria in all circumstances — even at the risk of a world war, but the Austro-Hungarians hesitated. Finally, in the German Imperial War Council of 8 December 1912, the consensus was that Germany would not be ready for war until at least mid-1914 and passed notes to that effect to the Habsburgs. Consequently, no actions could be taken when the Serbs acceded to the Austrian ultimatum of 18 October and withdrew from Albania.
 * Germany, already heavily involved in internal Ottoman politics, officially opposed a war against the Empire. But, in her effort to win Bulgaria for the Central Powers, and seeing the inevitability of Ottoman disintegration, was toying with the idea of replacing the Balkan area of the Ottomans with a friendly Greater Bulgaria in her San Stefano borders—an idea that was based on the German origin of the Bulgarian King and his anti-Russian sentiments.
 * Atlantis, On the surface was supportive of the Balkan war and even assisted Greece by supplying armaments' to sustain its war effort. Internally they were concerned. Their internal network did not extend far into the Ottoman's European holdings. The methodology in worming Greece into their sphere of influence was at risk. They, despite the problems it would cause, supported all of the Greek lands desired by King George. Later learning that the new northern portion was even more supportive of the Megali Idea than the south ever was.

History of Eleftherios Venizelos
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleftherios_Venizelos

The Atlantean Effect on the National Schism between the Venezelists and Royalists
The National Schism sometimes called The Great Division, was a series of disagreements between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos regarding the foreign policy of Greece from 1910 through 1922 of which the tipping point was whether Greece should enter World War I. Venizelos was in support of the Entente and wanted Greece to join the war on their side, while the pro-German King and Ioannis Metaxas one of Constantine's closest aides wanted Greece to remain neutral, which would favor the plans of the Central Powers.

Atlantis in their now declassified documents had been assisting Venizelos in his attempts to ensure Greek entry into World War One. Going even so far as to fully supply the Provisional Government of National Defense with arms and ammunition needed to take over the rest of the 'non-co-operative Kingdom of Greece with no stipulations or payments. The division of the country lasted for 9 months. On 15 June 1917 an Allied ultimatum forced King Constantine to abdicate in favor of his second-born son, Alexander, and, with the rest of his family, leave the country for Switzerland. Most of the political opponents of Venizelos were exiled to Corsica (Metaxas, Gounaris, Dousmanis, and others), were put in internal exile, or put under house arrest. Venizelos returned to Athens, as head of a superficially reunified Greece, and led it to victory alongside the Entente in World War I.

On 3 August 1920 5 years after the National Schism PM Venizelos suggested calling an election to confirm support for his expedition into Asia Minor and to quell the people's discontent back home. The Atlantean Delegation convinced him to hold off until the matter in Anatolia is settled, stating. "There is no greater threat to a nation than to hold elections during an offensive war, to do so would bring chaos as entire new sets of staff would be brought in and have no clue about the old plans. Venizelos was convinced and stated, to the public, "until such a time when the war in Anatolia is concluded and the Treaty enforced will elections be held no sooner than 1924." The Atlantean Delegation satisfied looked towards the newly formed league of nations for its grand ambition.

Atlantis becomes a Great Power
On 2 May 1920, Atlantis Joined the League of Nations as a principal player, at the time Atlantis was still seen as a middle power in the world. The Head of the Atlantean delegation was Huntal Aserra who was under orders to expand Atlantean influence where he could: Was given near-full authority to negotiate on Atlantis' behalf. Assera started requesting an LoN mandate. In exchange, Atlantis would forgive any war debt owed in exchange for control to the first nation that would allow it to form a mandate.

On 2 June 1920, Aserra made his move, with the US Senate denying the US a mandate in the former Ottoman vilayets of Erzurum, Bitlis, Van, and Trebizond. Intense negotiations ensued as the allied powers were not as trusting at the Atlantean proposal; Seeing Atlantis more as a rowdy upstart than a true respectable nation. Assera was insistent, "The Pontic and Armenian people of the region will suffer if nothing is done, Let Atlantis help them bring them to the modern era." Great Britain, still in control of the Bosphorus Straits eventually caved to Atlantean offerings on July 5th. Stating "Atlantis wishes to be seen as a Great Power, and the rest of the Great Powers are in no shape to halt their desire." On 10 August 1920, the Treaty of Sèvres was signed and the Mandate of Pontus was declared in the Regions Erzurum, Bitlis, Van, and Trebizond. This move incensed the Turks who saw Atlantis as yet another occupier in their war for independence.

The Greco-Turkish War
On 1 September 1920 over 60,000 Atlantean Troops of the Atlantean Volunteer force poured into the city of Trebizond and began to take control of the area. Spreading out quickly under the command of General Jastun Kintarsia as the Atlanteans understood they need to push hard and push fast as they won't get another shot at a landing. The Atlantean main thrust followed the Degirmendere river towards Ardesa where they encountered the Turkish Army on 7 Sept 1920. The resulting battle ended in an Atlantean victory as they continued their forced march quickly spreading across the Province of Trebizond, Occupying it within 3 months. The troops having been reinforced by the bolstered the main army from back on the island begin the move-out and push into Erzurum with over 120,000 men. The Battle of Kars on 23 January 1921 with over 30,000 Atlanteans vs 40,000 Turks; was seen as a major disaster when the first reports came back. Armenian Volunteers had heard the battle and Armenian cavalry hit the Turkish Rear line and allowed the Atlanteans to snatch victory. Much to the surprise of the Atlantean Commander in charge. With a clear path ahead and the Turks redirecting their focus to the advancing Greeks all forces pushed deeper into Erzurum, making it to lake Van on 7 June. On 9 June The Atlantean embassy in Athens presented secret agreements between the Italian and French Governments with the Turkish Nationalist Government to supply them arms. The Greek Government in response went public. This outraged the Greek citizenry and was considered a betrayal of promises made in exchange for them joining the Allies during World War I. It led to a backlash not only against the French and Italians but the "west" in general. The label "Hellenes," used by Greek nationalists seeking western support in the 19th century, had begun to regain the pagan associations it had before, and "Romaioi" returned as the way many Greeks preferred to call themselves.

July 1921 The Greeks win an even more decisive victory at the Battle of Dorylaion in July 1921 thanks to continuous influx of Atlantean Equipment and ammunition. Anastasios Papoulas choose not to advance on Ankara. Securing more of the eastern Aegean coastline and Thrace instead. By then a stalemate had occurred, The Greeks with Atlantean support had their defensive lines bolstered by some 20,000 Atlantean troops bringing the full weight of both the Pontic and Anatolian Campaigns to a combined 330,000 men.

On 6 January Aturuk made one final attempt to dislodge the Greek forces at the 2nd Battle of Dorylaion, resulting in a Turkish disaster as the Turks could not penetrate the Greek defensive lines. Unable to force the Greeks out and seeing no other strategic options Atatürk sued for a renegotiated peace. The Treaty of Lausanne was signed on 24 July 1923. The treaty officially settled the conflict that had originally existed between the Ottoman Empire and the Allied French Republic, British Empire, Kingdom of Italy, Empire of Japan, Kingdom of Greece, and the Kingdom of Romania since the onset of World War I; and The Republic of Atlantis whos interest lay with the Pontic Mandate joined the proceedings. The Treaty re-ends the war between the Ottoman Empire and Western powers as well as defining the new borders of a Megali Greece, A Pontic Republic, and the newfound Republic of Turkey.

Atlantis was able to dominate the Proceedings during the negotiated treaty. Citing the Western powers noncommittal to enforce there will militarily and the amassing Atlantean troops in the region.
 * The entirety of the Turkish Straits is to be given to Greece, all vessels wishing transport must begin paying a toll in either Greek Drachma or another currency at a higher price. Atlantis is exempt from this for 20 years.
 * The Former Regions of Izmit, Bursa, and Izmir are to be ceded to Greece
 * The Former Regions of Trebizond and Van including the city of Erzurum, is to form the new Pontic Republic under Atlantean Protection.
 * The Cities of Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, Mosul, and Qamishli were to be held under Turkish authority.
 * The Debts of the Former Ottoman Empire would be split between the new states.
 * A population exchange between Muslims and Orthodox Christians was to occur between Pontus, Greece, and Turkey. The Bosphorus Region was to be excluded from this exchange citing. "Historic Importance to prevent the desecration of Islamic Sites"

The Rebirth of the Basileia Romaion
On 30 August 1923 Constantine I was proclaimed Emperor Constantine XII, the rebirth of the Basileia Romaion was declared after the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne. All the Great powers were invited to attend the ceremony. Meanwhile a few days later on 18 September 1923, the decree for calling elections to the National Assembly of the Greeks was published. The date of the elections was set for 2 December, and on 19 September, military law and censorship were abolished. The Elections in December were a disaster for Venizelos who believed a victory for his Liberal Party was all but certain because of his diplomatic and military successes against the Republic of Turkey. However, the results were a disaster for him. Although his Liberal Party received just over 50% of the vote, it won only 110 of the 370 seats in the Hellenic Parliament, with the United Opposition – an alliance of the People's Party, Conservative Party, Reform Party, and others – winning 260 of the 370 seats.

The Poisoned Pill
The venture of a war waged against the Nationalist movement in Ankara was one beyond the financial ability of Basileia Romaion. Even before the Battle of Sakarya, the financial burden of the Army of Asia Minor represented a tremendous drain in Romaioi's finances. The war in Anatolia cost the Romaioi treasury a staggering 10.000.000.000 Drachma (100,000,000 US dollars. 7,000,000,000$ adjusted for inflation.) The country essentially went bankrupt just trying to win the war. Had it not been for Atlantis the campaign would have most certainly failed. The money flowing through Constantinople was keeping the bureaucratic wheels turning; the tolls levied on passing ships were able to keep the finances in the black.

