The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece
HISTORY OF ATHENS
The
Greek Military Junta
(Regime of the Colonels)
1974: Return to Democracy
Junta-appointed
President Phaedon Gizikis called a meeting of former politicians,
including Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Spiros Markezinis, Stephanos
Stephanopoulos, Evangelos Averoff and others. The agenda
was to appoint a national unity government that would lead to
country to elections. Although former Prime Minister Panagiotis
Kanellopoulos was originally backed, Gizikis finally invited former
Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis, who resided in Paris since
1963, to assume that role.
Karamanlis
returned to Athens on a French Presidency jet made available
to him by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, a close
personal friend. He was sworn-in as Prime Minister under President
Phaedon Gizikis. Karamanlis' newly organized party, New Democracy
(ND). Karamanlis won the elections held in November 1974 and
became Prime Minister.
The
collapse of the junta was triggered by the Cyprus debacle. Some
argue that the Athens Polytechnic uprising in 1973 was the event
that most discredited the military government and acted as a key
catalyst for its eventual collapse.