Supporting families of the fallen (1897-1922)
by Doctor Anna Batzeli post-doctoral researcher.
Anna Batzeli PhD at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), currently she is working as a postdoctoral researcher on different case-studies in the modern history of Greece and the Balkans. Anna has published two books and several papers. Her publications can be found at: https://auth.academia.edu/AnnaBatzeli
The Committee of Military Archives thanks our friend Anna Batzeli for her commitment and her participation to this project again. Her dedication represents a magnificent and concrete way to support the CAM. Thanks a lot!
Introduction
Between 1897 and 1922, Greece experienced a period of almost uninterrupted military engagement, participating in five major conflicts that included the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, World War I, and the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922.
These wars were driven largely by the Great Idea (Megali Idea), a national movement aiming to expand Greece’s territory to include all areas with significant Greek populations. While Greece achieved significant territorial expansion through these wars, the human cost was enormous, with more than 53,000 military personnel killed and untold numbers of civilian deaths. Parallel to these developments, the island of Crete, which was not formally part of Greece until 1913, waged its own struggles for union with the Greek state and experienced repeated uprisings and loss of life.
The purpose of the project was to explore the various forms of support offered to the families of those who died in these wars.
It focused on both state-led and non-state initiatives, covering efforts made not only in the Greek mainland but also in the semi-autonomous Cretan State between 1898 and 1913.
The research draws upon extensive archival sources, including collections from the Hellenic Army Archives, the General State Archives, the Hellenic Parliament, and newspaper records from major Greek libraries.
Through this wide-ranging historical investigation, the study sheds light on how Greek society addressed the needs of bereaved families during a time of almost constant warfare. The results of this study have been submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal and are currently under review. The purpose of this blog is to present the institutions that hold archives and primary sources, which were consulted during the research.

Figure 1: Announcement regarding the erection of a votive columns commemorating students who had fallen in World War I (source: Νέα Εφημερίς (New Newspaper), January 17, 1919).
Historical Archives Service Directorate
The Historical Archives Service Directorate is a core institution under the Army History Directorate, which operates within the Hellenic Army General Staff.
As one of the most important historical archives in Greece, the Historical Archives Service Directorate safeguards and manages the archival memory of the Hellenic Army and the modern Greek state through a vast collection of official documents, photographs, maps, and personal records.
The archive houses extensive material from all major military and political conflicts involving Greece from the late 19th century to the present.
These include the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908), the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), World War I, the Asia Minor Campaign (1919-1922), World War II, the Greek Civil War (1945-1949), and the Greek Expeditionary Corps in Korea (1950-1955).
It also includes documentation on Greece’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Additionally, the archive contains records of more than 40 personal files of key political and military figures and materials related to the organization and evolution of the Hellenic Army after 1950.
By the end of 2019, the Historical Archives Service had collected approximately 2.5 million documents, including military orders, battle reports, correspondence, maps, diagrams, and photographs. Of these, 1.5 million documents have been digitized and integrated into a searchable internal database.
The institution also maintains a specialized library with about 8,000 Greek and 3,000 foreign-language publications, 3,000 military regulations, and extensive press archives (1954-1992) and encyclical orders (from 1922 onward). The library is actively growing, serving both internal military researchers and visiting scholars.

Figure 2: List of Applications of War Orphans and Widows requesting assistance. Source: Επίσημος Εφημερίς της Κρητικής Πολιτείας (Official Newspaper of the Cretan State), August 11, 1900.
The General State Archives
The General State Archives serves as Greece’s central archival institution. Founded in 1914, its core mission has been to collect, preserve, classify, digitize, and make accessible the official archives and private documents that chronicle Greece’s governmental, social, economic, and cultural history.
As of today, the General State Archives holds archival material from dozens of government bodies and private agencies. Its holdings include administrative records, manuscripts, correspondence, judicial files, electoral rolls, censuses, military lists, business directories, and refugee registries, among many others.