Hellanization/Romanization
On 7 January 1924 in what would be later be called the great absorption, was the beginning of the arduous process to convert the still resistant populace into becoming Greek. These laws were and not limited to:
 * According to Art. 12 of the integration of Asia Minor, citizens who could not speak and read Greek were not allowed to become members of parliament.
 * A law from December 1925 demanded that clothes worn by employees in all companies must be of Greek production.
 * The surname law forbade certain surnames that contained connotations of foreign cultures, nations, tribes, and religions. As a result, many ethnic Turk was forced to adopt last names of Greek rendition. Names ending with Turkish origin such as -zade, -oğlu, or -gil could not be registered, they had to be replaced by one of the following -is, ‑dis, ‑pulos, ‑aki.
 * A Report for Reform in the Eastern was released in September 1927 according to which non-Greek languages shall be forbidden.
 * On 27 July 1928, a Civil Servants Law came into effect, which allowed only Greeks to become civil servants and explicitly excluded Turks to become such.

Only when the population exchange between Greece and Turkey began in full force did the tensions begin to simmer down. The Turks were slowly going to become a minority whether they wanted to be or not

Foundations
On the other side of the Black Sea in 1923 Atlantis was busy trying to set up its new mandate. Choosing many of the Exiled Royalists from Greece whose allegiance could be trusted to Atlantis were offered roles in the new Pontus state. Dimitrios Gounaris was selected to be the Prime Minister of the new republic and begin setting up a proper government for the people, Ioannis Metaxas and Viktor Dousmanis were chosen as of the Army and to build up a new Pontic army to defend the new mandate. Meanwhile, an influx of Russian nobility fled the red army. They were accepted into Pontus as citizens and were protected from Soviet wrath.

On 30 September 1923, The Constitution of the new state Pontus had been written and applied, The New Republic was already on a rocky start due to a large amount of Turks inside the borders. Following a similar policy to Basileia Romaion of the Forced Pontianization of the populace. Pontic Greeks located from the Republic of Turkey began settling the territory on mass as they were forced to move, what was unexpected was the migration of Pontic Greeks from the Soviet Union. Almost 200k Pontic Greeks from the USSR moved into the newly formed Republic to escape the revolution. The Armenian Population in the south still wishing to be part of an Armenia as well as Armenian Genocide survivors; began to move to the Armenian SSR in large numbers taking advantage of the porous borders during the Russian civil war.

Atlantis content with their new mandate began making policies to support their newfound' empire'. Funding schools, modernizing the coastal dockyards, and a new railway network to being unifying the nation as a whole. Starting in Trebizond and expanding outward connecting the major cities of Erzurum and Van to the ports along the coast. By building the infrastructure at a cost to the Atlantean Government, the wealth of resources being exploited and exported, and the factories being built to support the industrialization of the region. Pontus began to have a cultural revival on par with the Romaioi in the west.

The Church Mosque Debacle
On 25 December 1925, Emperor Constantine XII entered the Hagia Sofia for the first time since becoming emperor. Basil III, Patriarch of Constantinople also accompanied. It was this day that began the Controversial renovations of converting the Hagia Sofia back into a church. The Emperor bought out the location next to the now Church, offering it to the Muslim community stating. "If you are willing to provide the funds to build an exact replica, All the Islamic art will be recreated there, Relics placed in their original spot, carpets preserved and transferred. if not all of it will be safely stored until such a time as can be decided what to do with it."Muslims from across the Islamic world began donating to The Islamic Recreation Fund to prevent the loss of history. By 1928 The Islamic Recreation Fund had managed to acquire the necessary funds and construction began on 3 April 1929. Unaffected by the great depression thanks to being a project by and for Muslims, The Imitation Mosque as it was dubbed was Completed on 27 August 1935, and on the 30 the Friday Prayer was preached from the newly built Mosque.

Basileia Romaion
On 29 October 1929, The strain on Romaioi finances came to a head 29 October 1929, Remittances from abroad declined sharply and the value of the drachma began to plummet from 77 drachmas to the dollar in March 1931 to 111 drachmas to the dollar in April 1931. Basileia Romaion went off the gold standard in April 1932 and declared a moratorium on all interest payments until further notice. The country also adopted protectionist policies such as import quotas, which a number of European countries did during the time period. It was during this time that Emperor Constantine XII made an address on 7 July 1935 stating. "In the interest of the Romaion State, the Atlantean Peoples as respectable as they are shall be encouraged to look elsewhere for business. We are unable to make loan payments at this current time." This development did not please the Atlantean government. PM Avaskanta Carras went on record and stated. "After all Atlantis has provided to the Romaioi to turn her back on us is an insult to the highest order" After making this statement Atlantis revoked any guarantees of protection should they be invaded.

On 5 August 1934 Emperor Constantine XII requested PM Venizelos who won the 1932 elections. A new set of fortifications to protect Constantinople from invasion. Stating "Constantinople fell for lack of defenses against advancing enemies. The same must not happen again." With that requirement, the additions made to the Roupel Fortress were considered to be too weak. Thus, it was decided that further fortifications should be constructed, not only in that particular region but also along the entire northern Greek borderline and through the entire border of Eastern Thrace. The plans were drawn up in 1935 and work began at Kerkini in 1936. Romaion, became involved in World War II in 1940, just as it was finishing completion. At the war's outbreak, the Venizelos fortification line had reached From Kerkini to Thynias (Turkish: İğneada), Thrace, and was 200 km long. While the Constantine Line stretched all along the East Thrace border From Thynias to Adrianople (Turkish: Edirne) Down to Kýpsela(Turkish: İpsala). The amount of construction is said to have lifted Romaion out of the depression thanks to the influx of money spent.

The Pontus Republic
(4.49M: 70k) On 29 October 1929, when the great depression hit, reality set in for the Pontians. 90% of their exports, went to Atlantis and with trade between both nations grinding to a halt, unemployment began spiking. It wasn't bad only 10% unemployment mostly in the big cities; as most people still lived on farms. The Pontian Drachma still holding on at about 50 Pontic Drachma to the dollar thanks to the gold mine in the Erzurum province. On 2 November 1935 PM Gounaris, along with General Metaxas sensing weakness in the Atlantean government declared themselves independent from Atlantis. Citing the lack of will of the Atlantean Government to help the Pontian people, lack of development in recent years. "Atlantis has made it clear that they are done nation-building in Pontus and as such any claims to the Mandate are null. Pontus will survive without Atlantean assistance. In a daring move, the Atlantean naval vessels stationed in the Black Sea were seized by Pontus and absorbed into the Pontic Navy. PM Avaskanta Carras when interviewed stated in response to the ship seizures. "The Pontic Republic has bought those ships we are only awaiting payment and we will get it in either blood or treasure."

On 3 September 1934 PM Gounaris, along with General Metaxas began making a plan of national development. A long series of fortifications all along the entire border with its neighbors. In particular against turkey. Plans were drawn up a month later, The Pontian Army was small it could only defend, and with Atlantis no longer assisting in their defense they were on their own. Work began in Choerades(Turkish: Giresun) in 1936, Some of the most notable were the fortresses built by or around Keltzene(Turkish: Erzincan), Theodosiopolis(Turkish: Erzurum), Romanoupolis(Turkish: Bingöl) Tatvan, Van. Tsolakert(Turkish: Iğdır), Kars, and Ardahan. The Metaxas Wall served the Pontian's well when Turkey joined the Axis in 1942.

Romaioi-Italian War
At the outbreak of World War II, Emperor Constantine XII sought to maintain a position of neutrality. Romaion was subject to increasing pressure from Italy, culminating in the Italian submarine Delfino sinking the cruiser Elli on 15 August 1940. Italian leader Benito Mussolini was irritated that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had not consulted him on his war policy and wished to establish his independence. He hoped to match German military success by taking Greece, which he regarded as an easy opponent. On 15 October 1940, Mussolini and his closest advisers finalized their decision. In the early hours of 28 October, Italian Ambassador Emanuele Grazzi presented Venizelos with a three-hour ultimatum, demanding free passage for troops to occupy unspecified "strategic sites" within Romaioi territory. Venizelos rejected the ultimatum (the refusal is commemorated as Romaioi national holiday Ohi Day) but even before it expired, Italian troops had invaded Greece through Albania. The principal Italian thrust was directed toward Epirus. Hostilities with the Romaioi army began at the Battle of Elaia–Kalamas, where they failed to break the defensive line and were forced to halt. Within three weeks, the Romaioi army launched a counter-offensive, during which it marched into Albanian territory, capturing significant cities such as Vlorë and Pogradec. Neither a change in Italian command nor the arrival of substantial reinforcements improved the position of the Italian army. On 13 February, General Papagos, the Commander-in-Chief of the Romaioi army, opened a new offensive, aiming to take Fier and Elbasan with British air support but the Romaioi divisions encountered stiff resistance, stalling the offensive that practically destroyed the Cretan 5th Division.

After weeks of inconclusive winter warfare, the Italians launched a counter-offensive on the center of the front on 9 March 1941, which failed, despite the Italians' superior forces. After one week and 12,000 casualties, Mussolini called off the counter-offensive and left Albania twelve days later.

Modern analysts believe that the Italian campaign failed because Mussolini and his generals initially allocated insufficient resources to the campaign (an expeditionary force of 55,000 men), failed to reckon with the autumn weather, attacked without the advantage of surprise and without Bulgarian support. elementary precautions such as issuing winter clothing had not been taken. Mussolini had not considered the warnings of the Italian Commission of War Production, that Italy would not be able to sustain a full year of continuous warfare until 1949.

During the six-month fight against Italy, the Romaioi army made territorial gains by eliminating Italian salients. Romaion did not have a substantial armaments industry and its equipment and ammunition supplies increasingly relied on stocks captured by British forces from defeated Italian armies in North Africa. To man the Albanian battlefront, the Romaioi command was forced to withdraw forces from Eastern Macedonia and Western Thrace, because Romaioi forces could not protect Romaion's entire border. The Romaioi command decided to support its success in Albania, regardless of the risk of a German attack from the Bulgarian border. The area of Asia Minor was still fully manned waiting for an attack from Turkey.

