Draft:Venizelism outside of greece (1910-1932)

• Comment: Previous issues still stand. C F A 💬 23:24, 19 October 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: This still reads like a school essay assignment. Theroadislong (talk) 09:38, 22 June 2024 (UTC)

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Venizelism outside of Greece (1910–1922)

Eletherios Venizelos, founder of Venizelism

Venizelism is an ideology based on the belifs of Greek statesman and former prime-minister Eleftherios Venizelos which are a mix of Greek nationalism and Classical liberalism, pushing for a pro-western foreign policy and championing the Megali Idea, Venizelism had significant influnce over Greece during the 20th century to this day it still has indirect influence over Greek politics.

However, Venizelism also had an influnce on the Greek communities of other nations (such as the USA, Asia Minor and Egypt), mainly by establishing pro-Venizelist newspapers and establishing ''Liberal clubs'' across these communities.

Venizelism in Asia Minor

Greek troops landing in Smyrna (1919)

Due to Venizelos supporting of the Megali Idea he managed to gather the support of the Greeks of Asia Minor, epecially after the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) where Epirus,Crete and most of Macedonia (Greece) were incoperated into Greece. Especially after King Constantine and his supporters took a different stance about the Megali Idea and tried to stop Greece from joining the Entente during world war 1 during the National Schism and was actually sympathetic towards the Central Powers.

Following the victory of Eleftherios Venizelos in the National Schism and Entente victory in World War I support for Venizelism grew, especially after the Occupation of Smyrna .

Popularity for Venizelos was still high during the Greco-Turkish War which was still standing even after the Venizelist defeat in the 1920 Greek legislative election. During the Asia Minor Disaster all Greeks,including Venizelists in Asia Minor either died or fled to Greece.

Venizelism in Egypt

Emmanouil Benakis, Alexandrian Elite and asscoite of Venizelos

The Greeks of Egypt supported Venizelism due to the policies and programms from the Greek liberal government especially within the Alexandrian Elites, a notable example is when Egyptian Greek elite, Emmanouil Benakis became the Greek minister of national economy and also became mayor of Athens for some time, another Alexandrian Elite that joined the Venizelist cause was Georgios Roussos who (under Venizelos) became the diplomatic representative of Greece in the United States.

Outside of Elites, Venizelos was also supported between other merchants and white-collar workers, during the National Schism, Venizelos traveled to Egypt and he was welcomed by over 25.000 people.

The Liberal Party (Greece) stopped all proggrams between the mainland and Egypt after the Asia Minor Disaster.

Venizelism in the United States of America

Just like in Egypt, the Venizelist government set up programms in order to be-friend the Greek Americans and as already mentioned, sent Georgio Rousso in order to become a diplomatic representative of Greece in the United States.

The Venizelos Party

During the National Schism there was also a mini-national schism in the Greek American community which started on the 16th of October 1916 with the formation of a Venizelos party which hosted over 10.000 Greek American Venizelists and according to the New York Times from that day the building was overflowing., the meeting was to pledge allegiance to the Provisional Government of National Defenceand to denounce Constantine I of Greece

National Heard Vs Atlantis

Solon Vlastos, founder of the Greek-American Royalist newspaper ''Atlantis''

In order to strengthen the Greek-American Venizelists, the Provisional Government of National Defence funded the creation of the Greek-American, Venizelist, newspaper, the National Herald, owned by Petros Tatanis which was mainly spread through the Greek communities in New York City but also through other Greek Americans.

In contrast, around the same time, a Royalist, Greek American newspaper released called Atlantis found by Vlastos.

Until 1920 the two newspapers (and the whole Greek-American community) clashed with one another, especially the national herald accusing Atlantis of being pro-German and disloyal to both Greece and America.