Dimitrios Doulis

Who was Dimitrios Doulis?

Dimitrios Doulis, was a Greek military officer, from Nivica in modern southern Albania.

Doulis was born in 1865, son of Nikolaos Doulis and descendant of Kitsios Doulis, a hero of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. In 1883 he enlisted in the Hellenic Army, while at 1897 he fought in the war against the Ottoman Empire, in the Epirus sector of operations, in which the Greek Army was defeated.

As a Major he took part in the operations in Epirus front during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13. During these, the Greek army occupied the region of Northern Epirus, and Doulis was appointed military commander of Argyrokastro. In December 1913 however, with the Protocol of Florence, the Great Powers decided to award the region to the newly formed Albanian state. This decision was highly unpopular among the local Greek population, who decided to form their own government and military in order to secure their autonomy. Doulis resigned his commission in the Greek army and joined the autonomists.

With the official declaration of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus, in 1 March 1914, he was appointed to the post of Minister of Military Affairs of the new government.