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Greek army

Hellenic Army
Ελληνικός Στρατός
Hellenic Army Seal
Hellenic Army Seal
Founded 1821 (de facto)
1828 (official)
Country  Greece
Allegiance Hellenic Republic
Type Land Forces
Role National Defence
Size standard numbers in peacetime:
nominal 90,000 personnel
(88,262 as of 2011)
(86,150 as of 2013)
wartime strength:
253,500
Part of Hellenic Armed Forces
Formations Formations of the Hellenic Army
Patron Saint George
Motto(s) Ἐλεύθερον τὸ Εὔψυχον
"Freedom Stems from Valour"
Colors Blue-gray, Khaki & Olive             
Equipment 1,913 MBTs, 4,209 IFVs & APCs, and 4,840 artillery pieces
Engagements Greek War of Independence
Greco-Turkish War of 1897
Balkan Wars
World War I
Allied Expedition to the Ukraine
Greco-Turkish War of 1919–22
World War II
Greek Civil War
Korean War
Turkish Invasion of Cyprus
Gulf War
War in Afghanistan
EUFOR Tchad/RCA
War on Terrorism
Commanders
Chief of the Army General Staff Lt. Gen. Alkiviadis Stefanis
Notable
commanders
King Constantine I
Lt. Gen. Panagiotis Danglis
Lt. Gen. Ioannis Metaxas
Lt. Gen. Nikolaos Plastiras
Lt. Gen. Georgios Kondylis
Lt. Gen. Konstantinos Ventiris
Fld. Marshal Alexander Papagos
Lt. Gen. Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos
(see list of generals)
Insignia
Identification marking ΕΣ
Regimental War Flag Hellenic Army War Flag.svg

The Hellenic Army (Greek: Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. Along with the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and the Hellenic Navy (HN), it makes up the Hellenic Armed Forces. It is currently the largest branch of the three. The army is headed by the chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff (HAGS), which in turn is under the command of Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS).

The motto of the Hellenic Army is Ἐλεύθερον τὸ Εὔψυχον (Eleútheron tò Eúpsychon), "Freedom Stems from Valour", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War (2.43.4). The Hellenic Army Emblem is the two-headed eagle with a Greek Cross escutcheon in the centre, representing the links between modern Greece, the Greek Orthodox Church, and the Byzantine Empire.

The Hellenic Army is also the main contributor to, and "lead nation" of, the Balkan Battle Group, a combined-arms rapid-response force under the EU Battlegroup structure.

The main missions of the Hellenic Army are the defence of the state’s independence and integrity, the safeguarding of national territory, and the decisive contribution to the achievement of the country’s policy objectives.

During peacetime, the Army has the following main objectives:

The Hellenic Army traces its origin to the regular units established by the Greek provisional government during the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829). The first of these, an infantry regiment and a small artillery battery, were established in April 1822, and were commanded by European Philhellenes. Lack of funds however forced its disbandment soon after, and it was not until July 1824 that regular units were reformed, under the Greek Colonel Panagiotis Rodios. In May 1825, the first law on conscription was passed, and the command of the entire regular forces entrusted to the French Colonel Charles Fabvier. Under Fabvier, the regular corps expanded, and for the first time came to include cavalry, military music detachments, and, with Lord Byron's aid, military hospitals. The governorship of Ioannis Kapodistrias (1828–1831) saw a drastic reorganization of the national military: a Secretariat on Army and Naval Affairs and the Hellenic Army Academy were created, the Army engineering corps was founded (28 July 1829), and a concerted effort was made to reform the various irregular forces into regular light infantry battalions. Throughout these early years, French influence pervaded the Greek regular army, in tactics as well as appearance, as most of the instructors were French–at first Philhellenes, and later serving officers of General Maison's Expeditionary Corps.


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