Of general interest to those of us who are interested in modern Greek history, of which Paddy was very much a part. Sir Michael Llewellyn Smith actively involved with Paddy and Joan’s house.

Tuesday 12 December, 2023, 7pm
Hellenic Centre, Paddington Street W1U 5AS

With Professor Roderick Beaton and Sir Michael Llewellyn Smith

Two diplomatic agreements concluded in the Swiss town of Lausanne one hundred years ago, in 1923, drastically changed the lives of millions of people on Europe’s southeastern borders and very largely established the boundaries of today’s Greece and Turkey. The ‘Convention concerning the exchange of Greek and Turkish populations’, signed at Lausanne on 30 January 1923, enforced a mass movement of people between the two countries; the Treaty of Lausanne, in July, concluded the terms of peace between them, with an important mediating role played by Great Britain. The event will focus on three aspects of this story: first, a brief narrative of events from the Greek landing in Smyrna/Izmir in May 1919 to the victory of the Turkish Nationalists under Mustafa Kemal (later known as Atatürk) in September 1922; second, an assessment of the role of the Greek statesman Eleftherios Venizelos in the Greek defeat; third, thoughts on some of the British, Greek, Turkish and other politicians, diplomats and others who met at Lausanne to draw up the terms of the Treaty.

There is no charge for this event, but please email secretary@hellenicsociety.org.uk to reserve a place.

Further information (well actually not a lot!) is here.