Why did Greece not join the Gallipoli Campaign?

Greece, due to its geographical proximity and the conditions of the time, could very well have participated in the Gallipoli Campaign and entered the First World War. In January 1915, when the operation began to be planned, neither the British nor the French had a single division to send to Gallipoli. Greece could have rushed to the aid of the Allied powers with its army during this critical process. The architect of the Gallipoli campaign, Winston Churchill, invited the Greeks to the operation in the hope of using Greek infantry at the Dardanelles, and Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos accepted this invitation with pleasure, agreeing to send at least three divisions. However, for various reasons, Greece would not become a part of this operation.

The first reason that led to Greece staying out of the war in 1915 came from within. King Constantine and Chief of General Staff Ioannis Metaxas did not approve of Venizelos's plans in any way and did not allow Greece to embark on such an adventure. The Danish-born king opposed Greece entering the war on the side of the Allied powers due to his admiration for Germany. According to him, Germany would win the war, and therefore, entering the war as an enemy of Germany was a huge mistake.

Metaxas, on the other hand, was more rational in his opposition. At the time the Gallipoli campaign was being planned, it was almost certain that Serbia would be out of the war. Although the Serbs had repelled the Austrians in December 1914, it was certain that Germany would eventually intervene. If Germany attacked Serbia, the Serbs would have no chance. With the fall of Serbia, the Germans would reach the Greek border. If Greece were to enter the war on the side of the Allied powers, the country would become the gateway for the British and French into the Balkans. It was obvious that Germany would not tolerate a bridgehead in the southeast where the Allied powers could enter at any moment at that time. Therefore, if Greece had entered the war in 1915, an attack planned by the Germans, which also included Bulgaria and the Ottomans, was almost certain to occur shortly thereafter. Metaxas had stated that he would only approve of Greece entering the war on the condition that a considerable number of British and French troops were stationed in Greece. However, it was out of the question for the British and French to send troops to Greece at that time, and they had made no such promise. Indeed, the British and French wanted to take Greece on their side precisely because they did not have enough troops of their own.

Despite the opposition of King Constantine and Metaxas, Venizelos would continue to negotiate with the Allied powers. As a result of Venizelos not heeding his warnings, Metaxas submitted his resignation on March 2. However, Greece's entry into the war depended on the king's approval, and as a result of Constantine not giving his approval, Venizelos also submitted his resignation on March 6. As a result of Venizelos's resignation, Greece's entry into the First World War was postponed for two years.

The other reason that kept Greece out of the war came from outside, from Russia. Russia had entered the war with the aim of obtaining Istanbul and the straits, and the last thing the Russians wanted to see was another state entering Istanbul in victory. The British had promised to leave Istanbul to the Russians and also promised the Greeks Izmir and the Aegean coast. However, the Russians knew that the Greeks would enter the war for Istanbul, and even the possibility of Istanbul being a subject of negotiation was unacceptable to Russia. Therefore, as soon as they learned that the British and Greeks were negotiating, they vetoed Greece's entry into the war.

Although the Russian veto was taken into account, it was not enough to stop the British-Greek negotiations. The Russians were quite angry when they learned in early March that the negotiations were still ongoing, and they stated in no uncertain terms on March 3 that they would withdraw from the war if Greece joined the operation. The British and French could not risk Russia leaving the war. Therefore, from that date on, they ended their negotiations with the Greeks.

The British inviting the Greeks to the Gallipoli campaign had created an unstoppable excitement in Greece. After all, the promises the British made to the Greeks were an opportunity that comes once in a thousand years. On the other hand, war was a gamble and could have resulted in the total loss of the country. The potential risks of the war plunged the country into a period of crisis. However, in the final analysis, the role Greece would play in the First World War was decided at the gaming table of the great powers. With the Russian veto on March 3, the possibility of Greece participating in the Gallipoli Campaign ended completely. Therefore, it can be said that Greece experienced a period of unnecessary political turmoil during this process.