Fall of the Junta: What Happened
On 23 July 1974, the military dictatorship that had ruled Greece since April 1967 collapsed. The junta's leader, Dimitrios Ioannidis, had backed the coup against President Makarios in Cyprus on 15 July, which led to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 20 July. The junta ordered a general mobilization of the Greek armed forces to prepare for war with Turkey, but it turned into chaos, exposing how unprepared the army was. Senior military commanders refused to go to war and lost confidence in Ioannidis. On 23 July, President Phaedon Gizikis summoned leading politicians from before the dictatorship to form a civilian government. They agreed to invite Konstantinos Karamanlis, the former prime minister who had been living in exile in Paris since 1963, to return and lead a government of national unity. Karamanlis arrived in Athens in the early hours of 24 July to huge celebrations in the streets. The fall of the junta began the transition to democracy known as the Metapolitefsi. The leaders of the junta were later put on trial and sentenced for their crimes.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Greek junta fall?
The military dictatorship collapsed on 23 July 1974, after its disastrous role in the Cyprus crisis and the Turkish invasion.
Why did the Greek junta collapse?
A general mobilization for war with Turkey turned into chaos, and senior commanders refused to go to war and lost confidence in Ioannidis.
Who replaced the junta?
President Phaedon Gizikis summoned pre-junta politicians, who invited Konstantinos Karamanlis to return from Paris and lead a government of national unity.
Who led Greece after the junta fell?
Konstantinos Karamanlis returned from Paris in the early hours of 24 July 1974 and led a government of national unity, greeted by huge celebrations.
What happened to the junta leaders?
The leaders of the junta were later put on trial in 1975 and sentenced for their crimes, including high treason.
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