Trial of the Six: What Happened
In November 1922, six leading figures of Greece's royalist government and army were executed after being found guilty of high treason for their role in the Asia Minor Catastrophe. After the collapse of the Greek army, a group of army officers led by Colonels Nikolaos Plastiras and Stylianos Gonatas staged a revolt in September 1922, forced King Constantine I to abdicate and took power. Public anger over the disaster was enormous, and the new revolutionary government set up a special military court to punish those it held responsible. Eight men were put on trial. Six were sentenced to death: former prime ministers Dimitrios Gounaris and Petros Protopapadakis, former prime minister Nikolaos Stratos, the ministers Georgios Baltatzis and Nikolaos Theotokis, and General Georgios Hatzianestis, the commander in Asia Minor. They were executed by firing squad at Goudi on 15 November 1922, hours after the verdict. Foreign governments, especially Britain, protested strongly. Historians have widely criticized the trial as politically motivated. In 2010, after a request from a descendant, Greece's Supreme Court overturned the convictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Trial of the Six?
The Trial of the Six was a 1922 trial in which six leading royalist politicians and officers were convicted of treason for the Asia Minor Catastrophe and executed.
Who were the Six executed in 1922?
They were Dimitrios Gounaris, Petros Protopapadakis, Nikolaos Stratos, Georgios Baltatzis, Nikolaos Theotokis and General Georgios Hatzianestis.
Where were the Six executed?
The six men were executed by firing squad at Goudi, near Athens, on 15 November 1922, hours after the verdict.
Was the Trial of the Six fair?
Historians have widely criticized the trial as politically motivated. Foreign governments, especially Britain, protested strongly at the time.
Were the Six ever cleared?
In 2010, following a request from a descendant of one of the men, Greece's Supreme Court overturned the convictions, nearly ninety years after the executions.
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