Ioannis Gennimatas
Encyclopedia
Ioannis Gennimatas was a Greek
Army
officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
and the post of Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
in 1964–1965. An ardently right-wing and royalist officer, he is notable for his involvement against the Centre Union party in the 1960s, which led to the political crisis of July 1965
.
Ioannis Gennimatas was born in Gytheio
, Laconia
, in 1910. He entered the Hellenic Army Academy and graduated as a Second Lieutenant on 23 July 1930. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1934 and Captain in 1937. He fought in the Greco-Italian War
and during the attempts to halt the German invasion of Greece in April 1941. In August 1944 he fled from occupied Greece to the Middle East
, where he joined the armed forces of the Greek government in exile
as a company commander. In 1945, he was promoted to Major and fought in the Greek Civil War
as company and battalion commander, ending the war with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and as Chief of Staff of the 36th Brigade.
Subsequently he served as commander of the 5/42 Evzone Regiment, was promoted to Colonel (1953) and became CO of the Greek Expeditionary Force in Korea (1954). He then commanded the 3rd Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Infantry Division, taught at the War Academy and served as its commander, before rising to First Deputy Chief of the General Staff and later CO of the II Army Corps. In 1960 he was promoted to Major General and in 1962 to Lieutenant General.
Gennimatas was widely regarded as an enemy of the Centre Union, and had been involved in the allegations of massive fraud in the 1961 parliamentary elections
. After the Centre Union achieved a major victory in the November 1963
and February 1964
elections, its leader, Georgios Papandreou, favoured Lt General Andreas Siapkaras for the powerful post of Chief of the General Staff. Nevertheless, Gennimatas was chosen as the new Chief of the Army General Staff on 19 April 1964, as part of a tacit agreement between Papandreou and King Constantine II
that had allowed Papandreou to accede to the premiership in exchange for not interfering with the King's control over the armed forces.
In June 1965, however, Papandreou tried to solidify his control over the armed forces and planned to dismiss Gennimatas. This move was vehemently opposed by the King, but also by Papandreou's own Defence Minister, Petros Garoufalias, and led to a major rift between Papandreou and the Palace. The political crisis culminated in the "Apostasy
" of July 1965 – the defection of several Centre Union MPs, the dismissal of Papandreou and his replacement by a series of Palace-supported governments. The crisis deepened the rift in Greek society between progressive/republican factions and the conservative/monarchical establishment, and led to the establishment of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974.
Gennimatas himself retired from his post and from the Army on 8 October 1965, and died in 1981.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and the post of Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
Hellenic Army General Staff
The Hellenic Army General Staff is the general staff of the Hellenic Army, the terrestrial component of the Greek Armed Forces. It was established in 1906 as the Army Staff Service . Since 1950, the HAGS is subordinated to the Hellenic National Defense General Staff...
in 1964–1965. An ardently right-wing and royalist officer, he is notable for his involvement against the Centre Union party in the 1960s, which led to the political crisis of July 1965
Apostasia of 1965
The terms Apostasia or Iouliana or the Royal Coup are used to describe the political crisis in Greece that centred around the resignation, on 15 July 1965, of Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou and the appointment, by King Constantine II, of successive Prime Ministers from Papandreou's own...
.
Ioannis Gennimatas was born in Gytheio
Gytheio
Gytheio , the ancient Gythium or Gytheion , is a town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality East Mani, of which it is a municipal unit. It was the seaport of Sparta, some 40 km north...
, Laconia
Laconia
Laconia , also known as Lacedaemonia, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti...
, in 1910. He entered the Hellenic Army Academy and graduated as a Second Lieutenant on 23 July 1930. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1934 and Captain in 1937. He fought in the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
and during the attempts to halt the German invasion of Greece in April 1941. In August 1944 he fled from occupied Greece to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, where he joined the armed forces of the Greek government in exile
Greek government in exile
The Greek government in exile was the official government of Greece, headed by King George II, which evacuated from Athens in April 1941, after the German invasion of the country, first to the island of Crete and then to Cairo in Egypt. Hence it is also referred to as the "Cairo Government"...
as a company commander. In 1945, he was promoted to Major and fought in the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
as company and battalion commander, ending the war with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and as Chief of Staff of the 36th Brigade.
Subsequently he served as commander of the 5/42 Evzone Regiment, was promoted to Colonel (1953) and became CO of the Greek Expeditionary Force in Korea (1954). He then commanded the 3rd Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Infantry Division, taught at the War Academy and served as its commander, before rising to First Deputy Chief of the General Staff and later CO of the II Army Corps. In 1960 he was promoted to Major General and in 1962 to Lieutenant General.
Gennimatas was widely regarded as an enemy of the Centre Union, and had been involved in the allegations of massive fraud in the 1961 parliamentary elections
Greek legislative election, 1961
The Greek legislative election of the 29 October 1961 resulted in the third in a row victory for Constantine Karamanlis and his National Radical Union party....
. After the Centre Union achieved a major victory in the November 1963
Greek legislative election, 1963
The Greek legislative election of the 3 November 1963 resulted in a narrow victory for the Center Union of Georgios Papandreou after three consecutive victories of Constantine Karamanlis and his National Radical Union party and after 11 years, during which the conservative parties ruled...
and February 1964
Greek legislative election, 1964
The Greek legislative election of the 19 February 1964 resulted in a clear victory for Georgios Papandreou and his Center Union party.Georgios Papandreou had formed an interim government just after the legislative elections of 1963, in order to carry out new elections, because no party had the...
elections, its leader, Georgios Papandreou, favoured Lt General Andreas Siapkaras for the powerful post of Chief of the General Staff. Nevertheless, Gennimatas was chosen as the new Chief of the Army General Staff on 19 April 1964, as part of a tacit agreement between Papandreou and King Constantine II
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
that had allowed Papandreou to accede to the premiership in exchange for not interfering with the King's control over the armed forces.
In June 1965, however, Papandreou tried to solidify his control over the armed forces and planned to dismiss Gennimatas. This move was vehemently opposed by the King, but also by Papandreou's own Defence Minister, Petros Garoufalias, and led to a major rift between Papandreou and the Palace. The political crisis culminated in the "Apostasy
Apostasia of 1965
The terms Apostasia or Iouliana or the Royal Coup are used to describe the political crisis in Greece that centred around the resignation, on 15 July 1965, of Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou and the appointment, by King Constantine II, of successive Prime Ministers from Papandreou's own...
" of July 1965 – the defection of several Centre Union MPs, the dismissal of Papandreou and his replacement by a series of Palace-supported governments. The crisis deepened the rift in Greek society between progressive/republican factions and the conservative/monarchical establishment, and led to the establishment of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974.
Gennimatas himself retired from his post and from the Army on 8 October 1965, and died in 1981.