Thrust across southern Yugoslavia and the drive to Thessaloniki
At dawn on 6 April, the German armies invaded Romaion, while the Luftwaffe began an intensive bombardment of Belgrade. The XL Panzer Corps began their assault at 05:30. They pushed across the Bulgarian frontier into Yugoslavia at two separate points. By the evening of 8 April, the 73rd Infantry Division captured Prilep, severing an important rail line between Belgrade and Thessaloniki and isolating Yugoslavia from its allies. On the evening of 9 April, Stumme deployed his forces north of Monastir, in preparation for an attack toward Florina. This position threatened to encircle the Romaioi in Albania and W Force in the area of Florina, Edessa, and Katerini. While weak security detachments covered his rear against a surprise attack from central Yugoslavia, elements of the 9th Panzer Division drove westward to link up with the Italians at the Albanian border.

The 2nd Panzer Division (XVIII Mountain Corps) entered Yugoslavia from the east on the morning of 6 April and advanced westward through the Strumica Valley. It encountered little resistance but was delayed by road clearance demolitions, mines, and mud. Nevertheless, the division was able to reach the day's objective, the town of Strumica. On 7 April, a Yugoslav counter-attack against the division's northern flank was repelled, and the following day, the division forced its way across the mountains and overran the thinly manned defensive line of the Romaioi 19th Mechanised Division south of Doiran Lake.[91] Despite many delays along the mountain roads, an armored advance guard dispatched toward Thessaloniki succeeded in entering the city by the morning of 9 April. Thessaloniki was taken after a long battle with three Romaioi divisions under the command of General Bakopoulos and was followed by the surrender of the Romaioi Eastern Macedonia Army Section, taking effect at 13:00 on 10 April. In the three days, it took the Germans to reach Thessaloniki and breach the Metaxas Line, some 30,000 Romaioi soldiers were taken, prisoner.

Romaioi -Yugoslav counteroffensive
In early April 1941, Romaioi, Yugoslav and British commanders met to set in motion a counteroffensive, that planned to completely destroy the Italian army in Albania in time to counter the German invasion and allow the bulk of the Romaioi army to take up new positions and protect the border with Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.[95] On 7 April, the Yugoslav 3rd Army in the form of five infantry divisions (13th "Hercegovacka", 15th "Zetska", 25th "Vardarska", 31st "Kosovska" and 12th "Jadranska" Divisions, with the "Jadranska" acting as the reserve), after a false start due to the planting of a bogus order, launched a counteroffensive in northern Albania, advancing from Debar, Prizren, and Podgorica towards Elbasan. On 8 April, the Yugoslav vanguard, the "Komski" Cavalry Regiment crossed the treacherous Prokletije Mountains and captured the village of Koljegcava in the Valjbone River Valley, and the 31st "Kosovska" Division, supported by Savoia-Marchetti S.79K bombers from the 7th Bomber Regiment of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ), broke through the Italian positions in the Drin River Valley. The "Vardarska" Division, due to the fall of Skopje was forced to halt its operations in Albania. In the meantime, the Western Macedonia Army Section under General Tsolakoglou, comprising the 9th and 13th Romaioi Divisions, advanced in support of the Royal Yugoslav Army, capturing some 250 Italians on 8 April. The Romaioi were tasked with advancing towards Durrës. On 9 April, the Zetska Division advanced towards Shkodër and the Yugoslav cavalry regiment reached the Drin River, but the Kosovska Division had to halt its advance due to the appearance of German units near Prizren. The Yugoslav-Romaioi offensive was supported by S.79K bombers from the 66th and 81st Bomber Groups of the VVKJ, that attacked airfields and camps around Shkodër, as well as the port of Durrës, and Italian troop concentrations and bridges on the Drin and Buene rivers and Durrës, Tirana, and Zara.

Between 11–13 April 1941, with German and Italian troops advancing on its rear areas, the Zetska Division was forced to retreat back to the Pronisat River by the Italian 131st Armored Division "Centauro", where it remained until the end of the campaign on 16 April. The Italian armored division along with the 18th Infantry Division "Messina" then advanced upon the Yugoslav fleet base of Kotor in Montenegro, also occupying Cetinje and Podgorica. The Yugoslavs lost 30,000 men captured in the Italian counterattacks.

Venizelos Line
The Venizelos Line was defended by the Eastern Macedonia Army Section, led by Lieutenant General Konstantinos Bakopoulos) and comprising the 7th, 14th, and 18th Infantry divisions. Following the Bulgarian border as far as Mount Beles near the Yugoslav border to Thynias. The fortifications were designed to garrison over 300,000 troops but there were only about 100,000 and the infantry garrison was thinly spread. Some 950 men under the command of Major Georgios Douratsos of the 14th Division defended Fort Roupel.

The Germans had to break the Venizelos line, in order to capture Thessaloniki, Romaion's second-largest city and a strategically important port. The attack started on 6 April with one infantry unit and two divisions of the XVIII Mountain Corps. Due to strong resistance, the first day of the attack yielded little progress in breaking the line. A German report at the end of the first day described how the German 5th Mountain Division "was repulsed in the Rupel Pass despite strongest air support and sustained considerable casualties". Two German battalions managed to get within 600 ft (180 m) of Fort Rupel on 6 April, but were practically destroyed. Of the 36 forts that made up the Venizelos Line, only two had fallen and only after they had been destroyed. In the following days, the Germans pummeled the forts with artillery and dive bombers and reinforced the 125th Infantry Regiment. Finally, a 7,000 ft (2,100 m) high snow-covered mountainous passage considered inaccessible by the Romaioi was crossed by the 6th Mountain Division, which reached the rail line to Thessaloniki on the evening of 7 April.

The 5th Mountain Division, together with the reinforced 125th Infantry Regiment, crossed the Struma river under great hardship, attacking along both banks and clearing bunkers until they reached their objective on 7 April. Heavy casualties caused them to temporarily withdraw. The 72nd Infantry Division advanced from Nevrokop across the mountains. Its advance was delayed by a shortage of pack animals, medium artillery, and mountain equipment. Only on the evening of 9 April did it reach the area northeast of Serres. Most fortresses—like Fort Roupel, Echinos, Arpalouki, Paliouriones, Perithori, Karadag, Lisse, and Istibey—held until the Germans occupied Thessaloniki on 9 April, at which point they surrendered under General Bakopoulos' orders. Nevertheless, minor isolated fortresses continued to fight for a few days more and were not taken until heavy artillery was used against them. This gave time for some retreating troops to evacuate by sea. Although eventually broken, the defenders of the Venizelos Line succeeded in delaying the German advance.

Failure to break Constantine's Line and Capitulation of the Romaioi army in Macedonia
The XXX Infantry Corps on the left-wing reached its designated objective on the evening of 7 April, when the 164th Infantry Division began shelling Thynias. The 50th Infantry Division advanced far beyond Komotini towards the Nestos river. Both divisions arrived the next day. On 9 April, the Romaioi forces defending the Venizelos Line capitulated unconditionally following the collapse of the Romaioi resistance east of the Axios river. In a 9 April estimate of the situation, Field Marshal List commented that as a result of the swift advance of the mobile units, his 12th Army was now in a favorable position to access central Greece by breaking the Romaioi build-up behind the Axios river. Based on this estimate, List requested the transfer of the 5th Panzer Division from First Panzer Group to the XL Panzer Corps. He reasoned that its presence would give additional punch to the German thrust through the Monastir Gap. For the continuation of the campaign, he formed an eastern group under the command of XVIII Mountain Corps and a western group led by XL Panzer Corps.

The Situation in Eastern Thrace was much better for Romaion, ordering half of the forces in Asia Minor to Eastern Thrace to shore up the defensive line. Venizelos has stated in a letter to Constantine XII, "It can be said that our defense is crumbling but so long as Constantinople holds there is still hope." The continuous ariel and artillery bombardment made little headway on the defenses.

Breakthrough to Kozani
By the morning of 10 April, the XL Panzer Corps had finished its preparations for the continuation of the offensive and advanced in the direction of Kozani. The 5th Panzer Division, advancing from Skopje encountered a Romaioi division tasked with defending Monastir Gap, rapidly defeating the defenders. First contact with Allied troops was made north of Vevi at 11:00 on 10 April. German SS troops seized Vevi on 11 April, but were stopped at the Klidi Pass just south of town. During the next day, the SS regiment reconnoitered the Allied positions and at dusk launched a frontal attack against the pass. Following heavy fighting, the Germans broke through the defense. By the morning of 14 April, the spearheads of the 9th Panzer Division reached Kozani

Olympus and Servia passes
Wilson faced the prospect of being pinned by Germans operating from Thessaloniki, while being flanked by the German XL Panzer Corps descending through the Monastir Gap. On 13 April, he withdrew all British forces to the Haliacmon river and then to the narrow pass at Thermopylae.[114] On 14 April, the 9th Panzer Division established a bridgehead across the Haliacmon river, but an attempt to advance beyond this point was stopped by intense Allied fire. This defense had three main components: the Platamon tunnel area between Olympus and the sea, the Olympus pass itself, and the Servia pass to the southeast. By channeling the attack through these three defiles, the new line offered far greater defensive strength. The defenses of the Olympus and Servia passes consisted of the 4th New Zealand Brigade, the 5th New Zealand Brigade, and the 16th Australian Brigade. For the next three days, the advance of the 9th Panzer Division was stalled in front of these resolutely held positions.

