Political, Social, Economic strength of a Megali Idea Greece?

[Emperor Casey]

Basically what it says. What would be the effect on Greek society, economics, politics etc of a Megali Idea Greece holding Ionia, Thrace and Constantinople. No upper coast of Turkey nonsense. If you want to be creative you can have Cyprus included in this as well and how it would affect Greece depending on when it happened.

 

[DocJamore]

It might be a good idea to hold onto the upper coast until Turkey calms down and gives up on revanchism. Then it can be given back. Owning Cyprus might put Greece in a stronger position diplomatically but it could get nabbed by a Great Power like in OTL.

Your thread is similar to these. Only difference is you want Ionia to be included.

https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...tween-greece-and-turkey.438893/#post-16651480
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...comprise-this-territory.438728/#post-16636197

Greece would have a larger economy because it would be a larger country. Constantinople would be the second largest city in Greece and could in time surpass Athens to become Greece's largest city. However, it is not possible the city in TTL could ever approach becoming the Mega City Istanbul because in OTL it would be cut off from the heartland of Turkish Anatolia. Culturally and politically TTL Greece would probably be very different because of the absence of the population transfers we saw in OTL. If there were population transfers they would be different because of the scale would be different as well as where the refuges would go, maybe to Thrace. A lot of Greek history after the 1920s in OTL was the drama involved between the native Greeks and the refuges but that is not my area of expertise.

 

[Emperor Casey]

It might be a good idea to hold onto the upper coast until Turkey calms down and gives up on revanchism. Then it can be given back. Owning Cyprus might put Greece in a stronger position diplomatically but it could get nabbed by a Great Power like in OTL.

Your thread is similar to these. Only difference is you want Ionia to be included.

https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...tween-greece-and-turkey.438893/#post-16651480
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...comprise-this-territory.438728/#post-16636197

Greece would have a larger economy because it would be a larger country. Constantinople would be the second largest city in Greece and could in time surpass Athens to become Greece's largest city. However, it is not possible the city in TTL could ever approach becoming the Mega City Istanbul because in OTL it would be cut off from the heartland of Turkish Anatolia. Culturally and politically TTL Greece would probably be very different because of the absence of the population transfers we saw in OTL. If there were population transfers they would be different because of the scale would be different as well as where the refuges would go, maybe to Thrace. A lot of Greek history after the 1920s in OTL was the drama involved between the native Greeks and the refuges but that is not my area of expertise.

Maybe in the long run it becomes entangled in the mess that some other Balkan powers do in regards to ethnic groups especially given their added numbers in ttl. Would Greece replace Turkey as a more reliable eastern medditeranean power partner to project influence and security.

 

[DocJamore]

Maybe in the long run it becomes entangled in the mess that some other Balkan powers do in regards to ethnic groups especially given their added numbers in ttl. Would Greece replace Turkey as a more reliable eastern medditeranean power partner to project influence and security.

Greece could become the regional hegemon in the Balkans certainly. Could it become as valuable of partner to an alliance as Turkey is to OTL NATO? Nope. I do not think that is possible. Certainly so if it gives the Asian side of the straits back to Turkey and their upper coast.

Controlling both sides of the straits is a BIG DEAL and makes Turkey one of the most strategically important countries in the world. It the straits were shared, then they would be much less important because they would be an international waterway. Neither Greece or Turkey would be able to claim them as their waters. Great Power Politics would say so. Greece may have to agree to this just to get the Great Powers off their back for annexing Constantinople. Now Turkey could still be important and might be one of the first Middle Eastern counties to begin a demographic transition in TTL, which would make them even more important. This is a Greek-wank thread though so just take a peak though the treads I linked about what Turkey would do.

 

[cmakk1012]

Culturally and politically TTL Greece would probably be very different because of the absence of the population transfers we saw in OTL. If there were population transfers they would be different because of the scale would be different as well as where the refuges would go, maybe to Thrace. A lot of Greek history after the 1920s in OTL was the drama involved between the native Greeks and the refuges but that is not my area of expertise.

I’m no expert either, but IIRC quite a few of the refugees were from the “upper coast” so the population transfers would still happen to some degree.

Culture will be radically different. The Muslim minority, which IOTL only exists in Greece in Western Thrace, will almost certainly be much larger, along with other population groups like the Armenians of Constantinople.