Phaedon Gizikis

Phaedon Gizikis was a Greek military officer who served as the last president of Greece under the Regime of the Colonels. His tenure, from 1973 to 1974, was defined by the final tumultuous year of the junta, including the Athens Polytechnic uprising and the crisis in Cyprus that led to the regime's collapse. Following the restoration of democracy, he was removed from office and retired from public life, remaining a controversial figure associated with a dark chapter in modern Greek history.

Early life and military career

Phaedon Gizikis was born in Volos in 1917 and graduated from the Hellenic Military Academy in 1939. He served in the Greco-Italian War during World War II and later fought with government forces in the Greek Civil War. His post-war career saw steady advancement through the ranks of the Hellenic Army, where he held various staff and command positions. By the late 1960s, Gizikis had attained the rank of lieutenant general and was serving as commander of the First Army, based in Larissa.

Role in the Greek junta

Following the coup d'état of 21 April 1967 by the Greek junta, led by Georgios Papadopoulos, Gizikis was not among the initial conspirators. However, he acquiesced to the new regime and maintained his command, demonstrating loyalty to the military government. He played a key role in the internal military consolidation of the junta, and his reliable support was noted by the leadership in Athens. This loyalty positioned him for higher office during a period of intense internal crisis for the dictatorship in late 1973.

Presidency (1973–1974)

After the violent suppression of the Athens Polytechnic uprising and the internal coup by hardliner Dimitrios Ioannidis against President Georgios Papadopoulos, Gizikis was installed as the new president on 25 November 1973. His presidency was largely ceremonial, with real power held by the shadowy figure of Ioannidis. The defining event of his term was the junta's failed coup in July 1974 against President Makarios III of Cyprus, which triggered the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Facing national collapse and the threat of war with Turkey, the junta's leadership, including Gizikis, capitulated and invited former statesman Konstantinos Karamanlis to return from exile to form a government.

Post-junta life and death

With the return of Konstantinos Karamanlis and the beginning of the Metapolitefsi, Gizikis was formally removed from the presidency on 17 December 1974. Unlike many junta principals, he was not prosecuted for his role in the dictatorship, as the new democratic government prioritized national reconciliation. He retired from the army and lived a quiet, private life, largely avoiding public commentary. Phaedon Gizikis died in Athens in 1999 at the age of 82, having outlived many of his contemporaries from the era of the colonels.

Legacy and historical assessment

Historians generally view Phaedon Gizikis as a compliant instrument of the more radical elements within the Regime of the Colonels, particularly Dimitrios Ioannidis. His presidency is seen as a brief transitional facade during the junta's final, most disastrous phase. His primary historical significance lies in his role in relinquishing power to Konstantinos Karamanlis, an act that facilitated a peaceful transition to democracy. In modern Greece, he is remembered as a symbol of the military dictatorship, and his legacy is inextricably tied to the trauma of the junta and the national crisis over Cyprus.

Category:1917 births Category:1999 deaths Category:Presidents of Greece Category:Greek military personnel of World War II Category:Greek junta