1967-1974: Greece’s infamous ‘Seven years’ which saw the old Monarchy fall, a new Military Dictatorship rise and a Third Hellenic Republic born: All the while being on the brink of armed conflict. What is the most recent chapter of political upheaval that has redefined your own country?

Posted by Starfalloss@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 23 comments

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The monarchy itself was never popular to begin with (they were Danes brought in 1862), some kings were popular individually (like George I), but never the entire institution. We had multiple civil wars and coups over this issue.

After the Asia Minor Catastrophe (1922) a coup by liberal officers overthrew the monarchy until another coup brought it back in 1935. After WW2 the left, led by the communists, wanted a republic again while the right, led by monarchists, wanted a kingdom. There was supposed to be a fair referendum, but relations between the two sides broke down in 1946 and the civil war began, so the monarchists (government) rigged it.

The monarchists won and we had right wing governments from 1949-1967 and an politically influential military, with the left suppressed. A centrist politician, with the support of the left, won in 1964 and the king fired him one year later because he wasn't conservative enough, causing a long political crisis. Eventually the CIA sponsored a neofascist military coup in 1967. The king opposed it (and tried a failed counter-coup), but when the regime collapsed in 1974, in the people's minds the monarchy was the cause of all this mess, so in a fair referendum that year, 70% voted for a republic, ending the monarchy for good.

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branimir2208@reddit

I meam that referendum in '74 wasn't fair to begin with.

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GrogmarktheRag@reddit

The 1973 referendum by the junta (which supported a republic after falling out with Constantine) was the one that was rigged. The junta collapsed in July '74 and the Supreme Court declared all its decisions void, so they ran another, fair referendum one year after the '73 one.

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branimir2208@reddit

Fair? Constantine wasn't let to campaign for monarchy in Greece. That wasn't really fair

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tkchrist@reddit

I second that! It' s crazy how much CIA's involvement is underlined both in Greece and Cyprus attempted coups.

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Adept-One-4632@reddit

Because the King was not supportive of the junta. He even tried to initiate a counter-coup against the colonels, which failed. This led to Constantine and his family to flee in exile to escape retribution.

But the military still led the country on behalf on the king until 1973 when thry decided they were done with the monarchy.

And the reason why it was never beought back is because majority of greeks view the monarchy as having led to the junta. More specifically, they viewed Constantine II as an inexperienced king who had to be guided by his conservative mother.

The results of the 1974 referendum were also affected by the rise of left-wing parties PASOK and KKE (which were anti-monarchist) and ND (which was neutral) while the conservative monarchist party EDE fell in the polls. Also, the King was forbiden to set foot in Greece (which i find this as a dick move)

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BetImaginary4945@reddit

Because Americans said so

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tkchrist@reddit

King Constantine II attempted a failed counter coup in 1967. As a king he was the head of the army, he was also an olympic gold metalist in sailing.

He wasn't popular to the majority of Greeks, but he was more popular than any politician back then.

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Early-Show2886@reddit

Yes, that's absolutely correct, they do have German roots: The House of Glücksburg is a branch of the German House of Oldenburg. Their ancestral seat, from which they take their name, is Glücksburg Castle in northern Germany, near the Danish border. The Greek royal family belongs to the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

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Ujemegaz@reddit

Man, we had communism for 50 years. You complain about several years of coup dictatorship.

gif

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BouRock@reddit

I am amazed how Greeks kept the monarch so long

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Late_Secret3480@reddit

If Papadopoulos haven't send him away we have monarchy today too.

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klevis99@reddit

Probably the anarchy of 1997 where we looted all the weapons depot and it became every man for himself for a couple of months.

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Adept-One-4632@reddit

Ceaușescu's regime, definetly.

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StevenAdamsInDallas@reddit

Communists, mentally deficient military men which people now describe as "far-right" + "Western Capitalists" (also Communists but with money and not living in the ghetto) played ideology house and financed instability.

The result was the destruction of the most ideal system of government that humanity has built (monarchy) and replaced it with "Democracy", where the most corrupt and idiotic people, get into power by God forsaken practices.

Basically all Europe, where the new ideologies enacted the wishful thinking of untapped potential unto any person and a sense of "activism" into politics (especially in the executive branch, where money is to be made).

Class warfare.

Radicalism + Reactionary response => Into a weak and easily controlled system. (or so does the present day history, of the majority of European states that don't rely on massive populations and incommensurable natural resources, tells us).

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foxgirlmoon@reddit

the most ideal system of government that humanity has built (monarchy)

...

This is certainly one of the takes of all time jesus christ.

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Starfalloss@reddit (OP)

Found the Turk XD

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Repulsive_Work_226@reddit

Thanks to Turks Greece have democracy

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Starfalloss@reddit (OP)

Imagine believing this delusional.