The first School of Nursing Education in Greece was military and was found on August 18 th , 1861. Its purpose was to educate soldiers as experienced nurses for times of peace and war. Those soldiers, who successfully enrolled in this school, acquired the nursing specialty and were used as such, their specialty being noted on the certificate after their dismissal from the army. The fact that they were chosen from the very best of the soldiers and also that they had to be literate shows that the interest of the state was to have good and well educated nurses.