Οι Έλληνες του Καυκάσου και της νότιας Ρωσίας. Η φυγή και η εγκατάσταση τους στην Ελλάδα, τη Θεσσαλονίκη και την ευρύτερη περιοχή της Μακεδονίας μεταξύ 1919-1921.

Abstract

Often, in the history of nations, displacements of populations and resettlements of ethnic groups are reported, due to various economic, political upheavals and military conflicts, which resulted in the establishment of refugee flows and groups. Examples of such populations were the Greek ones, whose relocations, especially in the first quarter of the 20th century, were numerous. The scope of the present thesis shall be the examination of the historical presence and action of the population group, within the entire refugee Hellenism, known as the "Caucasian refugees". Various economic, political and military reasons led to the settlement of Greek refugees in the Transcaucasian region (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), which was a constituent element for the spread of the Major Hellenism. The economic, social and cultural presence of this population was an expression of their special cultural identity. Sharing the same religion and faith with the dominant Russian ethnic group explains why these populations were used as a bulwark against the Muslim populations, as well as for the territorial restraint of the Ottoman Empire. The Russo-Turkish conflict during the First World War caused major issues of survival and living conditions of the Greek population, settled there. In the aforementioned context, account should be taken to the national self-consciousness with the formation of respective political organizations, which, in synergy with the Greek government and its representatives (Greek delegation), contributed to the fleeing of this population to Greece. This dissertation will explore the issues that arose during their fleeing, as well as those related to their transportation, reception, care and final settlement. The problems were many and the overwhelming majority of them were politically exploited. The way they were received and integrated by the Greek State and the indigenous groups is of equal importance, too. Caucasians, as part of the entire refugee Hellenism, claimed their substantial restoration by the Greek state. In many cases the real reparation of the displaced refugees remained just a promise. Finally, the purpose and aim of the dissertation is to approach aspects of the historical path of this part of Hellenism, which abandoned its bases in Southern Russia and fled to settle in Thessaloniki and Macedonia between 1919-1921.