Georgios Kondylis

Georgios Kondylis ( _el. Γεώργιος Κονδύλης) (1878–February 1, 1936) was a general of the Greek army and Prime Minister of Greece. He was nicknamed "Keravnos", Greek for "Thunder" or "Thunderbolt".

Military career

Kondylis was born in Proussós. He enlisted in the army as a volunteer in 1896, and fought with the Greek expeditionary corps in Crete. He was later commissioned and participated in the Macedonian Struggle (1904–1908) leading his own guerrilla band, and was promoted to Captain during the Balkan Wars (1912–1913). He supported the Movement of National Defence of Eleftherios Venizelos during the First World War, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. A firm Venizelist, he opposed the restoration of King Constantine I in 1920, fleeing to Constantinople together with other Venizelist officers and organizing there the "Democratic Defence" (Δημοκρατική Άμυνα). He returned after the 1922 Revolution as a Major General, suppressed the royalist revolt of 1923, retired from the army, and became involved in politics.

Political career

He was successfully elected to Parliament, and founded the National Democratic Party. He was war minister from March to June 1924. On August 21, 1926, he overthrew the dictatorship of Theodoros Pangalos in a bloodless coup and formed a government, proclaiming elections for November. Notably, his party did not participate in these. In the elections of August 1928, his party elected nine MPs, with himself being elected in Kavala. In 1932 he became war minister again in the Populist government, and from this post he was instrumental in crushing the March 1935 Venizelist revolt.

When, on October 10, 1935, the chiefs of the Armed Forces overthrew the government of Panagis Tsaldaris, on the same day, the former Republican Kondylis declared himself Regent, abolished the Republic and staged a plebiscite on November 11 for the return of the monarchy. After the return of King George II on 25 November, however, he soon quarreled with the king, and resigned. In the January 1936 elections, he cooperated with Ioannis Rallis and managed to have fifteen MPs elected. Soon after, however, he died of a heart attack on February 1 1936, in Athens.