Italy - Aegean Islands Stamps

The northern and eastern Aegean islands and the Dodecanese group belonged before 1912 to the Ottoman Empire. During the first Balkan War the Aegean islands with the exception of the Dodecanese group were occupied by the Greek navy. The Dodecanese islands passed under Italian occupation with the exception of the island of Kastelorizo which was self-governed for one year, in 1914 became a naval base for the French navy and in 1920 was offered to the Italians.

Article 12 of the Lausanne Treaty provided that the Aegean islands were placed under the sovereignty of Greece with the exception of the Dodecanese group of islands, which was placed according to Article 15 under the sovereignty of Italy. The islands of Article 12 were collectively named as the "islands of the Eastern Mediterranean" other than the islands of Imvros, Tenedos and the Rabbit Islands. These were specified "particularly" as the islands of Lemnos, Samothrace, Mytilene (Lesvos), Chios, Samos and Ikaria, "subject to the provisions of the present Treaty respecting the islands placed under the sovereignty of Italy which form the subject of Article 15".

The transfer of the Dodecanese islands to Greece was confirmed by Article 14 of the 1947 Paris Treaty which repeated almost verbatim Article 15 of the Lausanne Treaty. Greece formally succeeded Italy and inherited the legal status of the Dodecanese islands.
 

Rhodes, 1943 Stag Semi-Postal Special Delivery

Rhodes, 1943 5l + 5l rose lake Crusader Kneeling in Prayer.