Popular Autocracy in Greece, 1936-1941: A Political Biography of General Ioannis Metaxas

Description

The first major political biography of General Ioannis Metaxas, who assumed dictatorial power in Greece in 1936 and oversaw the resistance to the Italian invasion in the Second World War. As a political portrait of the man, the book puts much emphasis on the early career of Metaxas and his journey to state power, from 1920 to 1936. Drawing heavily on original Greek sources, the book makes extensive use of Metaxa's diary, his correspondence, and the evidence of his close friends and associates. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction PART I Formative Years: School, Military Training, Cultural and Political Influences 1. Origins and Formative Years 2. Early Military Career 3. The 1897 Greek–Turkish Thessaly War 4. The European Experience: The Berlinkriegsakademie, 1899–1903 PART II Soldiering and Diplomacy: Rapid Professional Advancement and Growing Political Involvement, 1910–25 5. The Balkan Wars, 1912–13 6. The Great War, 1914–18 7. Exile and Return, 1917–20 8. Entry into Politics and Second Exile, 1920–24 9. The National All-Party (Ekoumeniki) Government PART III Prelude to Power: The Momentum of Leadership 10. Greece in the 1930s 11. Political Party Leader, Prominent Member of Parliament, and Rivalry with Venizelos 12. Metaxas becomes Prime Minister 13. On the Eve of War PART IV Radical Reformer and Wartime Leader, Architect of Military Victory 14. The Nature of the 4th August Regime 15. How Others Saw Metaxas and His Regime 16. Assessments and Conclusion Index