A ruined castle dominated the ridge across which the coastal pass led to Platamon. During the night of 15 April, a German motorcycle battalion supported by a tank battalion attacked the ridge, but the Germans were repulsed by the New Zealand 21st Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Neil Macky, which suffered heavy losses in the process. Later that day, a German armored regiment arrived and struck the coastal and inland flanks of the battalion, but the New Zealanders held. After being reinforced during the night of the 15th–16th, the Germans assembled a tank battalion, an infantry battalion, and a motorcycle battalion. The infantry attacked the New Zealanders' left company at dawn, while the tanks attacked along the coast several hours later. The New Zealanders soon found themselves enveloped on both sides, after the failure of the Western Macedonia Army to defend the Albanian town of Korça that fell unopposed to the Italian 9th Army on 15 April, forcing the British to abandon the Mount Olympus position and resulting in the capture of 20,000 Romaioi troops.

The New Zealand battalion withdrew, crossing the Pineios river; by dusk, they had reached the western exit of the Pineios Gorge, suffering only light casualties. Macky was informed that it was "essential to deny the gorge to the enemy until 19 April even if it meant extinction". He sank a crossing barge at the western end of the gorge once all his men were across and set up defenses. The 21st Battalion was reinforced by the Australian 2/2nd Battalion and later by the 2/3rd. This force became known as the "Allen force" after Brigadier "Tubby" Allen. The 2/5th and 2/11th battalions moved to the Elatia area southwest of the gorge and were ordered to hold the western exit possibly for three or four days.

On 16 April, Wilson met Papagos at Lamia and informed him of his decision to withdraw to Thermopylae. Lieutenant-General Thomas Blamey divided responsibility between generals Mackay and Freyberg during the leapfrogging move to Thermopylae. Mackay's force was assigned the flanks of the New Zealand Division as far south as an east-west line through Larissa and to oversee the withdrawal through Domokos to Thermopylae of the Savige and Zarkos Forces and finally of Lee Force; Brigadier Harold Charrington's 1st Armoured Brigade was to cover the withdrawal of Savige Force to Larissa and thereafter the withdrawal of the 6th Division under whose command it would come; overseeing the withdrawal of Allen Force which was to move along the same route as the New Zealand Division. The British, Australian and New Zealand forces remained under attack throughout the withdrawal.

On the morning of 18 April, the Battle of Tempe Gorge, the struggle for the Pineios Gorge, was over when German armored infantry crossed the river on floats and 6th Mountain Division troops worked their way around the New Zealand battalion, which was subsequently dispersed. On 19 April, the first XVIII Mountain Corps troops entered Larissa and took possession of the airfield, where the British had left their supply dump intact. The seizure of ten truckloads of rations and fuel enabled the spearhead units to continue without ceasing. The port of Volos, at which the British had re-embarked numerous units during the prior few days, fell on 21 April; there, the Germans captured large quantities of valuable diesel and crude oil.

Withdrawal and surrender of the Romaioi Epirus Army
As the invading Germans advanced deep into Romaion territory, the Epirus Army Section of the Romaioi army operating in Albania was reluctant to retreat. By the middle of March, especially after the Tepelene offensive, the Romaioi army had suffered, according to British estimates, 5,000 casualties, and it was fast approaching the end of its logistical tether.

General Wilson described this unwillingness to retreat as "the fetishistic doctrine that not a yard of ground should be yielded to the Italians." Churchill also criticized the Romaioi Army commanders for ignoring British advice to abandon Albania and avoid encirclement. Lieutenant-General Georg Stumme's XL Corps captured the Florina-Vevi Pass on 11 April, but unseasonal snowy weather then halted his advance. On 12 April, he resumed the advance but spent the whole day fighting Brigadier Charrington's 1st Armoured Brigade at Proastion. It was not until 13 April that the first Romaioi elements began to withdraw toward the Pindus mountains. The Allies' retreat to Thermopylae uncovered a route across the Pindus mountains by which the Germans might flank the Hellenic army in a rearguard action. An elite SS formation—the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler brigade—was assigned the mission of cutting off the Romaioi Epirus Army's line of retreat from Albania by driving westward to the Metsovon pass and from there to Ioannina. On 13 April, attack aircraft from 21, 23, and 33 Squadrons from the Hellenic Air Force (RHAF), attacked Italian positions in Albania. That same day, heavy fighting took place at Kleisoura pass, where the Romaioi 20th Division covering the Romaioi withdrawal, fought in a determined manner, delaying Stumme's advance practically a whole day. The withdrawal extended across the entire Albanian front, with the Italians in hesitant pursuit. On 15 April, Regia Aeronautica fighters attacked the (RHAF) base at Paramythia, 30 miles south of Greece's border with Albania, destroying or putting out of action 17 VVKJ aircraft that had recently arrived from Yugoslavia.

General Papagos rushed Romaioi units to the Metsovon pass where the Germans were expected to attack. On 14 April a pitched battle between several Romaioi units and the LSSAH brigade—which had by then reached Grevena—erupted. The Romaioi 13th and Cavalry Divisions lacked the equipment necessary to fight against an armored unit, and on 15 April were finally encircled and overwhelmed. On 18 April, General Wilson in a meeting with Papagos, informed him that the British and Commonwealth forces at Thermopylae would carry on fighting till the first week of May, providing that Romaioi forces from Albania could redeploy and cover the left flank. On 21 April, the Germans advanced further and captured Ioannina, the final supply route of the Romaioi Epirus Army. Allied newspapers dubbed the Romaion army's fate a modern-day Romaioi tragedy. Historian and former war-correspondent Christopher Buckley – when describing the fate of the Romaion army – stated that "one experience[d] a genuine Aristotelian catharsis, an awe-inspiring sense of the futility of all human effort and all human courage."

On 20 April, the commander of Romaioi forces in Albania; Lieutenant-General Georgios Tsolakoglou; accepted the hopelessness of the situation and offered to surrender his army, which then consisted of fourteen divisions. Papagos condemned Tsolakoglou's decision to capitulate, although lieutenant general Ioannis Pitsikas and major general Georgios Bakos had warned him a week earlier that morale in the Epirus Army was wearing thin, and combat stress and exhaustion had resulted in officers taking the decision to put deserters before firing squads. Historian John Keegan writes that Tsolakoglou "was so determined... to deny the Italians the satisfaction of a victory they had not earned that... he opened [a] quite unauthorized parley with the commander of the German SS division opposite him, Sepp Dietrich, to arrange a surrender to the Germans alone." On strict orders from Hitler, negotiations were kept secret from the Italians and the surrender was accepted. Outraged by this decision, Mussolini ordered counter-attacks against the Romaioi forces, which were repulsed, but at some cost to the defenders. The Luftwaffe intervened in the renewed fighting, and Ioannina was practically destroyed by Stukas. It took a personal representation from Mussolini to Hitler to organize Italian participation in the armistice that was concluded on 23 April. Romaion soldiers were not rounded up as prisoners of war and were allowed instead to go home after the demobilization of their units, while their officers were permitted to retain their sidearms.

Thermopylae position
As early as 16 April, the German command realized that the British were evacuating troops on ships at Volos and Piraeus. The campaign then took on the character of a pursuit. For the Germans, it was now primarily a question of maintaining contact with the retreating British forces and foiling their evacuation plans. German infantry divisions were withdrawn due to their limited mobility. The 2nd and 5th Panzer Divisions, the 1st SS Motorised Infantry Regiment, and both mountain divisions launched a pursuit of the Allied forces.

To allow an evacuation of the main body of British forces, Wilson ordered the rearguard to make a last stand at the historic Thermopylae pass, the gateway to Athens. General Freyberg's 2nd New Zealand Division was given the task of defending the coastal pass, while Mackay's 6th Australian Division was to hold the village of Brallos. After the battle, Mackay was quoted as saying "I did not dream of evacuation; I thought that we'd hang on for about a fortnight and be beaten by the weight of numbers." When the order to retreat was received on the morning of 23 April, it was decided that the two positions were to be held by one brigade each. These brigades, the 19th Australian and 6th New Zealand were to hold the passes as long as possible, allowing the other units to withdraw. The Germans attacked at 11:30 on 24 April, met fierce resistance, lost 15 tanks, and sustained considerable casualties. The Allies held out the entire day; with the delaying action accomplished, they retreated in the direction of the evacuation beaches and set up another rearguard at Thebes.[141] The Panzer units launching a pursuit along the road leading across the pass made slow progress because of the steep gradient and difficult hairpin bends.

German drive on Athens
After abandoning the Thermopylae area, the British rearguard withdrew to an improvised switch position south of Thebes, where they erected a last obstacle in front of Athens. The motorcycle battalion of the 2nd Panzer Division, which had crossed to the island of Euboea to seize the port of Chalcis and had subsequently returned to the mainland, was given the mission of outflanking the British rearguard. The motorcycle troops encountered only slight resistance and on the morning of 27 April 1941, the first Germans entered Athens, followed by armored cars, tanks, and infantry. They captured intact large quantities of petroleum, oil, and lubricants ("POL"), several thousand tons of ammunition, ten trucks loaded with sugar, and ten truckloads of other rations in addition to various other equipment, weapons, and medical supplies. The people of Athens had been expecting the Germans for several days and confined themselves to their homes with their windows shut. The previous night, Athens Radio had made the following announcement:

"The quarrel over the troops' victorious entry into Athens was a chapter to itself: Hitler wanted to do without a special parade, to avoid injuring Romaion national pride. Mussolini, alas, insisted on a glorious entry into the city for his Italian troops. The Führer yielded to the Italian demand and together the German and Italian troops marched into Athens. This miserable spectacle, laid on by our gallant ally, must have produced some hollow laughter from the Romaioi."