Figure 3: Mary Hunter, an English Philhellene who worked tirelessly to ensure the needs of the families of the fallen were met.
Source: Λεύκωμα του Μικρασιατικού Μετώπου της Φιλέλληνος Αγγλίδος κ. Μαίρης Χούντερ (1922) (Album of the Asia Minor Front by the Philhellene Englishwoman Mrs. Mary Hunter (1922), page 3.
The Historical Archive of Crete
The Historical Archive of Crete, based in Chania, was founded in 1920.
Today, it houses approximately 700,000 historical documents and records dating from 1821 to the present.
The Archive contains more than 170 archival collections, including revolutionary archives and official correspondence from major Cretan uprisings, private archival collections featuring correspondence of revolutionary leaders, generals, local militia commanders, and other prominent figures in Cretan history and the Archive of Cretan Fighters.
The Historical Archive of Crete also contains the complete archive of the Cretan State (1898–1913), as well as, records related to World War II and Crete’s role in the conflict.

Figure 4: Clipping from an article detailing the work of the “Association of Widows and Orphans of the Officers,” which publicly protested the unequal pension benefits granted to different categories of war victims. Widows and orphans of those who died in the Balkan Wars and subsequent conflicts received higher pensions than those whose relatives had fallen in ea8rlier wars. The reason for this disparity remains unclear, but it reportedly affected around 1,500 families.
Source: Ριζοσπάστης (Rizospastis Newspaper), January 16, 1922.
Hellenic Parliament
The Library of the Hellenic Parliament’s Digital Collections include nearly 800,000 pages of parliamentary records, a staggering 14 million pages of newspapers and magazines, and 479 handwritten manuscripts, alongside 3,467 maps and over 3,900 digital map images.
In addition, the repository provides access to legislative texts (including statutes, constitutions, sitting minutes), historical periodicals, and archival materials, organized into the following major categories: Parliamentary Collection, General Collections, Special Collections, Archives, and a Bibliographic Index.
The Newspaper Archive of the Vikelaia Library
The Vikelaia Municipal Library’s Digital Library of Historical Documents offers free online access to a rich collection of newspapers, periodicals, and archival material spanning from the Ottoman era to the present day.
Among its key resources is the Newspaper Archive, where users can browse historic titles covering the period from Ottoman rule onward. The archive is fully searchable by date, issue number, or keyword.
The Newspaper Archive of the National Library of Greece
The Newspaper Archive of the National Library of Greece offers free access to a curated set of historic Greek newspapers, primarily from the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.
The collection features seven major titles, each fully digitized and searchable by date, title, and keyword. These include: Akropolis (1883-1884), Eleftheria (1944-1967), Empros (1896-1969), Makedonia (1911-1981), Rizospastis (1917–1983), Skrip (1893–1963) and Tachydromos (1958–1977)
The digital Library Anemi
Anemi is a digital platform founded in 2006 by the University of Crete Library. Anemi provides free online access to a rich array of digitized material related to Modern Greek Studies, including rare historical texts as well as modern publications. Among Anemi’s collections are over 8,000 bibliographic records of Greek publications from the late medieval period onward, many linked directly to digitized editions.
Closing remarks
The sources consulted in this research highlight the intersection of military and social history through a case study that examines the support provided to the families of fallen soldiers. The project focused on both state-led and non-state initiatives, from 1897 to 1922 when Greece was essentially at war. This prolonged period of conflict affected the entire population, with many losing loved ones. The exhaustion of Greek society underscored the necessity for support initiatives for the families of the fallen. The research drew on both military and non-military archives, which provided critical insights into the social impact of the wars. These resources shed light on the personal stories of the families and the challenges they faced during the post-war period. The documents also emphasized the intersection of military, political, and diplomatic history, showing how supporting fallen soldiers’ families was integral to maintaining morale, both on the front lines and within society. State-led initiatives underscored the government’s role as a welfare provider, reflecting both gratitude to soldiers and an effort to sustain national morale, which was vital for the realization of the “Great Idea” vision. These policies depended on societal participation and consent. In addition to state efforts, private initiatives by individuals, social organizations, and economic entities were essential. These actions demonstrated the societal recognition of soldiers’ sacrifices and the importance of supporting their families.














































