The Teaching of Mathematics in the Greek Military Academy (1834-1854)

Abstract

The educational policy of King Otto, advised during his first years in Greece by Bavarian experts, caused considerable turmoil. Two organizational models were in use, the German one for the University and the French one for the Evelpidon Military School (Greek military academy) and the School of Technology (a forerunner of the Polytechnical School). France’s Ecole Polytechnique remained nonetheless the basic educational model for the Greek military academy. The new educational policy created a number of scientific obstacles that did not favor the flourishing of mathematical education. The length of study at the Greek military academy Greek military academy increased to eight years and new mathematical courses were added to its program, so that its graduates would be able to take upper level technical courses. Bourdon’s Arithmetic, Legendre’s Geometry and Trigonometry, Francoeur’s Algebra, Monge’s Descriptive Geometry, Differential and Integral Calculus, etc, formed the basis of the cadets’ mathematical education. Mathematics was included in the subject matter so that the graduates would be in a position to understand the theoretical basis of the technology employed, as well as, crucially, to help the cadets understand upper-level technical courses. Another reason for the teaching of Mathematics was the materialization of the political goal set by the governments of the Ottonian period, that is access to Europe’s technological achievements. The introduction of additional and more difficult upper-level technical courses required the introduction of new mathematical courses to the program.