ABSTRACT
As has been pointed out already in our study, Lloyd George’s concept of the Greco-Turkish conflict differed sharply with that of Churchill, Meinertzhagen, and the General Staff, as well as a number of British diplomats. Churchill, who had persistently crossed swords with Lloyd George, described Lloyd George’s outlook faithfully thus:
The Greek [Lloyd George asserted] are the people of the culture in the Eastern Mediterranean. They are prolific and full of energy. They represent Christian civilization against Turkish barbarism. Their fighting power is grotesquely underrated by our generals. A greater Greece will be an invaluable advantage to our British Empire…. They are good sailors; they will develop a naval power; they will possess all the most important islands in the Eastern Mediterranean. These islands are the potential submarine bases of the future; they lie on the flank of our communications through the Suez Canal with India, the Far East and Australia. 1
