Patron of the restored monarchy and Metaxas dictatorship
On 4 August 1936, George II gave royal authorization to Metaxas as he suspended parliament and established the dictatorship.
George II was the Greek king who pursued the restoration and survival of the monarchy through successive political crises. After returning to the throne in 1935, he authorized Ioannis Metaxas's rise and the dictatorship established on 4 August 1936, joining royal authority to military authoritarianism. He maintained Greece's alignment with Britain during the war and opposed the Italian and German invasions, but his exiled government and post-liberation campaign for a royal return placed him in conflict with the resistance forces and left a contested political legacy. He died soon after returning to the throne in 1946.
Career Timeline
- 1922–1924King of Greece, first reign
- 1935Returned as king after the restoration of the monarchy
- 1936–1941Head of state under the Metaxas regime
- 1940–1941Exercised supreme command of the Greek armed forces during the Axis invasion
- 1941–1944King associated with the government-in-exile based in London
- 1944–1946King in dispute over the post-liberation return, accepting a regency
- 1946–1947Returned as king and reigned until his death