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Abstract
The purpose of this article is to discuss the factors that led to the imposition of the 1967 military regime in Athens. The so-called “conspiracy theories” have thus far suggested that the US influenced the turn of events, however, without the support of the necessary evidence. Recently declassified material of the US Department of State will allow us to examine all such allegations, as well as the perception that Andreas Papandreou posed a serious threat to constitutional democracy. The article will also discuss the possibility of the coup fulfilling the personal ambition of George Papadopoulos.
Notes
1. Military regimes were installed in 1909, 1922, 1925, 1935, and 1936.
2. Two Balkan Wars (1912 and 1913), the First World War (1914–1918), the Asia Minor catastrophe. (1919–1922), the Second World War (1940–1944) and the Greek Civil War (1946–1949).
3. Elections were held in 1946, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1963, and 1964.
4. Spiros Sakellaropoulos, The Causes of the April Coup (Ta aitia tou aprilianou praxikopimatos), Livanis, Athens, 1998, p.34.
5. Sakellaropoulos, 1998, p.34.
6. Georgios Papadopoulos, Our belief (To pistevo mas), Athens, 1969, vol.3, pp.20–51.
7. Samuel Finer, The Man on Horseback, Pinter Publishers, London, 1988.
8. Richard Clogg, Parties and Elections in Greece, London: C. Hurst and Company, 1987, p.48.
9. Minutes of Meeting of the 303 Committee, Johnson Library, National Security File, Greek Coup, 1967, March 8, 1967.
10. Letter from the Ambassador to Greece (Talbot) to the Country Director for Greece, Washington National Records Centre, RG 84, Athens Post Files: Lot 75 A 02, Greek Desk-Bracken-Brewster, March 30, 1967.
11. Telegram from the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece, Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 GREECE, April 3, 1967.
12. Telegram from the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State, Department of State, Central Files, POL15 GREECE, April, 14, 1967.
13. Telegram from the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State, Department of State, Central Files, POL GREECE, May, 5, 1967.
14. The manifesto of IDEA [Ieros Desmos Ellinon Axiomatikon (Holy Bond of Greek Officers – IDEA)] stated that its members were strongly opposed to the corruption of the Greek political system and that only a dictatorship could save Greece.
15. Telegram from the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State, Department of State, Central Files, POL GREECE, May, 5, 1967.
16. Telegram from the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State, Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE, April, 23, 1967.
17. Telegram from the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State, Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE, April, 21, 1967.
18. Telegram from the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece, Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–5 GREECE, May, 31, 1967.
19. Memorandum from Secretary of State Rusk to President, Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President–Walt Rostow, Vol. 35, July, 21, 1967.
20. Telegram from the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece, Department of State, Central Files, POL GREECE, January, 13, 1968.
21. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State, Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 GREECE-US, March, 27, 1968
22. Memorandum of Conversations, Department of State, Central Files, POL GREECE-US, April 22, 1968.
23. Telegram from the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State, Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–5 GREECE, September, 19, 1968.
24. Memorandum from the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs to President Johnson, Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Greece, Vol. 4, October 8, 1968.
25. Kathimerini 3/7/1975 p.3.
26. Telegram from the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State, Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 GREECE, March 24, 1967.
27. Papadopoulos, 1969, vol.3, p.166.