Nikolaos Trikoupis

Nikolaos Trikoupis (; 1868–1956) was a Greek military officer and politician, most notable for his service in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, where he was taken as a prisoner of war. He also participated in the 1896 Summer Olympics, where he came third in the military rifle.

Life Born in Mesolongi in about 1868 to Themistoklis Trikoupis (member of the Trikoupis family, related to PM Charilaos Trikoupis), he entered the Hellenic Military Academy, which he graduated in 1888 as an Artillery Second Lieutenant. He furthered his studies in France, where he remained from 1889 to 1895, completing his tour there with courses at the École Supérieure de Guerre. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics, held in Athens, in the military rifle and the free rifle events. He came third in the first with a score of 1,713, after hitting the target 34 times out of a possible 40. His place and score in the second event are unknown, except that he did not finish in the top five.

In the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, he participated as chief of staff of the 1st Infantry Division. He joined the newly established General Staff Corps in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 as chief of staff of the 3rd Infantry Division and the Damianos Detachment. His captors led Trikoupis and Maj. Gen. Kimon Digenis (CO of II Corps) to Mustafa Kemal, who informed him that he had been appointed as commander-in-chief of the Army of Asia Minor, an episode highlighting the level of confusion in the Greek command.

Greek Officers at the Kırşehir POW camp: from left to right, Col. Dimitrios Dimaras (4th Division), Maj. Gen. Nikolaos Trikoupis (I Corps), Staff Col. Adnan or Kemaleddin Sami, Maj. Gen. Kimon Digenis (II Corps) and Lieutenant Emin. He returned to Greece in 1923 as part of the prisoners of war exchange, but unlike other senior officers and politicians, who were charged for their role in the disaster in the Trial of the Six, he was never prosecuted.

He was eventually recalled to active service and promoted to lieutenant general, before finally retiring on 27 November 1927, after which he served as prefect of Attica and Boeotia.

He died in 1959.