Ioannis Metaxas | |
|---|---|
| Ιωάννης Μεταξάς | |
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| Prime Minister of Greece | |
| In office 13 April 1936 – 29 January 1941 | |
| Monarch | George II |
| Preceded by | Konstantinos Demertzis |
| Succeeded by | Alexandros Koryzis |
| Deputy Prime Minister | |
| In office 30 November 1935 – 12 April 1936 | |
| Monarch | George II |
| Prime Minister | Konstantinos Demertzis |
| Preceded by | Ioannis Theotokis |
| Succeeded by | Konstantinos Zavitsianos |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office 5 – 13 March 1935 | |
| President | Alexandros Zaimis |
| Prime Minister | Panagis Tsaldaris |
| Preceded by | Georgios Kondylis |
| Succeeded by | Georgios Kondylis |
| In office 14 March 1936 – 29 January 1941 | |
| Monarch | George II |
| Prime Minister | Konstantinos Demertzis Himself |
| Preceded by | Konstantinos Demertzis |
| Succeeded by | Alexandros Koryzis |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 4 November 1932 – 16 January 1933 | |
| President | Alexandros Zaimis |
| Prime Minister | Panagis Tsaldaris |
| Preceded by | Ioannis Tsirimokos |
| Succeeded by | Georgios Maris |
| Minister of Public Transport | |
| In office 4 December 1926 – 4 July 1928 | |
| President | Pavlos Kountouriotis |
| Prime Minister | Alexandros Zaimis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 April 1871 Ithaca, Kingdom of Greece |
| Died | 29 January 1941 (aged 69) Athens, Kingdom of Greece |
| Cause of death | Toxemia |
| Political party | Freethinkers' Party (1922–1936) Independent (1936–1941) |
| Alma mater | Hellenic Army Academy Prussian War College |
| Awards |  Gold Cross of the Order of the Redeemer |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Greece |
| Branch/service |  Hellenic Army |
| Years of service | 1890–1920 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Unit | Army of Thessaly |
| Commands | Epistratoi |
| Battles/wars | |
Ioannis Metaxas[1][a] (12 April 1871[2] – 29 January 1941) was a Greek military officer and politician who was dictator of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941. He governed constitutionally for the first four months of his tenure, and thereafter as the strongman leader of the 4th of August Regime following his appointment by King George II.
Born to an aristocratic family in Ithaca, Metaxas took part in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and the Balkan Wars (1912–13), and quickly rose through the ranks of the Hellenic Army. As a monarchist during the National Schism, Metaxas unsuccessfully opposed Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos and Greece's entry in World War I; he was exiled to Corsica in response in 1917. On his return, Metaxas moved into politics and founded the Freethinkers' Party, but had only limited success under the Second Hellenic Republic.
Metaxas was appointed prime minister in April 1936, a year after the Greek monarchy was restored. With the support of King George II, Metaxas initiated a self-coup and established an authoritarian, nationalist, and anti-communist regime. The ideology associated with his rule, Metaxism,[3] has sometimes been characterized as fascist, though scholars have described his rule as a conventional authoritarian-conservative dictatorship akin to Francoist Spain or the Estado Novo in Portugal.[4][5]
On 28 October 1940, Metaxas rejected an ultimatum imposed by the Italians to surrender, committing Greece to the Allies and bringing the country into the war. He died in January 1941, before the German invasion and subsequent fall of Greece.
- ^ "Ioannis Metaxas | Modern Dictator, Military Leader, Prime Minister | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Metaxism - ECPS". Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ Payne, Stanley G (1995). A History of Fascism, 1914–45. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-14874-2.
- ^ Lee, Stephen J. 2000. European Dictatorships, 1918–1945 Routledge; 2 ed. ISBN 0415230462.
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