User:MrsGussieFinkNottle/Greek Coup of 21st April 1967: Difference between revisions
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After the [[Greek Civil War]], despite the defeat of the [[DSE]] and the exile of the leaders of the communist party ([[KKE]]), there was widespread fear of communism. Governments took measures such as the banning of the KKE and the displacement of dissenters. Some officers of the armed forces, the police, the KYP (the national information service) and others considered that politicians were not taking sufficient measures or were not capable of dealing with the danger and they acted autonomously by creating the so-called "parakratos". They created groups of officers who met and decided upon common actions without being accountable to or being under then control of politicians. Simultaneously, through false reports and provocations they attempted to persuade that the left had organised actions for the capture of power. The governments during this period, in the 1950's and 1960's, were not able to check the parakratos either because they did not realise the danger to democracy or because the King intervened on their behalf, thinking that the members of the parakratos were mainly royalists. Examples of actions by the parakratos were the Pericles plan<ref>[https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v16/d194 US Department of State Archives, 1964-1968, Vol 194]</ref>, the violence and rigging of the [[Greek legislative election, 1961]], and the murder of the MP [[Grigoris Lambrakis]] in 1963. |
After the [[Greek Civil War]], despite the defeat of the [[DSE]] and the exile of the leaders of the communist party ([[KKE]]), there was widespread fear of communism. Governments took measures such as the banning of the KKE and the displacement of dissenters. Some officers of the armed forces, the police, the KYP (the national information service) and others considered that politicians were not taking sufficient measures or were not capable of dealing with the danger and they acted autonomously by creating the so-called "parakratos". They created groups of officers who met and decided upon common actions without being accountable to or being under then control of politicians. Simultaneously, through false reports and provocations they attempted to persuade that the left had organised actions for the capture of power. The governments during this period, in the 1950's and 1960's, were not able to check the parakratos either because they did not realise the danger to democracy or because the King intervened on their behalf, thinking that the members of the parakratos were mainly royalists. Examples of actions by the parakratos were the Pericles plan<ref>[https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v16/d194 US Department of State Archives, 1964-1968, Vol 194]</ref>, the violence and rigging of the [[Greek legislative election, 1961]], and the murder of the MP [[Grigoris Lambrakis]] in 1963. |
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The actions of these anti-democratic right-wing groups intensified after the victory of the Centre Union in the [[Greek legislative election, 1963|elections of 1963]] under the leadership of [[George Papandreou]] who, although anti-communist, believed that political persecution of the communists strengthened rather than weakened them. The plotters of the coup feared a renewed victory by the Centre Union in the forthcoming elections, a victory which would strengthen the faction of [[Andreas Papandreou]] and might lead to the cleansing of far right elements of the army - a cleansing which would certainly include many of the leading elements of the movement. (which movement? the parakratos?). The previous attempt by the government to check the power of the army had led to a clash with the King and the [[Apostasia of 1965 |
The actions of these anti-democratic right-wing groups intensified after the victory of the Centre Union in the [[Greek legislative election, 1963|elections of 1963]] under the leadership of [[George Papandreou]] who, although anti-communist, believed that political persecution of the communists strengthened rather than weakened them. The plotters of the coup feared a renewed victory by the Centre Union in the forthcoming elections, a victory which would strengthen the faction of [[Andreas Papandreou]] and might lead to the cleansing of far right elements of the army - a cleansing which would certainly include many of the leading elements of the movement. (which movement? the parakratos?). The previous attempt by the government to check the power of the army had led to a clash with the King and the [[Apostasia of 1965|Iuliana]]. Reelection of the Centre Union would make an intervention by the King more difficult. At the same time anti-American statements by Andreas Papandreou, the hand of friendship which he extended to the [[United Democratic Left]], and his encouragement of friendship to the countries of the [[Warsaw Pact]] had disconcerted right-wing institutions and foreign elements, including the Americans. Because of the advanced age of George Panadreou, Andreas Papandreou appeared to be his natural successor should the Centre Union win the forthcoming elections. |
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Revision as of 18:45, 20 November 2015
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Greek Coup of 21st April 1967
On the 21st April 1967, and prior to elections which had been announced for 28th May, army officers under the leadership of Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos, with the cooperation of Brigadier Stylianos Pattakos (commander of the Armour Training Centre in Athens), Colonel Nikolaos Makarezos and others, seized power in a revolt which they called the "Nation-Saving Revolution" or the "Revolution of 21st April". The participants justified their actions as necessary to avoid anarchy which was being planned by centre-left groups [1], but which they failed to demonstrate persuasively. The country and its institutions were occupied for 7 years, until 24th July 1974, when the Regime of the Colonels collapsed during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. On the 8th January 1975 the Greek parliament characterised the revolt of 21st April as a coup.