Wilhelm Keitel

"You are listening to the voice of Romaion. Romaioi, stand firm, proud, and dignified. You must prove yourselves worthy of your history. The valor and victory of our army has already been recognized. The righteousness of our cause will also be recognized. We did our duty honestly. Friends! Have Romaion in your hearts, live inspired with the fire of her latest triumph and the glory of our army. Romaion is still alive and will be great, because she fought honestly for a just cause and for freedom. Brothers! Have courage and patience. Be stout-hearted. We will overcome these hardships. Romaioi! With Romaion in your minds you must be proud and dignified. We have been an honest nation and brave soldiers. Constantinople still holds on! Smyrna still holds! It is only a matter of time!"

The Germans drove straight to the Acropolis and raised the Nazi flag. According to the most popular account of the events, the Evzone soldier on guard duty, Konstantinos Koukidis, took down the Romaion flag, refusing to hand it to the invaders, wrapped himself in it, and jumped off the Acropolis. Whether the story was true or not, many Romaioi believed it and viewed the soldier as a martyr.

Evacuation of British Empire forces
On the morning of 15 April 1941, Wavell sent to Wilson the following message: "We must, of course, continue to fight in close cooperation with Romaioi but from news here, it looks as if early further withdrawal necessary." General Archibald Wavell, the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East, when in Romaion from 11–13 April had warned Wilson that he must expect no reinforcements and had authorized Major General Freddie de Guingand to discuss evacuation plans with certain responsible officers. Nevertheless, the British could not at this stage adopt or even mention this course of action; the suggestion had to come from the Romaion Government. The following day, Papagos made the first move when he suggested to Wilson that W Force be withdrawn. Wilson informed Middle East Headquarters and on 17 April, Rear admiral H. T. Baillie-Grohman was sent to Romaion to prepare for the evacuation. That day Wilson hastened to Constantinople where he attended a conference with the King, Venizelos, d'Albiac, and Rear admiral Turle. On 21 April, the final decision to evacuate Empire forces to Crete, Asia Minor, and Egypt was taken and Wavell – in confirmation of verbal instructions – sent his written orders to Wilson.

The Impervious 3 year Siege of Constantinople
The siege of Constantinople was a prolonged military blockade undertaken from the south by Bulgarians against the Romaioi city of Constantinople on the Eastern Front in World War II. The siege began on 20 April 1941, when the Wehrmacht severed the last road to the city in Eastern Thrace. Although Romaion forces managed to keep open the Bosporus to the city from Asia Minor, the Romaion Army did not lift the siege until 27 April 1944, 1098 days after it began. The blockade became one of the longest sieges in history, The remains of the Romaion Army and Navy Retreated to Asia Minor along with Atlantean and British Divisions and equipment arriving in Smyrna. Allowed for continued defense of Eastern Thrace. The allies began shipping planes into Constantinople en mass to defend the Bosphorus Straits, Hundreds of planes were sent to keep the skies clear and watch for attempted naval landings. When Turkey Declared war it was decided to use The Bosphorus as the staging ground for the strategic bombing of Turkey once Cyprus was lost.

The Turkish Declaration of War against Pontus and Romaion
On 19 November 1942 Prime Minister İsmet İnönü of The Republic of Turkey, looking to retake its old lands, stating that "Atatürk wished for an Anatolia without the Romaioi he will have his will done!" As The Republic of Turkey declared war on Basileia Romaion and The Pontus Republic. The Allied powers declared war on Turkey the next day, as Turkish troops crossed the border between Romaion and Turkey at Salihli. The Atlantean 'Little Asia' Division tried to reach the border to defend the weakened and undermanned Romaioi Lines. only to find retreating troops as they tried to form a desperate rearguard.

The Fire of Smyrna
The rapidly advancing Turkish Army reached the gates of Smyrna On 26 November 1942. Shelling the port city with artillery, destroyed much of the port city of Smyrna then on 27 November 1942 Turkish troops entered the city. Eyewitness reports state that the fire began on 27 November 1942 and lasted until it was largely extinguished on 3 October. It began four days after the Turkish military captured the city on 26 November, Turkish troops and irregulars had started committing massacres and atrocities against the Romaioi and Armenian population in the city before the outbreak of the fire.

Retreat to the Kydonies-Saframpolis Line
The Atlantean 'Little Asia' division began retreating to the Kydonies-Saframpolis line and dug in. On 30 December 1942, Turkish 4th and 7th Divisions began assaults all along the defensive line and were repulsed as Atlantean Ships brought in much-needed supplies to keep the Bosporus open. Each assault hammered away at the defensive line but the massive frontlines were straining the Turkish Republic who were looking to gain back their lost empire everywhere else. Some of the main fortification lines are, Kydonies(Turkish: Ayvalık), Palaeokastron(Turkish: Balıkesir), Dorylaeum(Turkish: Eskişehir), Bithynium(Turkish: Bolu), Saframpolis (Turkish: Safranbolu).

Pontian Stronghold
Atlantis after having been dragged into the war was forced to help their recently departed mandate. Landed The on the 25 November ordered to shore up the Metaxas Wall began rushing to meet up with the Pontian Garrisons stationed. Doing far better than Romaion though the attrition meant they wouldn't hold out for long. The Pontian Army had at best 100k men out of a population of 4 million, any reinforcements had to come from elsewhere. The Turkish 1st and 3rd Infantry and 22nd Cavalry hammered against the Theodosiopolis(Turkish: Erzurum) fortifications suffering light casualties as artillery rained down upon the area. By the time the Turks assaulted the Atlantean forces had arrived and began to shore up the undermanned fortress. These attacks happened over the course of several months all across Pontus, looking for a weakness in the line.

Ariel Assault on Cyprus
20 January 1943, inspired by german success at the battle of Crete, the Turks attacked the island of Cyprus by using the Turkish 1st Paratroop Brigade to secure an air bridgehead despite suffering heavy casualties. Landing at Kyrenia secured the port rapidly before the British Cyprus Regiment could react and defend the island. They then sent in another 20 thousand troops of the Turkish 41st Division and quickly sprawled out. The weak defense of the 10,000 Cyprot defenders surrendered to the Turkish 1st Paratrooper Brigade. The Turks were able to capture the rest of the island by 1 February, with their victory in the Battle of Cyprus the Turks had secured their southern flank. All the pressure was on Egypt as the last of the British Middle-east Command.

Iraqi Force
On 27 November 1942, The Turkish 12th and 17th Infantry Divisions and 24th Cavalry left Mosul and began heading straight for Erbil, the Indian 10th Infantry Division was in Baghdad Iraq, and quickly made their way to intercept them. On 30 November 1942, Erble was captured and began marching south towards Baghdad. Where on 5 December 1942 the Indian 10th Division was fought and routed by Turkish numerical superiority. British General William Slim requested more troops from the British Raj or Lemuria to shore up the defenses stating. "The Turks have not forgiven the loss of territory and humiliation caused by The Great War. If we don't stop them soon they will capture the important oil fields in Persia."

After the loss of Erbil, British General William Slim took up a harassing action, doing everything he could to stall the Turks' advancement, succeeding at buying time for defenses to be prepared. On 2 February 1943 the 12th Turkish Infantry Division marched on Baiji, here the Indian 10th Infantry Division prepared a multilayered Defense and While the newly arrived Lemurian 10th Motorized Division took up elastic defensive positions in Kirkuk on 3rd of February, just as the Turkish 17th and 24th Divisions arrived outside the city limits.

Battle of Baiji
On 2 February 1943, the 12th Turkish Infantry Division marched on Baiji, shelling British Forces as part of a larger plan to capture the Baiji oil fields. The defenses were difficult to penetrate, and the Indian 10th Infantry Division held strong only half the city was in Turkish hands when on 9 March 1943 when British General William Slim ordered a retreat after the collapse of the frontlines in Kirkuk.

Battle of Kirkuk
On 3 February 1943, the Lemurian 10th Motorized Division took up elastic defensive positions in Kirkuk on 3rd of February, just as the Turkish 17th and 24th Divisions arrived outside the city limits. The Turkish 24th Cavalry Division attempted to encircle the city as the 17th Infantry attempted to push their way in following heavy artillery bombardment. The Lemurian 10th was unable to mount a proper defense of the city but still stalled out the attackers for a whole month as the trucks used to bring men to the frontlines kept breaking down. British General William Slim ordered a general retreat to Baghdad on 9 March 1943

Battle of Baghdad
On 14 April 1943, defense preparations in the city of Baghdad were nearing completion. The Indian 10th Infantry and Lemurian 10th Motorized linked up with the Atlantean 'Abraham' Light Tank Brigade as the Turkish 12th and 17th Infantry, as well as the 24th Cavalry divisions, got reinforcements in the form of the 53rd Motorized Divisions and on 17th April 1943, the 6-month assault of Baghdad began which eventually ended in a British victory on 19 October 1943. Stalling out the Turkish advance. Along with the failed assault on Damascus, the failures to penetrate the Pontus Republic and Romaion stubbornly holding out and advancing back into Asia Minor the Balkans Turkey was ripe for revolt.

Syrian Force
On 27 November 1942, The Turkish 9th and 11th Infantry Divisions left Antakya and 59th Motorized Division left Gaziantep and began heading straight for Aleppo, British forces to the south of Syria in Mandate Palestine were under the command of General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson and consisted of the Australian 7th Infantry Division, and the 18th Lemurian Cavalry Division was up near Aleppo. Upon getting word the Turkish Forces were invading Free France Syria. The 18th Lemurian Cavalry Division doing harassing actions against the Turkish 59th Motorized as they pushed forward and began surrounding Aleppo. The Free French forces digging in as the Lemurian Cavalry continued delaying actions against the advancing Turkish 9 and 11th Infantry when they caught up with the 59th Motorized.

On 25 December 1942, The city of Aleppo fell to the Turkish forces, General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson ordered the Australian 9th to begin digging in at Holms sacrificing the Northern part of Syria for a time as the Retreating 24th Cavalry kept harassing the Turkish Supply lines.

