Overview

Athanasios Souliotis-Nikolaidis (1878–1945) was a Greek military officer, undercover agent, author, and politician who is not as well known in Greece today as he should be. Inasmuch as he is remembered at all today, Souliotis-Nikolaidis is associated with the much better-known Ion Dragoumis with whom he was connected with bonds of friendship and ideology. In this work the author examines the subject's role and contribution to Greece's irredentist activities of the early 20th century and answers some key questions. What were Souliotis-Nikolaidis's achievements as an undercover agent in Ottoman Macedonia? What was his behind-the-scenes role in the early elections of the Ottoman Empire following the Young Turk Revolt? What was his relationship with important individuals and organizations of the Greek Diaspora? What was his contribution to the unique idea about the future of Greeks and Turks in a unified federal state? In this work the author reveals that Souliotis-Nikolaidis, far from being a minor player in Greek irredentism was an important actor whose many contributions deserve recognition.

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9781793634443

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Reviews

Professor Mazis has successfully brought the life and activities of Athanasios Souliotis-Nikolaidis to the attention of scholars of modern Greece and, by doing so, has further illuminated the turbulent and tumultuous years that prevailed at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century in the Balkans. A seemingly insignificant figure who lived in the shadows of his more well-known friend, Ion Dragoumis, Souliotis-Nikolaidis, as a military officer, undercover agent, and Greek patriot, actually made numerous important contributions, as a man of action and ideas, to realize the small Greek state's irredentist dreams.--Gregory Bruess, University of Northern Iowa This book is the result of an admirable research and a rich understanding of contemporary history. Professor Mazis brings to the fore not only a rather neglected person of modern and contemporary Greek history, but a whole ideological and intellectual trend that was ready to discuss the Greeks' place in the modern world, sometimes with a saliently provocative manner regarding options and dilemmas. More than that, Professor Mazis points to interactions with developments and trends in the Balkans, the Near East and Europe, at the same time explaining evolutions, breaks and continuities. Last but not least, this is a well-written book, able to attract and maintain the reader's constant interest, something particularly valuable in our contemporary scholarly communities.--Evanthis Hatzivassiliou, University of Athens This is a book about a historical figure, largely ignored by the history books. Although never in the foreground, Souliotis-Nikolaidis played a crucial role in Greece's struggle to prevail in Ottoman Macedonia over the rival ambitions of Serbia and Bulgaria, during the critical decade leading to the First World War. By tracing the activities of its main character, the book illuminates the 'cloak and dagger' aspects of this rivalry. It is also valuable for the study of the roots of authoritarianism in twentieth century Europe as it examines and analyzes Nikolaidis's proto-facsist ideas and writings. Clearly written, informative, and relatively short, it is warmly recommended for specialists and the general public.--Theo Karvounarakis, University of Macedonia

Author Information

John A. Mazis is professor of history at Hamline University.

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