The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece
HISTORY OF ATHENS
The
Greek Military Junta
(Regime of the Colonels)
Regency and the Republic
When the King left Athens to begin his counter-coup, on 13 December
1967, he took Prime Minister Kollias with him. From that moment
on, legally, there was no more government and no Head of State
in Athens. This did not concern the military junta. Instead the
Revolutionary Council of Pattakos, Papadopoulos and Makarezos
made a brief appearance to release a resolution that was published
in the Government Gazette. In it, another member of the military
administration, Major General Georgios Zoitakis, was appointed
as Regent.
Zoitakis
then appointed Papadopoulos Prime Minister. This became the only
government of Greece after the failure of the King's attempted
coup as the King was unwilling to set up an alternative administration
in exile. The Regent's position was later confirmed under the
1968 Constitution, although the exiled King never officially recognized,
nor acknowledge, the regency.
On
21 March 1972, in a legally controversial move even under the
junta's own constitution, the cabinet voted to oust Zoitakis and
replace him with Papadopoulos who thus combined the offices of
Regent and Prime Minister. It was thought that Zoitakis was problematic
and interfered too much with the military.
The
King's portrait remained on coins, in public buildings etc. but
slowly, the military was breaking the institution of the monarchy
down. The royal family's tax immunity was abolished, the complex
network of royally managed charities was brought under direct
state control, the royal arms were removed from coins, the Navy
and Air Force were no longer "Royal" and the newspapers
were usually banned from publishing the King's photo or any interviews.
During
this period, resistance against the colonels' rule became better
organized among exiles in Europe and the United States. In addition
to the expected opposition from the left, the colonels found themselves
under attack by constituencies that had traditionally supported
past right-wing regimes: pro-monarchists supporting Constantine;
businessmen concerned over international isolation and the middle
class facing an economic downturn after 1971. There was also considerable
political fighting within the junta. Still, up until 1973 the
junta appeared in firm control of Greece and not likely to be
ousted by violent means.
By
1973, the military dictators had grown deeply unpopular. In
May officers of the largely royalist Navy staged an abortive
coup, although King Constantine II of Greece himself was not
involved. On 1 June 1973, Papadopoulos retaliated by declaring
Greece a republic. He also declared himself President of Greece,
a decision which was confirmed by a plebiscite on 29 July
by an "almost
unanimous" vote, thanks to widespread election fraud. The
political parties did not recognize the result.