Alexandros Papagos

Alexandros Papagos
Αλέξανδρος Παπάγος
Papagos as Prime Minister.
Prime Minister of Greece
In office
19 November 1952 – 4 October 1955
MonarchPaul
Preceded byDimitrios Kiousopoulos (caretaker)
Succeeded byKonstantinos Karamanlis
Personal details
Born(1883-12-09)9 December 1883
Athens, Kingdom of Greece
Died4 October 1955(1955-10-04) (aged 71)
Athens, Kingdom of Greece
Political partyGreek Rally
RelationsGeorgios Averoff (great-uncle)
Parent(s)Leonidas Papagos
Maria Averoff
Alma materRoyal Military Academy (Belgium)
Awards Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer
Grand Cross of the Order of Saints George and Constantine
Grand cross of the Order of George I
Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix
Commanders Cross of the Cross of Valour
War Cross
Medal of Military Merit
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Médaille militaire
Croix de Guerre
Signature
Military service
AllegianceGreece Kingdom of Greece
Greece Second Hellenic Republic
Branch/service Hellenic Army
Years of service1906–1917
1920–1922
1926–1951
Rank Field Marshal
CommandsCommander-in-Chief of the Hellenic Armed Forces
Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff
Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
Battles/wars
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Alexandros Papagos (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Παπάγος; 9 December 1883[1] – 4 October 1955) was a Greek army officer who led the Hellenic Army in World War II and the later stages of the subsequent Greek Civil War.[2] The only Greek career officer to rise to the rank of Field Marshal, Papagos became the first Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff from 1950 until his resignation the following year. He then entered politics, founding the nationalist Greek Rally party and becoming the country's Prime Minister after his victory in the 1952 elections. His premiership was shaped by the Cold War and the aftermath of the Greek Civil War, and was defined by several key events, including Greece becoming a member of NATO; U.S. military bases being allowed on Greek territory and the formation of a powerful and vehemently anti-communist security apparatus. Papagos' tenure also saw the start of the Greek economic miracle, and rising tensions with Britain and Turkey during the Cyprus Emergency over the Cyprus issue.

  1. ^ Note: Greece officially adopted the Gregorian calendar on 16 February 1923 (which became 1 March). All dates prior to that, unless specifically denoted, are Old Style.
  2. ^ "Alexandros Papagos | Greek statesman". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-01-13.