The capture of Chios by Greek forces in the First Balkan War represented a pivotal moment in the struggle for territorial expansion among Balkan nations against the weakening Ottoman Empire. Following Greece's declaration of independence in the 1820s, the nation's ambitions grew, especially during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, due to increasing nationalism and the waning influence of Ottoman rule. The war, which began in October 1912, saw several Balkan states band together against the Ottomans, primarily striving to reclaim territories populated by ethnic Greeks and others. The island of Chios had a significant Greek population and rich cultural heritage, making its liberation a key objective for Greek military planners.

As the conflict progressed, Greek forces launched a series of military campaigns across the Aegean Sea, with Chios becoming a focal point of these operations due to its geographic location, close to the coast of Asia Minor. On March 1, 1913, the remaining Ottoman troops, unable to withstand the advances of the Greek military and facing isolation from reinforcements, capitulated. This surrender not only underscored Greece's military prowess but also symbolized the declining grip of the Ottoman Empire on its remaining European territories.

The aftermath of the surrender led to Greek administration of Chios, which was formally recognized in subsequent peace negotiations that concluded the First Balkan War. The event galvanized national pride in Greece, further fueling the drive for additional territorial claims against the Ottomans and solidifying its status as a rising power in the Balkans. The victory at Chios, therefore, was not simply a localized military achievement but part of a larger trend that marked the early 20th century as a period of upheaval and reconfiguration in the Balkans and the Mediterranean.