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 military officer, 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), in which he actively participated. He was appointed as 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 of Metaxas to aid the unsuccessful
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 came to power, declaring war on
June 29,
1917.
Metaxas followed the king into exile, 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 and the appointment was confirmed by the Greek parliament.
Widespread industrial unrest in May allowed Metaxas to declare a
state of emergency. He suspended the parliament indefinitely and suspended various articles of the constitution. By
August 4,
1936 Metaxas was effectively
dictator. Patterning his regime on other authoritarian European governments (most notably
Mussolini's
fascist regime), Metaxas banned political parties, arrested communists, criminalized strikes and introduced widespread censorship of the media.
The Metaxas government promoted various popular measures, such as the 8-hour working day and mandatory improvements to the working conditions of workers, established the Greek social security fund (IKA) still the biggest social security institution in Greece and improved the country's defences. For rural areas agricultural prices were raised and farm debts were taken on by the government. Despite these efforts the Greek people generally moved towards the political left, but without actively opposing Metaxas.
In foreign policy Metaxas had a clear pro-British stance. He saw in the
Mediterranean the
British as a natural ally and their fleet was a major force while the expansionist goals of
Mussolini were clearly threatening to Greece. The policy of Metaxas to keep Greece out of WWII was decisively broken by the blunt demands of Mussolini in October
1940. He demanded occupation rights to strategic Greek sites and was met with a curt reply by Metaxas "then we shall have war", which was encapsulated in Greek popular feeling in the single word "
No".
Italy invaded Greece from
Albania on
October 28.
Thanks to preparations and an inspired defence the Greeks were able to mount a successful defense and counter offensive, 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. At the time it was speculated that he was poisoned by the British. He was succeeded by
Alexandros Korizis. After Metaxas' death, the Germans had a hard time facing the fortifications constructed by Metaxas in Northern Greece, which were called the
Metaxas Line.
To this day, Metaxas remains a highly controversial figure in Greek history. He is reviled by some for his dictatorial state, and admired by others for his popular policies, patriotism, defiance to aggression, and his military victory against Italy.
*
Greek Fascism*
Greek Civil War*
Greco-Italian War*
Metaxas Line*
Metaxas Project - Inside Fascist Greece Pro-fascist website.
