Evangelos Averoff

Evangelos Averoff
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Name	Evangelos Averoff
Caption	Evangelos Averoff in the 1950s.
Office	Minister for National Defence
Term start	1974
Term end	1981
Primeminister	Konstantinos Karamanlis
Predecessor	Georgios Rallis
Successor	Andreas Papandreou
Office2	Minister for Foreign Affairs
Term start2	1956
Term end2	1963
Primeminister2	Konstantinos Karamanlis
Predecessor2	Sofoklis Venizelos
Successor2	Panagiotis Pipinelis
Birth date	17 April 1910
Birth place	Trikala, Kingdom of Greece
Death date	2 January 1990 (aged 79)
Death place	Athens, Greece
Party	Greek Rally, National Radical Union, New Democracy
Alma mater	University of Lausanne, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Profession	Politician, Author, Diplomat

Evangelos Averoff was a pivotal Greek conservative statesman, author, and diplomat whose career spanned the mid-20th century. A key ally of Konstantinos Karamanlis, he served as a long-standing Minister for Foreign Affairs and later as the influential Minister for National Defence during the critical post-junta period. His intellectual contributions, particularly on Cyprus and Cold War strategy, alongside his staunch anti-communism, shaped modern Greek foreign policy.

Early life and education

Born into a prominent family in Trikala, he was the son of Georgios Averoff's nephew, linking him to a major benefactor of Greece. He pursued higher studies in Switzerland, graduating from the University of Lausanne and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. His academic background in law and economics, combined with fluency in multiple languages, prepared him for a career in international affairs. During the Second World War, he was active in the Greek Resistance, an experience that deeply influenced his political outlook.

Political career

Averoff entered politics as a member of the Greek Rally, the party founded by Alexandros Papagos. Following Papagos's death, he became a loyal lieutenant to Konstantinos Karamanlis, serving as a key figure in the successor party, the National Radical Union (ERE). He was elected to the Hellenic Parliament multiple times, representing his native region of Trikala. His political rise was marked by his expertise in foreign policy, which led to his appointment to major cabinet posts during the 1950s and 1960s, a period that included the height of the Cold War and the Cypriot intercommunal violence.

Ministerial roles

Appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1956, Averoff served for seven years under Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis, making him one of the longest-serving holders of that office. His tenure was dominated by the complex Cyprus issue, where he engaged in difficult negotiations with Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations. Later, after the fall of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974, he was appointed Minister for National Defence in Karamanlis's 1974 national unity government, playing a crucial role in modernizing the Hellenic Armed Forces and managing tensions with Turkey after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

Writings and intellectual contributions

A prolific author, Averoff wrote extensively on history, politics, and strategy. His most notable work, *By Fire and Axe: The Communist Party of Greece and the Civil War*, is a seminal historical analysis of the Greek Civil War from a conservative perspective. He also authored significant texts on the Cyprus problem and Greek national strategy, contributing to ideological debates within the New Democracy party. His writings reflected a deep commitment to Hellenism, a staunch anti-communist stance, and a realist approach to international relations influenced by thinkers like Winston Churchill.

Legacy and death

Evangelos Averoff died of a heart attack in Athens on 2 January 1990. He is remembered as a principal architect of post-war Greek foreign policy and a defining intellectual force within Greek conservatism. His legacy is particularly associated with his handling of the Cyprus dispute and his efforts to anchor Greece firmly within the NATO alliance and the nascent European Economic Community. The Evangelos Averoff Museum in Metsovo and the Averoff Gallery in Athens stand as cultural testaments to his and his family's patronage of the arts.

Category:1910 births Category:1990 deaths Category:Government ministers of Greece Category:Greek diplomats Category:Members of the Hellenic Parliament Category:Greek anti-communists