Battle of Rhodes (1912)

The Battle of Rhodes (1912) was a military engagement that took place during the Italo-Turkish War. Italian forces landed on the island of Rhodes, then part of the Ottoman Empire, in May 1912. The Italian objective was to seize the Dodecanese islands, including Rhodes, in order to pressure the Ottoman government into accepting Italian demands in North Africa, specifically regarding Italian control of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica (modern-day Libya).

The Italian landing was met with limited Ottoman resistance. The Ottoman garrison on Rhodes was relatively small and poorly equipped. The initial Italian advance was rapid, securing key strategic points on the island. Significant fighting occurred near the city of Rhodes, where the Ottoman forces attempted to defend the capital. However, the Italian forces, with superior numbers and naval support, gradually overwhelmed the Ottoman defenses.

By mid-May, the city of Rhodes fell to the Italians, effectively securing Italian control of the island. The remaining Ottoman troops surrendered shortly thereafter. The Italian occupation of Rhodes, and the other Dodecanese islands, continued throughout the Italo-Turkish War and subsequently throughout World War I.

The Treaty of Ouchy, signed in October 1912, formally ended the Italo-Turkish War and confirmed Italian sovereignty over Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. While the treaty stipulated that Italy should return the Dodecanese islands to the Ottoman Empire, Italy continued to administer the islands, citing the ongoing instability in the region and the need to protect the local Christian populations.

Italy retained control of Rhodes and the Dodecanese islands until the end of World War II. Following the Allied victory, the islands were transferred to Greece in 1947. The Battle of Rhodes was a significant event in the Italo-Turkish War and ultimately resulted in a long period of Italian administration of the island before its eventual integration into Greece.