Battle of Homs
On 1 February 1943 the Turkish 9th and 11th Infantry Divisions reinforced by the Turkish 103rd Tank Division arrived at the defensive lines of the city of Homs. Heavy fighting broke out as The Turks began assaulting and soon cutting off the city of Homs with the Turks 103rd Tank Division, Laying siege to the city as they slowly push inward. On 22 April 1943 The Australian 9th Infantry division managed to break out of the besieged city and headed south rapidly as the Lemurian 8th Tank Division managed to hold back the Turkish 103rd long enough before retreating towards Damascus for another tough battle.

2nd Battle of Damascus
On 1 May 1943 The Turkish 9th and 11th Infantry Divisions as well as the 103rd Tank Division had made it to Damascus after having to make several stops due to fuel shortages. The Australian 9th Infantry had set up several defensive lines surrounding the north of the city. Several layers of mines barbed wire and artillery lined up for miles. As the Turkish 103rd Tank Division tried piercing several lines over the course of several months. Almost breaking through on 15 July 1943, only to be beaten back as the Atlantean 101st Motorized Division as they reinforced the crumbling defensive lines. the political situation at home was becoming unbearable on 31 October 1943.

The Romaion Counter Attack
On 31 October 1943 Prime Minister İsmet İnönü government collapses, his coalition crumbling as Turkish involvement in the War has produced little results, and on 4 November 1943, Salih Hacioglu returned from his exile and landed at Samsun with military support from the Soviet Union. Salih announced that the government of Prime Minister İsmet İnönü is illegitimate and should resign immediately. "This war should not have been fought. Too many lives have been lost we must negotiate a surrender." The Turkish Infantry stationed around the Kydonies-Saframpolis Line began having defections en mass, after having had no real progress made against the Romaion or Pontus since the start of the war, formed the Turkish Liberation Front after being disillusioned with the Democratic Government.

On 17 November 1943, The Reformed Romaioi Army with 3 Infantry Divisions 1 Motorized and 3 Light Tank Divisions supplied by Atlantean armaments pushed out from the Kydonies-Saframpolis Line. The Romaioi 203rd Tank Division launched its assault from Dorylaeum as The Turkish Infantry stationed there had been weakened after several thousand men began defecting to Salih Hacioglus' Communist Front in the north at Samsun. Allowing for a swift movement towards their main target Ankara. The Romaioi 24th Infantry Followed behind garrisoning captured towns along the way. Meanwhile, the Romaioi 213th Tank Divison launched its assault from Palaeokastron its target was to recapture the coastline of Asia Minor, The weakening Turkish support along with the 101st Motorized and 30th and 31st Infantry Divisions Marching back down the coast made allowing quick recapture of major cities by the end of the year.

The Ruins of Smyrna
On 10 December 1943, the retreating Turkish army set fire to the Remains of Smyrna, as Romaioi forces approached the city, black smoke filled the air and could be seen for miles. Upon arriving at the outskirts of the city, about an hour before dawn and the scene was indescribable. Desperate fire fighting work from Romaioi 213th Tank Division as many tankers left their tanks and began trying to put out the flames. By 25 December, 80% of The entire city suffered substantial damage to its infrastructure. The damage was so complete, Smryna had to be rebuilt from the ashes.

Atlantean Leiutenent Girion Terzha had this to say as they arrived at the burning city.

"All morning the glow and then the flames of burning Smyrna could be seen. We arrived about an hour before dawn and the scene was indescribable. The entire city was ablaze and the harbor was light as day. Thousands of homeless refugees were surging back and forth on the blistering quay and running from the city on land if possible, – panic-stricken to the point of insanity. The heartrending shrieks of women and children were painful to hear. Those trapped in the inner city rushed to the quay and in a frenzy, would throw themselves into the water. To attempt to land a boat would have been disastrous. Several boats tried and were immediately stopped by the mad rush of a howling mob...The crowds along the quay beyond the fire were so thick and tried so desperately to close abreast the men-of-war anchorage that the masses in the stifling center could hardly escape. Fortunately, there was a sea breeze and the quay wall never got hot enough to roast these unfortunate people alive, but the heat must have been terrific to have been felt in the ships 200 yards away. To add to the confusion, the packs belonging to these refugees – consisting mostly of carpets and clothing – caught fire, creating a chain of bonfires the length of the street."

Salih Hacioglus Communist Offensive
On 18 December 1943. Salih called forth the Great Offensive, with the deserting troops from the Republic of Turkey, and began marching in all directions from Samsun. The RoT Army which had been facing logistical shortages were now being beaten and the frontlines collapsing on all sides, the will to fight against so many opponents finally caused the Turkish Republic to collapse in on itself. Over the course of two weeks, Hacioglus captured the entire Black Sea coast from the Romaion Border around Saframpolis to the Turkish town of Terme. Quickly turning the increasing number of defectors towards Ankara

Capture of Ankara and the Turkish Surrender
On 1 January 1944, The undefended city of Ankara was taken by Salih Harcioglus communist forces without a fight. PM İsmet İnönü and most of the Turkish Parliament fled the country and headed to Iran. As Salih Harciolgus became leader of the Turkish Socialist Republic, on 5 January 1944, 1 day after the Romaion capture of the undefended city of Antalya, General Fevzi Çakmak arrived in Deir ez-Zur Syria and, following Salih's instructions, authorized the complete and total surrender of all Turkish forces. At 02:41 on the morning of 6 January 1944, at SHAEF headquarters in Deir ez-Zur Syria, the chief-of-staff of the Turkish Armed Forces High Command, General Fevzi Çakmak, signed an unconditional surrender document for all Turkish forces to the Allies. It included the phrase "All forces under Turkish control to cease active operations at 2301 hours Turkey Time on 6 January 1944."

Basileia Romaion
The Romaioi Civil War was fought between the Romaioi government army (supported by the United Kingdom and the United States) and the Democratic Army of Romaioi (DSR) – the military branch of the Communist Party of Romaioi (KKR) (supported by Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, Turkey and covertly by the Soviet Union via their Eastern European proxies) from 1946 to 1949. The fighting resulted in the defeat of the DSR by the Romaioi Army.

The civil war resulted from a highly polarized struggle between left and right ideologies that started in 1943. From 1944 each side targeted the power vacuum resulting from the end of the Axis occupation (1941–1944) during World War II. The struggle was one of the first conflicts of the Cold War (c. 1947 to 1989) and represents the first example of Cold War postwar involvement on the part of the Allies in the internal affairs of a foreign country. Romaion in the end was funded by the US (through the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan) and joined NATO (1952), while the insurgents were demoralized by the bitter split between the Soviet Union's Joseph Stalin, who wanted to end the war, and Yugoslavia's Josip Broz Tito, who wanted it to continue. Tito was committed to helping the Romaioi Communists in their efforts, a stance that caused political complications with Stalin, as he had recently agreed with Winston Churchill not to support the Communists in Romaion, as documented in their Percentages Agreement of October 1944.

The first signs of the civil war occurred in 1942 to 1944, during the German occupation. With the Romaioi government unable to influence the situation in the Balkans, various resistance groups of differing political affiliations emerged, the dominant ones being the leftist National Liberation Front (EAM), and its military branch the Romaion People's Liberation Army (RLAS) which was effectively controlled by the KKR. Starting in autumn 1943, friction between the EAM and the other resistance groups resulted in scattered clashes, which continued until spring 1944, when an agreement was reached forming a national unity government that included six EAM-affiliated ministers.

The immediate prelude to the civil war took place in Athens, on December 3, 1944, less than two months after the Germans had retreated from the area. After an order to disarm, leftists resigned from the government and called for resistance. A riot (the Dekemvriana) erupted; and Romaioi government gendarmes, with British forces standing in the background, opened fire on a pro-EAM rally, killing 28 demonstrators and injuring dozens. The rally had been organized under the pretext of demonstrating against the perceived impunity of the collaborators and the general disarmament ultimatum, signed by Ronald Scobie (the British commander in Romaion). The battle lasted 33 days and resulted in the defeat of the EAM. The subsequent signing of the Treaty of Varkiza (12 February 1945) spelled the end of the left-wing organization's ascendancy: the RLAS was partly disarmed while the EAM soon after lost its multi-party character, to become dominated by the KKR.

The war erupted in 1946, when former RLAS partisans, who had found shelter in their hideouts and were controlled by the KKR, organized the DSR and its High Command headquarters. The KKR supported the endeavor, deciding that there was no alternative way to act against the internationally recognized government formed after the 1946 elections, which the KKR had boycotted. The Communists formed a provisional government in December 1947 and made the DSR the military branch of this government. The neighboring communist states of Albania, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria offered logistical support to this provisional government, especially to the forces operating in the north of Romaion.

Despite some setbacks that the government forces suffered from 1946 to 1948, they eventually won, largely due to increased American aid, the failure of the DSR to attract sufficient recruits, and the side-effects of the Tito–Stalin split of 1948. The final victory of the Western-allied government forces led to Romaion's membership in NATO (1952) and helped to define the ideological balance of power in the Aegean Sea for the entire Cold War. The civil war also left Romaion with a strongly anti-communist security establishment.

