Burning of Smyrna

Quick Facts: Who was Burning of Smyrna?

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Burning of Smyrna

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The catastrophic 1922 fire that destroyed much of Smyrna, marking a pivotal moment in Greco-Turkish relations.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The burning of Smyrna destroyed much of the port city of Smyrna (modern İzmir, Turkey) in September 1922. The fire started on 13 September 1922 and was largely extinguished on 22 September. It began four days after the Turkish military captured the city on 9 September, effectively ending the Greco-Turkish War, more than three years after the Greek landing of troops at Smyrna. Greek and Armenian deaths resulting from the fire and the ensuing massacres were in the tens or hundreds of thousands. The fire completely destroyed the Greek and Armenian quarters of the city; the Muslim and Jewish quarters escaped damage.

Career & Major Achievements

The Western European quarter, home to Italian, French, British, and American residents, was also destroyed. Approximately 80,000 to 400,000 Greek and Armenian refugees crammed the waterfront to escape from the fire. They were forced to remain there under harsh conditions for nearly two weeks. Turkish troops and irregulars had started committing massacres and atrocities against the Greek and Armenian population in the city before the outbreak of the fire. Tens of thousands of Greek and Armenian men were subsequently deported into "labour battalions" in the interior of Anatolia, where most of them died in harsh conditions.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Despite differing accounts and eyewitness reports concerning the responsibility for the fire, there is an international historical consensus that Turkish nationalists were responsible for igniting and spreading the fire, as well as for the systematic destruction and atrocities committed during it. Although a few, Turkish or pro-Turkish, sources hold that the Greeks or Armenians started the fire, most contemporary sources and modern scholars attribute it to Turkish soldiers setting fire to Greek and Armenian homes, churches and businesses to eradicate the last traces of Christian presence in Anatolia. Testimonies from Western eyewitnesses were printed in many Western newspapers. The event is considered one of the most catastrophic urban fires in history, as well as an act of genocide and a war crime; it is considered the "symbolic end" of the Greek genocide, and still remains a source of tension between Greece and Turkey. Winston Churchill called it an "infernal orgy" and stated that: "For a deliberately planned and methodically executed atrocity, Smyrna must...find few parallels in the history of human crime".

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1922: 1922 Milestone — The burning of Smyrna destroyed much of the port city of Smyrna (modern İzmir, Turkey) in September 1922.

Notable Quotes by Burning of Smyrna

“For a deliberately planned and methodically executed atrocity, Smyrna must...find few parallels in the history of human crime.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Burning of Smyrna

True or False: “The fire that destroyed Smyrna began on September 13, 1922, after the Turkish military captured the city.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The text states the fire started on September 13, 1922, which was four days after the Turkish capture of the city on September 9th.

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