Athens, Greece - Evzones, Presidential Guard - postcard c.1970s

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  Athens, Greece - Evzones (Presidential Guard)
• Publisher:  'printed in Greece'
• Postally used:  no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s): n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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The Evzones, or Evzoni (Greek: ?????e?, ???????), is the name of several historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, it refers to the members of the Presidential Guard (Greek: ???ed???? F?????), an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Greek: ???µe?? t?? ????st?? St?at??t?), the Presidential Mansion (Greek: ???ed???? ???a??) and the gate of Evzones camp in Athens. The Evzones are also known, colloquially, as Tsoliades (Greek: ?s????de?; singular: ?s????? - Tsolias).

Though the Presidential Guard is a predominantly ceremonial unit, all Evzones are volunteers drawn from the Hellenic Army's Infantry, Artillery and Armoured Corps. Prospective Evzones are usually identified at the Army Recruit Training Centres during Basic Training; there is a minimum height requirement of 1.86 m (6' 1.2"") to join.

The unit is famous around the world for its unique traditional uniform, which has evolved from the clothes worn by the klephts^[1] who fought the Ottoman occupation of Greece. The most visible item of this uniform is the fustanella, a kilt-like garment. Their proven valour and peculiar dress turned them into a popular image for the Greek soldier, especially among foreigners.

In 1833, after the arrival of King Otto, the Greek Army was organized along new lines. The Bavarians that had come with Otto formed the majority of the ""European"" Line Infantry battalions (???µata G?aµµ??). In these units, one rifle company, designated ""Skirmisher"" (????? ????ß???st??) or ""Evzone"" (????? ???????), existed. In addition, ten light ""Skirmisher"" battalions (???µata ????ß???st??) were formed from Greeks, dressed in a uniform based on the garb of the klephts of the War of Independence (1821–1829). In 1836 these battalions were reduced to four, and eight ""Mountain Guard"" battalions (???µata ???f??a???) were formed in their stead; they were grouped into four regiments in 1843. These units were primarily engaged in patrolling the Greco-Ottoman border, combating insurgents and hunting down the many brigands that infested the countryside. The Mountain Guard was incorporated in the strengthened ""Skirmisher"" battalions in 1854.

In December 1867, the first four elite ""Evzone"" light battalions were formed, of four companies each (soon expanded to five), with the task of guarding the frontier. On 12 December 1868, the Royal Guard detachment, initially named Agema (???µa), later the Palace Guard (??a?t????? F?????), composed of two Evzone infantry companies and a cavalry troop, was formed. In 1880-1881, the Evzone units were expanded to nine battalions. They participated in the disastrous 1897 war with Turkey as elements of the regular infantry divisions. In the aftermath of the war, through various reorganizations, the number of Evzone battalions varied from eight to six, operating either independently or divided between the infantry divisions, and were among the first units to be equipped with machine guns.

During the Balkan Wars, eight Evzone battalions existed which operated independently on the vanguard or the flanks of the army. They distinguished themselves for their fighting spirit suffering high casualties, especially among officers. The Evzone units, totalling at their height five regiments, fought with distinction as elite shock troops in the First World War, the Asia Minor Campaign and the Greco-Italian War. During the German invasion in 1941, a memorable event occurred: on April 27, as the German Army was entering Athens, the Germans ascended to the Acropolis of Athens and ordered the young Evzone who was guarding the flag post, Konstantinos Koukidis, to haul the Greek flag down and replace it with the swastika flag. The young soldier did so, but refused to hand over the Greek flag to the Germans, and instead wrapped himself in it and fell off the Acropolis to his death.

After the occupation of the country, in 1943, the collaborationist government raised a number of ""Security Battalions"" (???µata ?sfa?e?a?), which were dressed in the Evzone uniform and participated in operations against the EAM-ELAS partisans. They were derisively known as Germanotsoliades or Tagmatasfalites, and were disbanded after liberation in 1944. After the war, the reconstituted Hellenic Army did not raise the Evzone regiments again, their elite status and role being assumed by the newly established Mountain Raiding Companies (LOK) special forces. As a ceremonial unit it had many names: Palace Guard (Greek: ??a?t????? F?????), Flag Guard (Greek: F????? S?µa?a?), Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Guard (Greek: F????? ???µe??? ????st?? St?at??t?), Royal Guard (Greek: ?as????? F?????) and after 1974, with the abolition of the monarchy, it was renamed as the Presidential Guard (Greek: ???ed???? F?????).

type=printed

period=post-war (1945-present)

postage condition=unposted

number of items=single

size=continental/ modern (150x100 mm)