On this day, March 7, 1948, in the aftermath of World War II, the Dodecanese Islands in the southeastern Aegean are united to Greece. The islands were under Italian occupation between 1912-1943, German occupation between 1943-1945, and temporarily under British military administration between 1945-1947.
After centuries of Ottoman rule, the Italians seized the Dodecanese Islands during the successful Italian victory in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-1912. Although the Ottoman Empire had contested Italian control, a decade later, Turkey formally renounced claims to the islands under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, thus recognizing the islands as Italian territory.
During the fascist period of Italy (1922-1943), Mussolini turned the islands into a colony (known as the "Possedimenti Italiani dell'Egeo"), and focused efforts on Italy's naval expansion and Italianization.
Following the Italian armistice with the Allies on September 8, 1943, the Italian garrison in the Dodecanese was in disarray. Germany quickly moved to occupy the islands, launching a successful attack on Rhodes (September 9-11, 1943) and later capturing Kos and Leros.
Britain tried to occupy the islands after Italy's surrender to use them as bases against Germany. However, the German forces, aided by air superiority, defeated the British and Italian forces, taking full control of the islands by late November 1943. The Germans maintained control of the islands until the end of the war, surrendering to British forces in May 1945.
After World War II ended, the islands were placed under a temporary British military administration. Under the 1947 Treaty of Paris, Italy officially ceded the Dodecanese Islands to Greece. The transfer was partly because the population was overwhelmingly Greek and also due to Italy's status as a defeated Axis power.
Law 518/1948 "on the annexation of the Dodecanese to Greece" was published by the Greek government on January 9, 1948, with retroactive effect from October 28, 1947.
The islands were formally integrated into the Greek state on March 7, 1948.
Long live the Dodecanese!
Long live Greece!
Hellenic Canadian Research Institute
After centuries of Ottoman rule, the Italians seized the Dodecanese Islands during the successful Italian victory in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-1912. Although the Ottoman Empire had contested Italian control, a decade later, Turkey formally renounced claims to the islands under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, thus recognizing the islands as Italian territory.
During the fascist period of Italy (1922-1943), Mussolini turned the islands into a colony (known as the "Possedimenti Italiani dell'Egeo"), and focused efforts on Italy's naval expansion and Italianization.
Following the Italian armistice with the Allies on September 8, 1943, the Italian garrison in the Dodecanese was in disarray. Germany quickly moved to occupy the islands, launching a successful attack on Rhodes (September 9-11, 1943) and later capturing Kos and Leros.
Britain tried to occupy the islands after Italy's surrender to use them as bases against Germany. However, the German forces, aided by air superiority, defeated the British and Italian forces, taking full control of the islands by late November 1943. The Germans maintained control of the islands until the end of the war, surrendering to British forces in May 1945.
After World War II ended, the islands were placed under a temporary British military administration. Under the 1947 Treaty of Paris, Italy officially ceded the Dodecanese Islands to Greece. The transfer was partly because the population was overwhelmingly Greek and also due to Italy's status as a defeated Axis power.
Law 518/1948 "on the annexation of the Dodecanese to Greece" was published by the Greek government on January 9, 1948, with retroactive effect from October 28, 1947.
The islands were formally integrated into the Greek state on March 7, 1948.
Long live the Dodecanese!
Long live Greece!
Hellenic Canadian Research Institute
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