Leonidas Paraskevopoulos (Greek: Λεωνίδας Παρασκευόπουλος; 7 October 1860 – 16 May 1936) was a senior officer of the Hellenic Army and politician. He played a major role in Greece's war effort during World War I, and was the commander-in-chief of the Army of Asia Minor in 1919–20. In later life he was a member of the Greek Senate and served as its speaker in 1930–32.
Life
Leonidas Paraskevopoulos was born on 7 October 1860 on the island of Kythnos.[2] His family hailed from Smyrna, Asia Minor.
Kepi and sword of Paraskevopoulos, National Historical Museum, Athens.
In World War I, Paraskevopoulos became commander of I Army Corps on the Strymon sector on the eastern flank of the Macedonian front in 1917–18, before being appointed commander-in-chief of the Greek Army in October 1918.[2] After World War I, Paraskevopoulos took over direct command of the Greek forces that occupied Smyrna in 1919 in accordance with the Treaty of Sèvres. Under his command, the Hellenic Army successfully extended their occupation zone, from the greater Smyrna area, south to Aydın and north to Bursa.[citation needed]
With the electoral victory of the pro-monarchist United Opposition in November 1920, he was dismissed on 25 November 1920.[2] After the end of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), Paraskevopoulos entered politics. He was appointed to the Greek Senate in 1929 "on merit", and served as President of the Senate in 1930–32.
^Note: Greece officially adopted the Gregorian calendar on 16 February 1923 (which became 1 March). All dates prior to that, unless specifically denoted, are Old Style.
^ abcdefg"Παρασκευόπουλος Λεωνίδας". Μεγάλη Στρατιωτικὴ καὶ Ναυτικὴ Ἐγκυκλοπαιδεία. Tόμος Πέμπτος: Νάβα–Σαρακηνοί [Great Military and Naval Encyclopaedia. Volume V: Nave–Saracens] (in Greek). Athens: Ἔκδοσις Μεγάλης Στρατιωτικῆς καὶ Ναυτικῆς Ἐγκυκλοπαιδείας. 1930. p. 260. OCLC31255024.
^Acović, Dragomir (2012). Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima. Belgrade: Službeni Glasnik. p. 601.