Key Facts
- Dates
- 22–30 October 1912 (Old Style)
- Duration
- 8 days
- Greek commander
- Lt. General Konstantinos Sapountzakis
- Ottoman commander
- General Esad Pasha
- Initiating Ottoman action
- Attack on Greek positions at Anogi
Strategic Narrative Overview
The battle opened when Ottoman forces under General Esad Pasha attacked Greek positions at Anogi on 22 October 1912. Early and heavy snowfall severely hampered Ottoman operational planning and prevented the launch of a large-scale offensive. Greek troops under Lieutenant General Konstantinos Sapountzakis held their ground through a series of skirmishes that continued for eight days, denying the Ottomans any meaningful territorial gain.
01 / The Origins
The First Balkan War broke out in October 1912 as a coalition of Balkan states—Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro—moved to strip the weakened Ottoman Empire of its remaining European territories. In the Epirus theater, Greek and Ottoman forces contested control of the Ioannina vilayet, a strategically important region in northwestern Greece that the Ottomans still garrisoned in force.
03 / The Outcome
After eight days of inconclusive fighting, the Ottoman offensive stalled and the engagement ended without a decisive result. Greek forces retained their positions, frustrating Ottoman attempts to regain the initiative in the Epirus front. The broader campaign for Ioannina continued into early 1913, when the city finally fell to Greek forces, completing the liberation of Epirus.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Esad Pasha.
Side B
1 belligerent
Konstantinos Sapountzakis.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.