Greek plebiscite, 1946

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A referendum on maintaining the monarchy was held in Greece on 1 September 1946. The proposal was approved by 68.4% of voters with a turnout of 88.6%.

Background

The referendum was the fourth since 1920 on the country's monarchy. The 1946 parliamentary elections, in which the right-wing parties achieved a landslide, had just taken place. The new conservative government of Konstantinos Tsaldaris was favorable to George II, but what influenced the result more was the atmosphere of the ongoing civil war.

The civil war convulsed Greece during two main periods, first between 1943 and 1944, and again from 1946 until 1949. When the referendum took place, the beginning of the second period was unfolding. Divisions became more intense among Greeks and, during the parliamentary elections, the right-wing parties were strengthened. The centrist parties (that followed a more moderate but also more ambiguous policy) lost part of their power. The Communist Party of Greece boycotted both the elections and the referendum. George II symbolized the unity of the anti-communist forces, which partly explains the percentage of votes in his favour. The conservatives, along with Prime Minister Konstantinos Tsaldaris, supported him, whereas the centrists were divided. While the centrists regarded George II with displeasure, they did not want to be accused of being "accomplices" of the communists.

Results

Choice	Votes	%
For	1,136,289	68.4
Against	524,771	31.6
Invalid/blank votes	3,860	–
Total	1,664,920	100
Registered voters/turnout	1,921,725	86.6
Source: Nohlen & Stöver