George II of Greece

 

George II King of the Hellenes Reign 27 September, 1922 - 25 March, 1924, and later 3 November 1935 – 1 April 1947 Born July 20 1890(1890--) Tatoi, Greece Died April 1 1947 (aged 56) Athens, Greece Predecessor 1- Constantine I of Greece, 2- Republic Successor 1- Republic, 2- Paul of Greece Consort Elisabeth of Romania Royal House House of Oldenburg Father Constantine I of Greece Mother Sophia of Prussia

House of Oldenburg (Glücksburg branch) George I Children    Constantine I    Prince George    Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia    Prince Nicholas    Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia    Princess Olga    Prince Andrew    Prince Christopher Grandchildren    Prince Peter    Princess Eugénie, Duchess of Castel Duino    Olga, Princess Paul of Yugoslavia    Princess Elizabeth, Countess of Toerring-Jettenbach    Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent    Margarita, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg    Princess Theodora, Margravine of Baden    Princess Cecilie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine    Sophie, Princess George of Hanover    Philip, Duke of Edinburgh    Prince Michael Great Grandchildren    Princess Alexandra    Princess Olga Constantine I Children    George II    Alexander I    Elena, Queen of Romania    Paul I    Irene, Duchess of Aosta    Princess Katherine Alexander I Children    Alexandra, Queen of Yugoslavia George II Paul I Children    Sofia, Queen of Spain    Constantine II    Princess Irene Constantine II Children    Princess Alexia    Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece    Prince Nikolaos    Princess Theodora    Prince Philippos Grandchildren    Princess Maria-Olympia    Prince Constantine Alexios    Prince Achileas-Andreas    Prince Odysseas-Kimon

George II, King of the Hellenes (Greek: Γεώργιος Β' [Geōrgios] Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων) (20 July 1890–1 April 1947) ruled Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947.

Early life, first period of kingship and exile

He was born at Tatoi, near Athens, the eldest son of Constantine I, King of the Hellenes and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia.

He married, on February 27 1921 at Bucharest, Princess Elisabeth of Romania, daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh. They had no children, and were divorced on July 6 1935.

He followed his father into exile in 1917 (see National Schism), and returned with him in 1920, after the death of his brother, Alexander and the electoral defeat of Eleftherios Venizelos. He succeeded to the Greek throne on his father's abdication on September 27 1922.

Following a failed royalist coup in October 1923, he was asked by the government to leave Greece "on leave" while the National Assembly considered the question of the future form of government. He complied and left on December 19 1923 for exile in Romania. When a republic was proclaimed on March 25 1924, he was officially deposed, stripped of his Greek nationality and his property confiscated.^[1]

His wife stayed in Bucharest whilst he spent more and more time abroad visiting Britain, and his mother in Florence. In 1932 he left Romania permanently and moved to Britain.^[2]

Restoration of monarchy and the Metaxas regime

In Greece between 1924 and 1935 there were 23 changes of government, a dictatorship and 13 coups. In October 1935, General Georgios Kondylis, a former Venizelist, overthrew the government and appointed himself Prime Minister. He staged a plebiscite on November 3, 1935, where over 95% of the reported votes supported restoration.^[3]

King George returned to Greek soil on November 25. Almost immediately he and Kondylis disagreed over the terms of a general amnesty the King wanted to declare, and George appointed an interim Prime Minister, Professor Konstantinos Demertzis. New elections were held in January, which resulted in a hung parliament with the Communists (who were anti-monarchist) holding the balance of power. A series of unexpected deaths amongst the more well-known politicians (including Kondylis and Demertzis) as well as the uncertain political situation, led to the rise to power of Ioannis Metaxas. On 4 August 1936 George endorsed Metaxas's establishment of dictatorship - the "4th of August Regime".^[4]

World War II

Despite the regime's quasi-fascist tendencies and strong economic ties to Nazi Germany, King George was known to have pro-British feelings at the start of World War II. On October 28 1940 Metaxas rejected an Italian ultimatum demanding the stationing of Italian troops in Greece, and Italy invaded, starting the Greco-Italian War. The Greeks mounted a successful defense and eventually occupied the southern half of Albania, but when the Germans invaded from Bulgaria on April 6 1941 the Greeks and the British Expeditionary Force were overrun, and mainland Greece occupied.^[5]

On April 23 the King and the government left the Greek mainland for Crete but after the German airborne attack on the island he was evacuated to Egypt. Once again he went into exile to Great Britain, seemingly at the behest of King Farouk of Egypt and Farouk's pro-Italian ministers.^[6]

