Battle of Lesbos (1912) 1912
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 21 November 1912 – 21 December 1912 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1912 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | Greece | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | First Balkan War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Kingdom of Greece, Ottoman Empire | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 39.2100, 26.2800 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Lesbos took place from 21 November – 21 December 1912 during the First Balkan War, resulting in the capture of the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos by the Kingdom of Greece.
Greek naval forces, commanded by Rear Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis, landed at the island's capital, Mytilene on 21 November 1912, while the Ottoman garrison evacuated the city. The operation to secure the rest of the island was then assigned to Colonel Apollodoros Syrmakezis. His forces were roughly equal in number to the Ottoman garrison, commanded by Major Abdul Ghani Pasha. Greek forces advanced methodically toward the Ottoman fortified camp at Filia, and reached its outskirts by 19 December. On 20 December, as the Greeks prepared to launch an assault, Ottoman commanders requested an armistice, leading to negotiations that culminated in the formal surrender of the Ottoman garrison on 21 December.
The capture of Lesbos, along with other Aegean islands, was a significant strategic gain for Greece. However, the final status of these islands became a subject of prolonged diplomatic negotiations, as the Ottoman Empire initially refused to cede them.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Lesbos (1912) (revision 1372717700), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of Mytilene (81 BC) 81 BC · 25 km
- Battle of Mytilene (1690) 1690 · 26 km
- Siege of Mytilene (1464) 1464 · 27 km
- Battle of Arginusae 406 BC · 49 km
- Battle of the Oinousses Islands 1695 · 60 km
- Battle of Tenedos (86 BC) 86 BC · 70 km
Other battles of the First Balkan War
- Battle of Chios (1912) 1912
- Battle of Elli 1912
- Battle of Kaliakra (1912) 1912
- Battle of Kardzhali 1912
- Battle of Kirk Kilisse 1912
- Battle of Kumanovo 1912
- Battle of Lule Burgas 1912
- Battle of Lumë 1912
- Battle of Merhamli 1912
- Battle of Monastir 1912
All 25 battles of the First Balkan War →
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