The question of the change of state, i.e. the restoration of the institution of the monarchy in Greece, was raised for the first time after several years by the leader of the party of the Liberals, Ioannis Metaxas, who requested during the meeting of the Parliament on March 29, 1935, the announcement of elections for the establishment of a Constituent Assembly. According to him, the restoration of the monarchy in Greece was a logical consequence of the Venizelian Movement of the 1 March 1935 and its suppression. In his fight for the restoration of the reign, Metaxas formed the “Association of Vasilofrons”. A different attitude from Metaxas was taken by his main political opponent Georgios Kondylis, who was waiting for the election result to openly express his positions on the restoration of the monarchy.
In the elections for the 5th National Assembly on June 9, the anti-Venezuelan forces secured an overwhelming majority in Parliament (287 out of 300 seats). The Venezuelans abstained, while the Communist Party received almost 10% of the vote. Almost immediately and despite the control of the Parliament, the Prime Minister and leader of the People’s Party Panagis Tsaldaris was undermined by the leader of the National Radical Party G. Kondylis, who had strong bases in the army. Under pressure from Kondylis and other royalists, Tsaldaris gave in to the request for a referendum by mid-November at the latest. On 10 July the Parliament ratified this decision and adjourned until 10 October.
On September 18, an act of the cabinet was published announcing that the referendum would be held on November 3. The outbreak of the Italo-Ethiopian war made the definitive resolution of the state issue imperative. Tsaldaris contacted George II, who was in London, through third parties, in order to be informed of the former king’s intentions regarding his possible return to Greece. Alongside the international political crisis, the situation at home was also characterized as dangerous.
On the morning of October 10, Lieutenant General Alexandros Papagos, Wing Commander George Reppas and Rear Admiral Dimitrios Economou overthrew Tsaldaris. Behind the Movement was Georgios Kondylis, who was entrusted with the formation of a government by the Revolutionary Committee. The new government was sworn in in the afternoon of the same day before the National Assembly. Her first act was to declare martial law in the country. During the meeting, Kondylis submitted a draft resolution for the restoration of the monarchy in Greece, which was approved by the present deputies.
Of special interest is the comment of the founder and director of “Kathimerini” Georgios Vlachos in the main article of the newspaper on October 11. In this, Vlachos emphasized the need for the mobilization of all the country’s political forces in order to get out of the political crisis. “So we all have to be careful. Royalists, Democrats, friends of the current Government and supporters of resignation, we have an obligation to oppose the Situation, as a situation created out of things and to see how we will also benefit Greece through it: Democracy was abolished yesterday and the Basel, if it is not reinstated by resolution, will be reinstated by votes. Now – in spite of all the objections dictated by reason and on behalf of this staunch one – it must be acknowledged throughout Greece that it must, as the only hope, as the only guarantee of order, as the only way of salvation, be reinstated. Its return will perhaps mark the end of spiritual anarchy and the beginning of a new national life, which will have as its focus the commons and as its future Reconciliation. To this end, we must all help”, he pointed out.
The restoration of the monarchy in Greece was approved by the referendum of November 3, 1935.
Column Editor: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigone-Despina Poimenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
