The Military in Greek Politics

"This is an important study of the politics of modern Greece, relevant to an understanding of the evolution of society and polity since independence in 1830. In addition to offering a survey of the origins and evolution of the military institution during the last 150 years, the author uses personal and State archives and an array of diaries and memoirs to present the most complete and impressive narrative of the intervention of the Greek army in politics for the period from 1916 to 1974 the story of the dramatic struggle between politicians and the monarch for the allegiance and control of the army officer corps; and the fateful central issue of modern Greek politics, the so-called 'Army List', a conflict suspended with the rise of the Metaxas dictatorship in August 1936, only to reappear in a new guise in April 1967 in the 'Greece of the Colonels.'" -- P.J. Vatikiotis, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of London

With the investigation of the military institution in modern Greece up to the 1995 law determining the sharing of responsibilities between civil and military authorities, Thanos Veremis has identified broader areas of research into Greek politics, its leading personalities, such as Venizelos, Plastiras, Pangalos and Metaxas, the politicization of the monarchy, and the army's eventual decline. Not only is there a complete chronology of Greek history since independence, there is also a fifteen page listing, with short biographies, of the leading personalities.