Great Britain and the restoration of King George II
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Abstract
The article argues that the restoration of King George II in November
1935 was imposed upon the Greek people by an elite group
of ultra-royalist elements who enjoyed the support of the British Foreign
Office and certain British financial circles. Moreover, the King’s
restoration was the prelude to the authoritarian regime of General
John Metaxas with whom the King collaborated to install a dictatorship
after August 4, 1936.
A brief synopsis of the historical antecedents pertinent to the
restoration are discussed beginning with the King’s forced abdication
in 1923. The focus of the study, however, is on the parliamentary regime
which experienced a deep crisis in the 1930s and permitted the
emergence of the extreme military and political right-wing elements
whose ultimate goal was to restore the dynasty and install an authoritarian
government.
A highly fraudulent plebiscite took place in November 1935 and
George II was returned to Greece. The role of the British government
in the restoration was significant because the King was an Anglophile
who was committed to serving British economic/financial and diplomatic
interests in Greece. The collapse of the volatile Greek republic
therefore, was caused by endogenous as well as exogenous factors.
1935 was imposed upon the Greek people by an elite group
of ultra-royalist elements who enjoyed the support of the British Foreign
Office and certain British financial circles. Moreover, the King’s
restoration was the prelude to the authoritarian regime of General
John Metaxas with whom the King collaborated to install a dictatorship
after August 4, 1936.
A brief synopsis of the historical antecedents pertinent to the
restoration are discussed beginning with the King’s forced abdication
in 1923. The focus of the study, however, is on the parliamentary regime
which experienced a deep crisis in the 1930s and permitted the
emergence of the extreme military and political right-wing elements
whose ultimate goal was to restore the dynasty and install an authoritarian
government.
A highly fraudulent plebiscite took place in November 1935 and
George II was returned to Greece. The role of the British government
in the restoration was significant because the King was an Anglophile
who was committed to serving British economic/financial and diplomatic
interests in Greece. The collapse of the volatile Greek republic
therefore, was caused by endogenous as well as exogenous factors.
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