Editing History of modern Greece (section)

===Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)===
{{Main|Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)}}
[[File:Hellenism in the Near East 1918.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The Greek Kingdom and the [[Greek diaspora]] in the Balkans and western Asia Minor, according to a 1919 map submitted to the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|Paris Peace Conference]].]]

With the end of the war in November 1918, the moribund Ottoman Empire was ready to be carved up among the victors, and Greece now expected the Allies to deliver on their promises. In no small measure through the diplomatic efforts of Venizelos, Greece secured [[Western Thrace]] in the [[Treaty of Neuilly]] in November 1919{{Sfn|Koliopoulos|Veremis|2009|p=75}} and [[Eastern Thrace]] and a zone around [[Smyrna]] in western [[Anatolia]] (already under Greek administration as the [[Occupation of Smyrna]] since May 1919) in the [[Treaty of Sèvres]] of August 1920. The future of Constantinople was left to be determined. But at the same time, a [[Turkish National Movement]] rose in [[Turkey]] led by [[Kemal Atatürk|Mustafa Kemal]] (later Kemal Atatürk), who set up a rival government in [[Ankara]] and was engaged in fighting the Greek army.{{Sfn|Gallant|2015|p=325}}

[[File:Greco Turkish War 1919-1922.svg|thumb|Map of the military developments during the [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)]].]]

At this point, the fulfillment of the ''Megali Idea'' seemed near. Yet so deep was the rift in Greek society that on his return to Greece, an assassination attempt was made on Venizelos by two royalist former officers. Even more surprisingly, Venizelos' [[Liberal Party (Greece)|Liberal Party]] lost the [[Greek legislative election, 1920|Greek elections of November 1920]], and in the [[Greek plebiscite, 1920|Greek plebescite of 1920]], the Greek people voted for the return of King Constantine from exile after the sudden death of King Alexander.{{Sfn|Koliopoulos|Veremis|2009|p=88}}

The United Opposition, which had campaigned on the slogan of an end to the [[Asia Minor Campaign]] in Anatolia, instead intensified it. But the royalist restoration had dire consequences: many veteran Venizelist officers were dismissed or left the army, while Italy and France found the return of the hated Constantine a useful pretext for switching their support to Kemal. Finally, in August 1922, the Turkish army shattered the Greek front, and took Smyrna in an operation that led to the disastrous [[Great Fire of Smyrna]].

The Greek army evacuated not only Anatolia, but also Eastern Thrace and the islands of [[Imbros]] and [[Tenedos]] in accordance with the terms of the [[Treaty of Lausanne (1923)]]. A [[population exchange between Greece and Turkey]] was agreed between the two countries, with over 1.5 million Christians and almost half a million Muslims being uprooted. This catastrophe marked the end of the ''Megali Idea'', and left Greece financially exhausted, demoralized, and having to house and feed a proportionately huge number of [[Greek refugees]].{{Sfn|Koliopoulos|Veremis|2009|pp=93–94}}