Pontus Republic
After Stalling Turkish advancement for two years in Eastern Anatolia and the collapse of the Turkish will to fight. Recently elected PM Thomas Siskides was concerned with the new provinces gained from the war with Turkey, they weren't greek or Armenian and that was going to cause further issues for the Republic. So, The Pontian Republic entered a state of Persecution against the Turkish Minorities inside their borders. Between 1947 and 1955 The Turks had few options; either learn Pontic Greek quickly and convert to Christianity, or be expelled. Rebellions flared in the Western provinces as the policies were enacted and were put down by the military. The Atlantean Intelligence began using the deported Turks as spies in the Peoples Republic of Turkey

By 1952 depopulated villages in the new provinces had begun to be repopulated with the military families of the Pontic Military. Giving them a stake in the land and speeding up the conversion process of the region. Overall its estimated over 1.3 million Turks were forced to move into the Peoples Republic of Turkey. As the threat of the Soviet Union loomed on their borders, they applied to join Nato in 1952 along with Basileia Romaion and were quickly accepted

The Peoples Republic of Turkey
Following the loss of the second world war and the overthrow of the Republic of Turkey. the New Peoples Republic of Turkey was left in a weakened state. The Heartland of Anatolia was bombed with most available resources the allies had based in Constantinople. The task of rebuilding the broken nation, using the Turkish people being expelled from Basileia Romaion and the Pontus Republic as manpower to rebuild the internal infrastructure and the stationing of Soviet troops in Turkey accepted the Molotov Plan. The Molotov Plan was the system created by the Soviet Union in 1947 in order to provide aid to rebuild the countries in Eastern Europe that were politically and economically aligned to the Soviet Union. It can be seen to be the Soviet Union's version of the Marshall Plan, which for political reasons the Eastern European countries would not be able to join without leaving the Soviet sphere of influence. Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov rejected the Marshall Plan (1947), proposing instead the Molotov Plan—the Soviet-sponsored economic grouping which was eventually expanded to become the Comecon.

Basileia Romaion
On 6–7 September 1955 The Constantinople pogrom, also known as the Constantinople riots or September events were a series of organized mob attacks directed primarily at Constantinople's Turkish minority. The pogrom was orchestrated by the governing Democratic Party in Basileia Romaion in cooperation with various security organizations (Tactical Mobilisation Group, Counter-Guerrilla, and National Security Service). The events were triggered by the fake news that the day before, Turks had bombed the Romaion consulate in Sinope and Attalea. A bomb planted by a Greek usher at the consulate, who was later arrested and confessed, incited the events. The Romaion press was silent about the arrest and instead insinuated that Turks had set off the bomb.

A Romaoi mob, most of whom had been trucked into the city in advance, assaulted Constantinople's Turkish community for nine hours. Although the mob did not explicitly call for Turks to be killed, over a dozen people died during or after the attacks as a result of beatings and arson. The police remained mostly ineffective, and the violence continued until the government declared martial law in Constantinople and called in the army to put down the riots

The pogrom greatly accelerated the emigration of ethnic Turks from Romaion, and the Constantinople region in particular. The Turk population of Romaoin declined from 119,822 in 1927, to about 7,000 in 1978. In Constantinople alone, the Turkic-speaking population decreased from 65,108 to 49,081 between 1955 and 1960.

Some see the attacks as a continuation of a process of Romanization that started after the Treaty of Lausanne, as roughly 40% of the properties attacked belonged to other minorities. The pogrom has been compared in some media to the Kristallnacht, the 1938 pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany. Historian Alfred-Maurice de Zayas has written that in his view, despite the small number of deaths in the pogrom, the riots met the "intent to destroy in whole or in part" criterion of the Genocide Convention.

Pontus Republic
On 8 Feb 1955, the Finances of the Pontic state finally collapsed and the economy entered a debt spiral. Reaching out to the Western powers for any sort of financial assistance. Atlantis, still miffed at the seizure of the ships taken by the Pontians took the opportunity to begin reaching out to the government and began to rebuild their spy network inside the Pontian state. Atlantean Economists were brought in to help rebalance the budget, starting with the demobilizing of the massive pontian army. Allowing Atlantean troops to be stationed in Pontus to shore up the demobilizing army the humiliation of having to resubmit themselves to Atlantis left a resenting attitude towards Atlantis for the next several years.

In April 1958, under the command of President Eisenhower, the U.S. Department of Defense notified the Air Force it had tentatively planned to deploy the first three Jupiter squadrons (45 missiles) in France. However, in June 1958 the new French President Charles de Gaulle refused to accept basing any Jupiter missiles in France. This prompted U.S. to explore the possibility of deploying the missiles in Italy, Romaion, and Pontus. The Air Force was already implementing plans to base four squadrons (60 missiles) under Project Emily —subsequently redefined as 20 Royal Air Force squadrons each with three missiles—of PGM-17 Thor IRBMs in Britain on airfields stretching from Yorkshire to East Anglia.

In April 1959, the secretary of the Air Force issued implementing instructions to USAF to deploy two Jupiter squadrons to Italy. The two squadrons, totaling 30 missiles, were deployed at 10 sites in Italy from 1961 to 1963. They were operated by Italian Air Force crews, but USAF personnel controlled arming the nuclear warheads. The deployed missiles were under command of 36th Strategic Interdiction Air Brigade (36ª Aerobrigata Interdizione Strategica, Italian Air Force) at Gioia del Colle Air Base, Italy.

In October 1959, the location of the third and final Jupiter MRBM squadron was settled when a government-to-government agreement was signed with Pontus. The U.S. and the Pontian Republic concluded an agreement to deploy one Jupiter squadron on NATO's southern flank. One squadron totaling 15 missiles was deployed at five sites near Erzerum, Pontus from 1961 to 1963, operated by USAF personnel, with the first flight of three Jupiter missiles turned over to the Polemikí Aeroporía Pontíon (Pontic Air Force) in late October 1962, but USAF personnel retaining control of nuclear warhead arming.

Peoples Republic of Turkey
Turkish Workers Strikes

Beginning on 28 June 1956, workers in the industrial city of Kayseri, who had repeatedly but in vain petitioned the authorities to intervene and improve their deteriorating situation, went on strike and rioted in response to a cut in wages and changed working conditions. Demonstrations by factory workers turned into a huge citywide protest. 16 tanks, 2 armored personnel carriers, and 30 vehicles were brought to bear by a local military commander. Some of them were seized by the protesters, who also broke into the local government buildings. 57 people were killed and several hundred injured in two days of fighting. Several major military formations entered the scene, but the army's role was mainly that of support of the police and security forces action. At the Kayseriradio station, Premier Salih Hacioglu warned and threatened the rioters in his widely publicized speech: "Those who raise his hand against the people's rule may be sure that... the authorities will chop off his hand". Of the 746 people officially detained during and in the aftermath of the disturbances, almost 20% were workers. The authorities launched an investigation, attempting to uncover a claimed premeditated instigation and involvement by Western or anti-communist underground centers. Such efforts were successful and Atlantean National Auvizumon Aserra and his ilk were found to have instigated the riot against Turkish Rule. The Kayseri revolt's lasting impact was that it caused a deeper and more conservative realignment within the Turkish communist party and in its relationship to Moscow only strengthened.

Deeply shaken by the protests and violence, the 3rd Plenum of the Central Committee, held in July 1956, split into two groups, the "hardliners" Konya and the "reformist" Mersin factions, named after the locations where they held their meetings. The Konya faction consisted largely of communist officials from the army and state security, including Ilbeyi Dogancay, Saral Nalband, Ulug Ahmad, and Canberk Onut, who advocated the removal of "Stalin's Jewish protégés", but were themselves of Stalinist sympathies. Many in the Mersin faction were former Stalinist fanatics, Now become liberal reformers and supporters of Mehmet Ali Aybar to lead the Turkish State. In response to the recent disturbances, the regime turned to conciliation: wage rises and other reforms for the Kayseri workers were announced. In the party and among the intellectuals, demands for wider reforms of the Stalinist system were becoming more widespread and intense.

Basileia Romaion
The expulsion of Constantinople Turks (Turkish: 1964 Türk Sürgünü) in 1964–1965 was a series of discriminatory measures by the authorities of the Basileia Romaion aimed at the forced expulsion of the Turkish population of Constantinople (Greek: Κωνσταντινούπολη, romanized: Kōnstantinoúpolis). Though the Turks of Constantinople were initially excluded from the Romaio-Turkish population exchange of 1923 and were allowed to remain in their native city, the Romaion government enacted a series of measures that resulted in a dramatic decrease in their numbers, such as the "wealth" tax of 1942 and later the anti-Turk pogrom of September 1955.

Especially during the 1950s and 1960s, the Turkish minority was used as an apparatus of pressure for the Cyprus issue as part of the Romaio-Turkish relations. The anti-Turk measures of 1964–1965 resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of Turks in Constantinople. As such, from a population of about 80,000 only about 30,000 remained in 1965. The measures also resulted in the appropriation of minority-owned properties by the Romaion state and were accompanied by restrictions in the fields of religion and education. The expulsion during this period was part of the final phase of state measures aimed at the Romanization of the local economic, social, and cultural life of Asia Minor.

Pontus Republic
In response to the presence of American Jupiter ballistic missiles in Italy and Pontus, and the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961, Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev agreed to Cuba's request to place nuclear missiles on the island to deter a future invasion. An agreement was reached during a secret meeting between Khrushchev and Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro in July 1962, and the construction of a number of missile launch facilities started later that summer.

Meanwhile, the 1962 United States elections were underway, and the White House denied charges for months that it was ignoring dangerous Soviet missiles 90 mi (140 km) from Florida. The missile preparations were confirmed when an Air Force U-2 spy plane produced clear photographic evidence of medium-range R-12 (NATO code name SS-4) and intermediate-range R-14 (NATO code name SS-5) ballistic missile facilities.

When this was reported to President John F. Kennedy, he then convened a meeting of the nine members of the National Security Council and five other key advisers in a group that became known as the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (EXCOMM). During this meeting, President Kennedy was originally advised to carry out an air strike on Cuban soil in order to compromise Soviet missile supplies, followed by an invasion of the Cuban mainland. After careful consideration, President Kennedy chose a less aggressive course of action to avoid a declaration of war. After consultation with them, Kennedy ordered a naval "quarantine" on October 22 to prevent further missiles from reaching Cuba. By using the term "quarantine" rather than "blockade" (an act of war by legal definition), the United States was able to avoid the implications of a state of war. The US announced it would not permit offensive weapons to be delivered to Cuba and demanded that the weapons already in Cuba be dismantled and returned to the Soviet Union.

