Distinguished historians from the U.S., Canada and Greece will present the lecture “Greece and the Balkan Wars: 100 Years from the Liberation of Macedonia” from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 27 in Century Room A at the Millennium Student Center at UMSL.

On Oct. 26, 1912, the Greek Army entered Salonica, sealing the liberation of a large part of Macedonia from the Ottoman Empire. That was a catalytic event for the Balkan Wars and changed the course of European history.

The significance of that historic event will be discussed at a conference from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 27 at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Distinguished historians from the U.S., Canada and Greece will come together for the conference “Greece and the Balkan Wars: 100 Years from the Liberation of Macedonia,” which will be held in Century Room A at the Millennium Student Center at UMSL.

Immediately following the conference there will be an hors d’ oeuvres reception, from 5 to 6 p.m. Both the conference and the reception are free and open to the public.

The speakers will discuss important issues of the Balkan Wars, such as the role that the army and the navy played in the wars, violence and ethnic cleansing,  war and propaganda, as well as the Greeks from the diaspora who returned to fight in the wars.

The conference is organized by UMSL professor Michael Cosmopoulos, the Hellenic Government-Karakas Family Foundation Professorship in Greek Studies at UMSL and International Studies and Programs at UMSL.

For a complete schedule, full list of featured speakers and more information, visit greekstudies.org.

Greek version of press release (PDF)