Theodoros Pangalos

Theodoros Pangalos
Θεόδωρος Πάγκαλος
Pangalos, c. early 1920s
President of Greece
In office
19 July 1926 – 22 August 1926
Prime MinisterAthanasios Eftaxias
Preceded byPavlos Kountouriotis
Succeeded byPavlos Kountouriotis
Prime Minister of Greece
In office
26 June 1925 – 19 July 1926
PresidentPavlos Kountouriotis
Preceded byAndreas Michalakopoulos
Succeeded byAthanasios Eftaxias
Personal details
Born(1878-01-11)11 January 1878
Salamis, Kingdom of Greece
Died26 February 1952(1952-02-26) (aged 74)
Athens, Kingdom of Greece
Political partyIndependent (Venizelist)
Spouse
Arianna Slias-Sachtouris
(m. 1901)
Relations
Children4
EducationIonideios Model High School of Piraeus
Alma materHellenic Army Academy
Occupation
  • Politician
  • soldier
Awards
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/serviceHellenic Army
Years of service1900–1926
RankLieutenant general
CommandsArmy of the Evros
Battles/wars

Lieutenant General Theodoros Pangalos (Greek: Θεόδωρος Πάγκαλος, romanized: Theódoros Pángalos; 11 January 1878 – 26 February 1952) was a Greek general, politician and dictator. A distinguished staff officer and an ardent Venizelist and anti-royalist, Pangalos played a leading role in the September 1922 revolt that deposed King Constantine I and in the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic. In June 1925 Pangalos staged a bloodless coup d'état, and his assumption of power was recognized by the National Assembly which named him prime minister. As a "constitutional dictator" he ruled the country until his overthrow in August 1926. From April 1926 until his deposition, he also occupied the office of President of the Republic.

Pangalos withdrew from public life for a while, but remained active in the Venizelist military circles. During the Axis occupation of Greece (1941–1945), Pangalos and military officers close to him played a role in the establishment of the Security Battalions. He was widely suspected of collaboration with the Germans.[1] Cleared by a postwar court, he ran unsuccessfully for political office and died in 1952.

  1. ^ Mazower 1995, p. 324.