1912 battle fought between the Greek and Ottoman armies in the First Balkan War
Greek victory at Sarantaporo pass opened the route into central Macedonia during the First Balkan War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 9–10 October 1912
- Greek commander
- Crown Prince Constantine
- Ottoman commander
- General Hasan Tahsin Pasha
- Location
- Sarantaporo pass, Thessaly–Macedonia border
- Outcome
- Greek victory; Ottomans withdrew fearing encirclement
- Cities subsequently captured
- Servia and Kozani
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the First Balkan War, Greek forces advancing northward from Thessaly needed to breach Ottoman defensive positions. The Ottomans had fortified the Sarantaporo pass—the key route connecting Thessaly with central Macedonia—believing it to be an impregnable natural barrier capable of halting the Greek advance.
On 9–10 October 1912, Greek forces under Crown Prince Constantine attacked the Ottoman line at Sarantaporo pass. While the main Greek body drove deep into the pass, auxiliary units outflanked the Ottoman positions. Fearing encirclement, Ottoman forces under Hasan Tahsin Pasha abandoned their defensive line during the night, giving Greece a decisive early victory.
The Greek victory cleared the path through the Sarantaporo pass into central Macedonia. Greek forces subsequently captured the towns of Servia and Kozani, consolidating their advance and significantly expanding Greek-controlled territory in the broader Macedonian campaign of the First Balkan War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Crown Prince Constantine.
Side B
1 belligerent
General Hasan Tahsin Pasha.