People of the Revolution and the USSR

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Ioannis Metaxas

Ιωάννης Μεταξάς

The monarchist anti-communist who established the 4th of August dictatorship

“Then, it is war.”

A Greek military officer turned politician, Metaxas sought an authoritarian national order that joined monarchism to hostility toward parliament. With King George II's support, he suspended parliament in 1936 and established the 4th of August Regime, banning parties and strikes while repressing the left. He also used state intervention and a youth organization to mobilize society, and historians have debated whether his rule is best understood as fascist, authoritarian-conservative, or a regime with a strong fascist component. In 1940 he rejected Italy's ultimatum and led Greece into war, but died in 1941 before the German invasion.

Career timeline
  • 1890Second lieutenant, Hellenic Army Engineers
  • 1899–1903Studied at the Berlin War Academy
  • 1910–1912Adjutant to Eleftherios Venizelos, Minister of Military Affairs and prime minister
  • 1912–1913Operations staff officer in the Balkan Wars and military adviser at the London Conference
  • 1922–1936Founder and parliamentarian of the Freethinkers' Party
  • 1926–1928Minister of Communications in Alexandros Zaimis's cabinet
  • 1932–1933Minister of the Interior under Panagis Tsaldaris
  • 1936–1941Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the 4th of August Regime

Konstantinos Maniadakis

Κωνσταντίνος Μανιαδάκης

Architect of the dictatorship's security apparatus

In 1940, the police deployed a counterfeit KKE leadership and forged Rizospastis to confuse the party's members.

A former Greek Army officer, Konstantinos Maniadakis was a central official of Ioannis Metaxas's 4th of August dictatorship, organizing its security state and anti-communist repression. He combined the Asfaleia's intelligence network with torture and island exile to break the KKE's public activity and disable much of its leadership. In 1940, the police created a counterfeit KKE leadership and forged edition of Rizospastis to confuse party members. After liberation, he converted anti-communism into political capital and served as a parliamentarian, while his responsibility under the dictatorship went largely unaccounted for.

Career timeline
  • 1916Graduated from the Military Academy as an engineering second lieutenant
  • 1919–1922Served in the Asia Minor campaign
  • 1923Discharged after participating in the Leonardopoulos–Gargalidis coup attempt
  • 1929Resigned from the army as a lieutenant colonel
  • 1936–1941Deputy Minister of Public Security under Metaxas, organizing the security system
  • 1941Deputy Minister of Public Security and Minister of the Interior under Koryzis and Tsouderos
  • 1941–1949Supervisor of Greek diplomatic missions in Argentina and Latin America
  • 1950–1964Right-wing member of parliament