67-76

• Βοζίκης, Αθανάσιος
• Ιθακήσιος, Διονύσιος Δ.

The unfortunate outcome of the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, along with the “MacedonianQuestion”, made imperative the need for strong military forces in Greece. In 1904 the firsthealthy foundations were laid in the area of organisation of the Greek Army, and within eight years (1904-1912) 214 million drachmas had been spent. In November 1913, spending on the two Balkan Wars (both that of 1912 and that of 1913) had reached the amount of 411,845,000 drachmas, but later estimations probably amounted total military expenditures in those two wars to about 650 million drachmas, of which two-thirds represent direct costs. The tumultuous time of the Balkan Wars found the Army’s Sanitary Service well organised, as in a rela-tively short time the Health Service, which was charged with the healthcare of the army and served the total of 130,000 and 195,000 troops, who took part in the operations of the Greco-Turkish and Greco-Bulgarian Wars respectively, functioned adequately. The successes of the Greek army on the battle-field were sweeping, nevertheless the losses in dead and wounded were extremely heavy. As a result, healthcare costs for soldiers during the period of the 1912-13 Balkan Wars were up to 600,000 drachmas. Of course account should be taken of the fact that costs of healthcare stemming from the Balkan Wars were significantly higher, because costs of temporary care and rehabilitation of refugees and care for rural dwellers costs in subsequent years up to 1915 (amounted to 15,817,640 drachmas) are not shown.

• Economics and Business

• Οικονομική ιστορία

Public Health, Military Health Service, Health expenditure, Military expenditure, Greece in early 20th century, Balkan Wars

JEL Classification: N13, N43, H51, H56, I18,

1. Mavrogordatos, G. (1983). Stillborn Republic: Social Coalitions and Party Strategies in Greece, 1912-1936. Berkley: University of California Press.Kostis, K., and Petmezas, S. (Eds, 2006). The development of the Greek Economy in the 19th century (1830-1914). Athens: Alexandria (in Greek).Vozikis, A., and Kostelenos, G. (2009). “Patterns of Public Health Expenditure and Health Care Financing in Modern Greece: 1833-1911”. Archives of Economic History, Volume XXI, No 1, January - June 2009, pp. 45-72.Diamantis, A. (2011). Military Medicine and Nursing in Greece. Athens: S.A.N. Publications, (in Greek).Hellenic Army General Staff (G.E.S.) Military Health Service in the Balkan Wars 1912-1913. Army History Directorate, Athens 2001 (in Greek).Andreadis, A. (1939). Works (3 Volumes). Athens: Athens University Law School, p. 579 (in Greek).Pantelakis, Ν. (1988). “The 1918-1919 war loans as a factor of external economic and political dependence”, in G. Mavrogordatos and Ch. Chatziiosíf (eds). Venizelism and Modernisation, Heracklion (in Greek).Andreadis, A. (1939). Works, (3 Volumes). Athens: Athens University Law Scholl, p. 581(in Greek).Karagianni, S. (1996). “State intervention in the Greek economy during the interwar period”. Thessaloniki: Scientific Conference of University of Macedonia, Vol. 12, Issue ΙΙ, pp. 1-175, (in Greek).Leondaritis, G. (1978). Economy and Society from 1914 to 1918. History of the Greek Nation, Vol. ΙΕ’, Athens: Ekdotiki Athinon, p. 82 (in Greek).