ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 examines the re-emergence of the Constantinopolitan Greek nationalist elite into power after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I and presents a detailed look at the endeavors of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the lay communal leadership to promote the union (enosis) of Constantinople with Greater Greece. Emphasis is placed on the nationalists’ effort to sever the community’s ties with the Ottoman establishment and on the political radicalization of the Greek Orthodox population, expressed by their overt support of Eleftherios Venizelos and Greek irredentist expansionism. The active involvement of the Greek High Commission in the communal decision-making processes is also presented. The chapter focuses on the collaboration between the Greek diplomatic authorities and the leadership of the Rum milleti in propagating the Greek irredentist policy of the Megali Idea and on the multifarious encouragement of the Constantinopolitan Greeks to openly call for their unification with Greece.
