Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas (Greek Ιωάννης Μεταξάς, April 12, 1871 - January 29, 1941) was a Greek General and the Prime Minister of Greece from 1936 until his death.
Born in Ithaca, Metaxas was a career soldier, first seeing action in 1897 fighting the Turkish army in the Thessalian campaign. Following studies in Germany, he returned to join the General Staff and was part of the modernizing process of the Greek Army before the Balkan Wars (1912-1913). He was made Chief of the Greek General Staff in 1913 and was promoted to General.
A staunch monarchist, he supported Constantine I and opposed Greek entry into WW I. Eleftherios Venizelos, the prime minister, resigned over the refusal to aid the Dardanelles campaign and used the war as the major issue in the elections. When Venizelos won the March 1915 elections he mobilised the army but was dismissed by the king. In June 1917, with Allied support and 60,000 Cretan soldiers, the king was deposed and Venizelos empowered, declaring war on June 29, 1917.
Metaxas left Greece with the king, neither returning until 1920. When the monarchy was displaced in 1922 Metaxas moved into politics and founded the Freethinkers' Party in 1923.
After a disputed plebisite George II, son of Constantine I, returned to take the throne in 1935. The elections of 1936 produced a deadlock between Panagis Tsaldaris and Themistoklis Sophoulis. The political situation was further polarized by the gains made by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). Disliking the Communists and fearing a coup, George II appointed Metaxas, then minister of war, to be interim prime minister.
Widespread industrial unrest in May allowed Metaxas to declare a state of emergency.With the serious threat of a communist revolution (that was to take place on August 5th)he suspended the parliament indefinitely and annulled various articles of the constitution.ON August 4, 1936 Metaxas was effectively dictatorleader (Arhigos). Patterning his regime on other authoritarian European governments (most notably Franco's and Mussolini's fascist regime), Metaxas banned political parties (most notibaly the Communist party, arrested traitors,and criminalized (leftist sponsered)strikes.
The Metaxas government sought to pacify the working classes by raising wages, regulating hours and working to improve working conditions (in which he did successfuly). For rural areas agricultural prices were raised and farm debts were taken on by the government.
Another major goal of Metaxas was to organize the youth which would be under his total control (in the same fashion like the Hitlerjugend).He along with Maniadakis fromed the E.O.N. (the National Youth Movement)in 1936. They adopted the Double axe as their symbol and the Fascist salute as well. Metaxas sent his Greek E.O.N. athletes to the 1936 Berlin games in which they paraded in front of Hitler at the opening ceremonies. Joseph Goebbels visited Greece in the same year by personal invitation of Metaxas. In foreign policy Metaxas was caught in a dilemma. He saw Germany and Italy as 'natural' allies but in the Mediterranean the British and their fleet were a major force while the expansionist goals of Mussolini were clearly threatening to Greece. The uncertain line between the opposing forces was decisively broken by the blunt demands of Mussolini in October 1940. He demanded occupation rights to strategic Greek sites and was met with the historic single-word reply "No". Italy invaded Greece from Albania on October 28.
The Greeks were able to mount a successful defense, forcing the Italians back into Albania and occupying large parts of Northern Epirus (Southern Albania). Metaxas died in Athens on January 29 of a phlegmon of the pharynx which subsequently led to uncurable toxaemia. Some say he was poisoned by the British. He was succeeded by Alexandros Korizis.
Metaxas is a controversial figure in Greek history. He is reviled by some for his dictatorial state, and admired by others for his "No" stance, and his military victory against Italy.
See also
External links
- Metaxas Project - Inside Fascist Greece Pro-fascist website.