Nikolaos Christodoulou

Nikolaos Christodoulou (Greek: Νικόλαος Χριστοδούλου) was a Greek infantry officer who rose to the rank of Major General.

Nikolaos Christodoulou
Christodoulou c. 1916
Native name
Νικόλαος Χριστοδούλου
Born18 July 1863[1]
Chalcis, Kingdom of Greece
Diedc. 1924
AllegianceKingdom of Greece Kingdom of Greece
Service/branch Hellenic Army
Years of service1878–1924
Rank Major General
Commands held1st Infantry Regiment
3rd Infantry Regiment
Serres Division
WarsGreco-Turkish War (1897)
Balkan Wars
World War I

Biography edit

 
Christodoulou with his men during their arrival in Thessaloniki c. 1916
 
Christodoulou welcomed by Zymvrakakis in Thessaloniki

Christodoulou was born on 18 July 1863 in Chalcis. He enlisted in the Hellenic Army on 14 July 1878. By 1897 he was an officer in the 2nd Infantry Regiment, and fought in the Greco-Turkish War 1897.[2]

In the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 he initially served as battalion commander in the 3rd Infantry Regiment. On 20 June 1913 and until the Battle of Kresna he assumed command of the 1st Infantry Regiment following the death of the latter's commander, Col. F. Dialetis. He then returned to command his battalion for a few days, before assuming command of the entire 3rd Regiment, which he led during the last days of the Second Balkan War.[2]

In 1916, following the Bulgarian invasion of eastern Macedonia, he did not obey orders from Athens to surrender and joined with his men the "National Defence" in Thessaloniki and assumed command of the Serres Division, which he led to the front near Gevgeli in December 1916. He continued to command the division until 1918, when he was replaced due to illness. He retired on 24 April 1924.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b c Μεγάλη Στρατιωτική και Ναυτική Εγκυκλοπαιδεία. Τόμος Στ′: Σαράντα Εκκλησίαι – Ώχρα [Great Military and Naval Encyclopedia. Volume VI] (in Greek). Athens. 1930. p. 597.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)