George Horton was the United States consul general in Smyrna during World War I and its immediate aftermath. His account of the burning of Smyrna (Izmir) and the forced exodus of its Greek and Armenian inhabitants chronicles the last stages in the ethnic cleansing of Asia Minor of its native Christian population.

According to Horton, the sacking of Smyrna was due to the military prowess of Turkish nationalists, imperial rivalries amongst western powers, and commercial interest groups seeking advantages in the emerging Turkish republic.