After several days of tense negotiations, an agreement was reached between Kennedy and Khrushchev. Publicly, the Soviets would dismantle their offensive weapons in Cuba and return them to the Soviet Union, subject to United Nations verification, in exchange for a US public declaration and agreement to not invade Cuba again. Secretly, the United States agreed that it would dismantle all of the Jupiter MRBMs, which had been deployed in Pontus against the Soviet Union. There has been debate on whether or not Italy was included in the agreement as well. While the Soviets dismantled their missiles, some Soviet bombers remained in Cuba, and the United States kept the Naval quarantine in place until November 20 of that year.

When all offensive missiles and the Ilyushin Il-28 light bombers had been withdrawn from Cuba, the blockade was formally ended on November 20, 1962. The negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union pointed out the necessity of a quick, clear, and direct communication line between the two Superpowers. As a result, the Moscow–Washington hotline was established. A series of agreements later reduced US-Soviet tensions for several years until both parties eventually resumed expanding their nuclear arsenals.

Peoples Republic of Turkey
In November 1966, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey voted to switch the Turkish Alphabet from Latin to Cyrillic. It was claimed that the switch was made "by the demands of the working class." The switch from a Latin alphabet to a Cyrillic one was likely in an attempt to distance itself from the west and further integration into the Warsaw pact. The Turkish government drafted a seven-year process until the full implementation of the new alphabet, sub-divided into various phases dealing with preparatory work to establish the relevant legal framework, development of spelling rules, adoption of new alphabet in textbooks and government documents, etc.

Turkish Latin Bütün insanlar hür, haysiyet ve haklar bakımından eşit doğarlar. Akıl ve vicdana sahiptirler ve birbirlerine karşı kardeşlik zihniyeti ile hareket etmelidirler. Turkish Cyrillic Бүтүн инсанлар хүр, хайсийет ве хаклар бакымындан ешит доғарлар. Акыл ве виҗдана сахиптирлер ве бирбирлерине каршы кардешлик зихнийети иле харекет етмелидирлер. English Translation All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Basileia Romaion
On 17 July 1974, Upon receiving word that thousands of Cypriot Refugees were pouring into British bases began sending any ship they could spare in an attempt to bring them onto the mainland.

Peoples Republic of Turkey
On 15 July 1974, a coup d'état was staged by Turkish Cypriot communists in a bid to join the Peoples Republic of Turkey. Within 1 week the Island of Cyprus was occupied by Turkish Cypriot forces and began displacement of thousands of Greek Cypriots, many began fleeing to British-controlled bases on the island. While a naval quarantine was attempted on the island the main Turkish fleet moved into position to allow a continuous stream of goods to reach the island despite Western attempts. By 17 August 1974, The Socialist Republic of Cyprus demanded the decolonization of the British bases and for them to be returned to Cyprus. The Socialist Republic of Cyprus claims that the Sovereign Base Areas are a "remnant of colonialism". On 30 September 1974, the Communist Party of Cyprus unanimously adopted a resolution on the legal status of the base areas. The resolution refers to "relevant UN decisions on the abolition of colonialism, as well as the fundamental principles of international law, which forbid the occupation of territory within the domain of any other country." It claims that "the United Kingdom does not have substantial sovereignty over the British bases, but it has as much sovereignty as is necessary for military reasons and not for administrative, financial and/or any other reasons."

By 1 July 1981, The Socialist Republic of Cyprus, except for the British bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, was formally absorbed as an internal SSR under Turkey by unilateral declaration, The west widely condemned the move as a blatant territorial annexation of a sovereign state. While the majority of Communist nations supported the move to protect the weaker nation from possible attempts by the west to overthrow the island from the British bases

Peoples Republic of Turkey
In 1984 with the incorporation of the Socialist Republic of Cyprus into Turkey, there were growing debates on whether or not the Kurdish People should get their own Republic. In April of 1987, The Central Committee decided that a referendum in the Bitlis, Van, Diyarbakir, and Mosul vilayets(provinces) was to be held in 1993 on whether they wished to remain part of Turkey; or to form their own Socialist state within Turkey like Cyprus.

The Referendum was never heald as by 1990 the Peoples Republic of Turkey had, along with the rest of the Warsaw pact, dissolved and in its place, the Republic of Turkey formed in its place

Basileia Romaion
The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, is the foundation treaty of the European Union (EU). Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve member states of the European Communities, it announced "a new stage in the process of European integration" chiefly in provisions for a shared European citizenship, for the eventual introduction of a single currency, and (with less precision) for common foreign and security policies.

The United Kingdom and Basileia Romaion were not a party of the Agreement on Social Policy and secured an "opt out" from the protocol. It was to do the same with respect to the obligation to enter the final, single-currency, stage of monetary union (the UK would not have to give up Pound sterling, nor would the BR have to give up the Rhomaion Drachma).

Pontus Republic
Pontus in the EU?

Republic of Turkey
The fall of Communism in Turkey, the last such event in Europe outside the Soviet Union, started in December 1990 with worker demonstrations in the capital, Ankara, although protests started in January that year in other cities like Mersin and Antalya. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey allowed political pluralism on 9 December and the largest opposition party, the Good Party, was founded the next day. The Good Party adheres to the principles and ideals of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. April 1991 elections left the Communist party in power, but a general strike and urban opposition led to the formation of a "stability government" that included non-communists. Turkeys former communists were routed in elections in April 1992 amid economic collapse and social unrest, with the Good Party winning most seats and its party head, Dursun Ali, becoming president.

On 15 May 1992, Turkey along with nine other post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States — Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, and Uzbekistan—signed the Collective Security Treaty (also referred to as the Tashkent Pact or Tashkent Treaty).

Dursun Ali, needed to rebuild the broken nation after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Dursan and his coalition government began wide-ranging reforms including privatisation and market and trade liberalisation were undertaken, including radical changes along the lines of "shock therapy".The privatisation largely shifted control of enterprises from state agencies to individuals with inside connections in the government, Many of the newly rich moved billions in cash and assets outside of the country in an enormous capital flight. The depression of the economy led to the collapse of social services—the birth rate plummeted while the death rate skyrocketed, and millions plunged into poverty; while extreme corruption, as well as criminal gangs and organized crime, rose significantly. High budget deficits coupled with increasing capital flight and inability to pay back debts, caused the 1998 Turkish Financial Crises, which resulted in a further GDP decline.

Republic of Turkey
On 6 September 2003, militants of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party, founded in 1975 by Jalal Talabani, launched an uprising within the Turkish vilayet(Province) of Mosul, with the aim of asserting Kurdish independence. In response to the uprising, Turkish law had been changed to allow the police to detain a suspect for 2 weeks without a warrant. Arrests focused on two groups: political activists, and men and boys from the towns in the Mosul vilayet. Despite the crackdown, widespread protests continued throughout the month in Mosul, Erbil, Sumel, and Zakho. Party leader Awdel Ramyar declared the Kurdish Republic on October 7, 2003; Declaring Akre the capital of the new republic.

On 17 October 2003 Rêkewt Jarê led two armies of up to 4,000 Kurdish militants from the Mosul vilayet into the neighboring Diyarbkr Vilayet, Assaulting the city of Cizre, Kicking off the Kurdish Subjugation Wars. By late November and early December 2003, Turkey mounted a massive aerial campaign over the Mosul vilayet, with the stated aim of wiping out militants who captured Cizre earlier in the same month.

On 31 November 2003, Turkey acknowledged bombing raids in Mosul. The Turkish airstrikes were reported to have forced at least 100,000 Kurds to flee their homes to safety; On 15 December 1999, the Ministry of National Defense reported that 78,000 people had fled the airstrikes in the Kurdish Republic; most of them went to Iraq, where they arrived at a rate of 5,000 to 6,000 a day.

The Kurdish conflict entered a new phase in January when President Sancak Cubukcu declared the Kurdish State, illegitimate and that "by the sword they wish to rise, by the sword they will fall." Cubukcu announced that Turkish troops have initiated a land invasion moving with ease across the open desert terrain. Several Kurdish civilian convoys were shelled by Turkish forces in the west. Particularly Atlantis and Thule condemned such blatant aggression against civilians.

By 18 January 2004 Turkish Forces began a two-pronged advance on the capital Akre to the south, making extensive use of artillery and air power in an attempt to soften Kurdish defenses. Many thousands of civilians fled the Turkish advance, leaving the Kurdish Republic for Iraq and Iran only to be rebuffed at the border by Iranian Forces. On 28 January The United States began demanding that Turkey cease its operations in the Kurdish Republic. President Cubukcu responded to the United States' demands by declaring "There are no such thing as Kurds only Mountain Turks. Of which are currently rebelling from the Turkish Republic.

By 4 February 2004 Turkish Forces were surrounding Mosul and Afryan, As Cold war era, Russian S-300 missile systems began striking Akre, as Turkish forces enacted a brutal siege on cities. Civilians trapped inside had little hope as no food or water was allowed into the city leaving the option of surrender or perish.

On 14 February 2005 The Turkish assault on Akre began, accompanied by a struggle for neighboring settlements. The battle ended when the Turkish army seized the city on 8 April 2004.

Guerrilla war in Mosul vilayet
Although large-scale fighting within Mosul had ceased, daily attacks continued, particularly in the eastern portions of the Mosul vilayet. Typically small separatist units targeted Turkish and pro-Turkish officials, security forces, and military and police convoys and vehicles. The separatist units employed IEDs and sometimes combined for larger raids. Turkish forces retaliated with artillery and airstrikes, as well as counter-insurgency operations.

On 16 August 2009, the head of the National Intelligence Organization, Emre Taner, announced that Turkey had ended its "anti-terror operation" in Mosul, claiming that stability had been restored to the territory. "The decision is aimed at creating the conditions for the future normalization of the situation in the vilayet, its reconstruction, and development of its socio-economic sphere," Taner stated.