Prevailing Political Situation
After the Greek Civil War, despite the defeat of the DSE and the exile of the leaders of the communist party (KKE), there was widespread fear of communism. Governments took measures such as the banning of the KKE and the displacement of dissenters. Some officers of the armed forces, the police, the KYP (the national information service) and others considered that politicians were not taking sufficient measures or were not capable of dealing with the danger and they acted autonomously by creating the so-called "parakratos". They created groups of officers who met and decided upon common actions without being accountable to or being under then control of politicians. Simultaneously, through false reports and provocations they attempted to persuade that the left had organised actions for the capture of power. The governments during this period, in the 1950's and 1960's, were not able to check the parakratos either because they did not realise the danger to democracy or because the King intervened on their behalf, thinking that the members of the parakratos were mainly royalists. Examples of actions by the parakratos were the Pericles plan[2], the violence and rigging of the Greek legislative election, 1961, and the murder of the MP Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963.
The actions of these anti-democratic right-wing groups intensified after the victory of the Centre Union in the elections of 1963 under the leadership of George Papandreou who, although anti-communist, believed that political persecution of the communists strengthened rather than weakened them. The plotters of the coup feared a renewed victory by the Centre Union in the forthcoming elections, a victory which would strengthen the faction of Andreas Papandreou and might lead to the cleansing of far right elements of the army - a cleansing which would certainly include many of the leading elements of the movement. (which movement? the parakratos?). The previous attempt by the government to check the power of the army had led to a clash with the King and the Iuliana. Reelection of the Centre Union would make an intervention by the King more difficult. At the same time anti-American statements by Andreas Papandreou, the hand of friendship which he extended to the United Democratic Left, and his encouragement of friendship to the countries of the Warsaw Pact had disconcerted right-wing institutions and foreign elements, including the Americans. Because of the advanced age of George Panadreou, Andreas Papandreou appeared to be his natural successor should the Centre Union win the forthcoming elections.
Υπήρχαν πολλές αναφορές στο ενδεχόμενο πολιτειακής εκτροπής, ενώ σχεδιαζόταν πραξικόπημα και από ανώτερους αξιωματικούς υπό τον στρατηγό Σπαντιδάκη με την ανοχή (αν όχι με την ενθάρρυνση) του βασιλιά Κωνσταντίνου Β'. Τα σενάρια αυτά αφορούσαν την αφαίρεση της εξουσίας από την Ένωση Κέντρου, σε περίπτωση νίκης της τελευταίας στις επερχόμενες εκλογές, και την αναστολή εφαρμογής ορισμένων άρθρων του Συντάγματος για περιορισμένο χρονικό διάστημα.
Οι αξιωματικοί που τελικά προέβησαν στο πραξικόπημα την 21η Απριλίου 1967 κινήθηκαν πιο γρήγορα και εξέπληξαν τους πάντες. Το καθεστώς δικαιολόγησε την κατάληψη της εξουσίας υποστηρίζοντας ότι υπήρχε κίνδυνος να καταληφθεί η εξουσία από τους κομμουνιστές. Οι πραξικοπηματίες ισχυρίστηκαν ότι είχαν ανακαλύψει εβδομήντα φορτηγά αυτοκίνητα φορτωμένα με ψεύτικες στρατιωτικές στολές, που οι κομμουνιστές θα χρησιμοποιούσαν για να κάνουν πραξικόπημα. Ποτέ δεν παρουσίασαν κάποιο από αυτά τα αποδεικτικά στοιχεία και σύντομα και οι ίδιοι εγκατέλειψαν τη πρόφαση του επερχόμενου κομμουνιστικού κινδύνου.
References
- ^ "Έθνος" newspaper 24th April 1967 front-page article with title: "Σχέδιον μαχητικής εκδηλώσεως της Κεντροαριστεράς προεκάλεσε την ανάληψιν της Αρχής υπό του Στρατού"
- ^ US Department of State Archives, 1964-1968, Vol 194