4th of August Regime

Kingdom of Greece
Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος
Vasílion tis Elládos
1936–1941
Unofficial emblem of 4th of August Regime
Unofficial emblem
Motto: Eleftheria i Thanatos
Ελευθερία ή θάνατος
"Freedom or Death"
Anthem: Ýmnos is tin Eleftherían
Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν
"Hymn to Freedom"
Capital
and largest city
Athens
Common languagesGreek language
Religion
Greek Orthodox
Demonym(s)Greek, Hellene
GovernmentUnitary constitutional monarchy under a Metaxist military dictatorship
King 
• 1936–1941
George II
Prime Minister 
• 1936–1941
Ioannis Metaxas
• 1941
Alexandros Koryzis
History 
• Established
4 August 1936
28 October 1940
29 January 1941
6 April 1941
18 April 1941
23 April 1941
CurrencyGreek drachma
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Kingdom of Greece
Greek government-in-exile
Hellenic State
Today part of Greece

The 4th of August Regime (Greek: Καθεστώς της 4ης Αυγούστου, romanizedKathestós tis tetártis Avgoústou), commonly also known as the Metaxas regime (Καθεστώς Μεταξά, Kathestós Metaxá), was an authoritarian absolute monarchist regime under the leadership of General Ioannis Metaxas that ruled the Kingdom of Greece from 1936 to 1941.

On 4 August 1936, Metaxas, with the support of King George II, suspended the Greek parliament and went on to preside over a conservative, staunchly anti-communist government. The regime took inspiration in its symbolism and rhetoric from Fascist Italy, but retained close links to Britain and the French Third Republic, rather than the Axis powers. Lacking a popular base, after Metaxas' death in January 1941 the regime hinged entirely on the King. Although Greece was occupied following the German invasion of Greece in April 1941 and the Greek government was forced into exile in the British-controlled Kingdom of Egypt, several prominent figures of the regime, notably the notorious security chief Konstantinos Maniadakis, survived for several months in cabinet until the King was forced to dismiss them in a compromise with the representatives of the old democratic political establishment.