During the war he remained the internationally recognized head of state, backed by the exiled government and Greek forces serving in the Middle East. In occupied Greece, however, the leftist partisans of the National Liberation Front (EAM) and National Popular Liberation Army (ELAS), now unfettered by Metaxas' oppression, had become the largest Greek Resistance movement, enjoying considerable popular support. As liberation drew nearer, however, the prospect of the King's return caused dissensions both inside Greece and among the Greeks abroad. Although the King effectively renounced the Metaxas regime in a radio broadcast, a large section of the people and many politicians rejected his return on account of his support of the dictatorship. In November 1943 George wrote to the Prime Minister-in-exile Emmanouil Tsouderos, "I shall examine anew the question of the date of my return to Greece in agreement with the Government". Either deliberately or accidentally, the version released for publication omitted the words "of the date", creating the impression that George had agreed to a further plebiscite on the monarchy, even though a retraction was issued.^[7]

After two changes of Prime Minister, the establishment of a rival Communist-led government in occupied Greece and a pro-EAM mutiny among the armed forces in the Middle East, it was agreed in the May 1944 Lebanon conference that the fate of the monarchy would be decided in a national referendum. Bowing to Allied pressure, George was forced to appoint Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens as Regent in January 1945. Damaskinos immediately appointed a republican-dominated government. Being ill, exhausted and powerless, George bought a lease on a house in Chester Square, Belgravia and made a home there with his long-time mistress.^[8]

Return to Greece and death

In elections held on March 31 1946 the monarchist parties won a clear majority of the parliamentary seats, aided by the abstention of the Communists, and the referendum on the monarchy was set for September 1. Between then and the plebiscite, the electoral registers were revised under Allied supervision. The announced results claimed 69% in favour of the King's return on a 90% turnout.^[9] The result fueled Civil War between the communists and the royalists (see Greek Civil War).

On September 26 George returned to Greece to find the Royal Palace looted, the woods at Tatoi chopped down for fuel and corpses buried in shallow graves outside.^[10] His country faced economic collapse and political instability.

On March 31 1947 he was discovered unconscious in his room at the Royal Palace in Athens, and died the following day of arteriosclerosis. When the news was announced some thought it to be an April Fool's joke.^[11]

He was succeeded by his brother, Paul. On account of his many exiles, he is said to have remarked that "the most important tool for a King of Greece is a suitcase."^[12]

Honours, styles and arms

Styles of King George II of the Hellenes
Reference style	His Majesty
Spoken style	Your Majesty
Alternative style	Sir

In 1941, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for courage under enemy fire, the first and only time a reigning Monarch has received this decoration.

In 1942, he was awarded the Norwegian War Cross.

Ancestry

16. Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

8. Christian IX of Denmark

17. Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel

4. George I, King of the Hellenes

18. Prince William of Hesse

9. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel

19. Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark

2. Constantine I, King of the Hellenes

20. Nicholas I of Russia

10. Grand Duke Konstantine Nicholaievich of Russia

21. Princess Charlotte of Prussia

5. Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia

22. Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

11. Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg

23. Duchess Amalie of Württemberg

1. George II, King of the Hellenes

24. Frederick William III of Prussia

12. William I, German Emperor

25. Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

6. Frederick III, German Emperor

26. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

13. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar and Eisenach

27. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia

3. Princess Sophia of Prussia

28. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

14. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

29. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

7. Victoria, Princess Royal

30. Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn

15. Victoria of the United Kingdom

31. Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

References

George II of Greece House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg Born: 20 July 1890 Died: 1 April 1947
Regnal titles
Preceded by Constantine I	King of the Hellenes 27 September1922 – 25 March1924	Succeeded by Republic Pavlos Kountouriotis (Provisional Head of State)
Preceded by Republic Alexandros Zaimis (President)	King of the Hellenes 3 November1935 – 1 April1947	Succeeded by Paul

Heads of State of Greece

First Hellenic Republic (1827–1832): Ioannis Kapodistrias | Augustinos Kapodistrias | Governing Council First Period of Monarchy (1832–1924): Otto | George I | Constantine I | Alexander | Constantine I | George II Second Hellenic Republic (1924–1935): Pavlos Kountouriotis | Theodoros Pangalos† | Pavlos Kountouriotis | Alexandros Zaimis Second Period of Monarchy (1935–1974): George II | Paul | Constantine II 1967-1974 military dictatorship: Georgios Zoitakis† | Georgios Papadopoulos† | Phaedon Gizikis† Third Hellenic Republic (1974–): Phaedon Gizikis | Michail Stasinopoulos | Konstantinos Tsatsos | Constantine Karamanlis | Ioannis Alevras | Christos Sartzetakis | Constantine Karamanlis | Costis Stephanopoulos | Karolos Papoulias †denotes military dictator

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