ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Burning of Smyrna

Imagine you have a favorite toy that you love playing with. One day, some people come in and take your toy away from you, and you feel sad and angry. That's kind of what happened to the people who lived in Smyrna a long time ago.

Smyrna was a big city on the coast of what is now Turkey. It was a beautiful place, with lots of culture and history. But in the year 1922, some war was happening, and a lot of different groups were fighting for control of the country.

One of these groups, called the Turks, didn't like the people who lived in Smyrna very much. They thought they were enemies because they were from a different religion and spoke a different language.

So, one day, the Turkish army started to attack Smyrna. There was a big war on the streets, and the people who lived there were really scared. They tried to run away and hide.

But then, something even more terrible happened. The Turkish army set fire to the city. This means they lit buildings on fire on purpose, so they would burn down. The smoke and flames were huge, and it was very hard for people to escape.

Lots and lots of people died. They didn't just lose their homes and their belongings, but also their loved ones. It was a very sad time, and lots of people remember it as a tragedy.

The burning of Smyrna is an important event in history because it shows how war can hurt innocent people, and how hate and fear can lead to terrible things.