Ioannis Rallis
Encyclopedia
Ioannis Rallis was the third and last collaborationist prime minister of Greece
during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II, holding office from 7 April 1943 to 12 October 1944, succeeding Konstantinos Logothetopoulos
in the Nazi-controlled Greek puppet government in Athens
.
, Dimitrios Rallis
and he came of a family with a long tradition in political leadership.
He studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
, as well as in France
and Germany
. Upon his return to Greece he became a lawyer.
In 1905, he was elected as a member of parliament for the first time; he remained in parliament until 1936, when democracy was abolished in Greece by the 4th of August Regime
of Ioannis Metaxas
.
, monarchist People's Party
. As a member of this party he served in various administrations as:
After the victory of the People's Party in Greek legislative election, 1933
, he served the new government under Tsaldaris from various posts. In 1935, he had a disagreement with the Prime Minister Panagis Tsaldaris
, the leader of the People's Party, and at the ensuing Greek legislative election, 1935
he campaigned with Ioannis Metaxas
and Georgios Stratos as a candidate of the Freethinker's Party
, but he failed to win election.
Greece was in a time of great political instability and new elections were held, the Greek legislative election, 1936
. This time Rallis joined with Georgios Kondylis
and Ioannis Theotokis
and he was elected. Parliament was fractured, with the Liberal Party
under Themistoklis Sophoulis
having a one seat majority and the opposition divided between monarchists and Communists and every philosophy in between.
When the Metaxas dictatorship
was declared later that year, and parliament was dissolved on August 4, 1936, Rallis expressed disapproval of this political coup, despite his personal friendship with Metaxas.
(EAM) and the Ethnikos Laikos Apeleftherotikos Stratos
(ELAS).
EAM was the main movement of the Greek Resistance
and had been initially formed by an alliance of Communist Party of Greece
, the Socialist Party of Greece
, the Greek Popular Republic and the Agricultural Party of Greece. ELAS was its military arm. Since anti-communism
served as a common ground between the Liberal Party
and the People's Party
, the idea of a united front seemed plausible.
Rallis changed the ministry council and was instrumental in creating the so-called "Security Battalions
"—collaboration
ist paramilitary groups equipped by the Wehrmacht
and dedicated to the persecution of resistance
groups (mainly ELAS). Being more experienced in politics than his predecessors, he was more respected by the Germans and proved more effective against the resistance movements.
, Konstantinos Logothetopoulos
and Ioannis Rallis) presided over what was in effect a puppet government (1941-44) completely subordinate to the Nazi occupation authorities. Thus, they all failed to prevent the Nazis from imposing heavy "reconstruction" fees on Greece, paid eventually by the confiscation of crops and precipitating a terrible famine
that according to the Red Cross, cost the life of about 250,000 people (mainly in the urban areas of the country). They also did not react to the annexation of the northern territories of Thrace
and Eastern Macedonia by the Axis
partner Bulgaria
.
for collaboration. He died in jail, in 1946.
Ioannis Rallis's son George Rallis
became prime minister during 1980–1981. In 1947, George published a book entitled Ioannis Rallis speaks from the grave, which consisted of a remorseful text written by his father during his imprisonment.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II, holding office from 7 April 1943 to 12 October 1944, succeeding Konstantinos Logothetopoulos
Konstantinos Logothetopoulos
Konstantinos Logothetopoulos was a distinguished Greek medical doctor who became Prime Minister of Greece, directing the Greek collaborationist government during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II.Logothetopoulos was born in Nafplion in 1878...
in the Nazi-controlled Greek puppet government in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Early life
Rallis was son of the former Greek Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Greece
The Prime Minister of Greece , officially the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic , is the head of government of the Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Greek cabinet. The current interim Prime Minister is Lucas Papademos, a former Vice President of the European Central Bank, following...
, Dimitrios Rallis
Dimitrios Rallis
Dimitrios Rallis was a Greek politician. Rallis was elected to Parliament in 1872 and always represented the same Athenian constituency. He became Minister in several governments and served as Prime Minister five times...
and he came of a family with a long tradition in political leadership.
He studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
, as well as in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Upon his return to Greece he became a lawyer.
In 1905, he was elected as a member of parliament for the first time; he remained in parliament until 1936, when democracy was abolished in Greece by the 4th of August Regime
4th of August Regime
The 4th of August Regime , commonly also known as the Metaxas Regime , was an authoritarian regime under the leadership of General Ioannis Metaxas that ruled Greece from 1936 to 1941...
of Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas was a Greek general, politician, and dictator, serving as Prime Minister of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941...
.
Political career
Rallis originally belonged to the Greek conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, monarchist People's Party
People's Party (Greece)
The People's Party of Greece was a conservative and pro-monarchist political party founded by Dimitrios Gounaris, the main political rival of Eleftherios Venizelos and his Liberal Party. The party existed from 1920 until 1958....
. As a member of this party he served in various administrations as:
- Minister of Navy (4 November 1920 to 24 January 1921). Under Prime Minister Dimitrios RallisDimitrios RallisDimitrios Rallis was a Greek politician. Rallis was elected to Parliament in 1872 and always represented the same Athenian constituency. He became Minister in several governments and served as Prime Minister five times...
, his father. - Minister of Economics (August 26, 1921 to March 2, 1922). Under Prime Minister Dimitrios GounarisDimitrios GounarisDimitrios Gounaris was the Prime Minister of Greece from March 10, 1915 to August 23, 1915 and April 8, 1921 to May 16, 1922...
. - Minister of Foreign Affairs (November 4, 1932 to January 16, 1933). Under Prime Minister Panagis TsaldarisPanagis TsaldarisPanagis Tsaldaris was a revered conservative politician and leader for many years of the conservative People's Party in the period before World War II...
.
After the victory of the People's Party in Greek legislative election, 1933
Greek legislative election, 1933
Legislative elections were held in the Second Hellenic Republic on 5 March 1933. At stake were 248 seats in the Lower House of the Greek Parliament, the Vouli....
, he served the new government under Tsaldaris from various posts. In 1935, he had a disagreement with the Prime Minister Panagis Tsaldaris
Panagis Tsaldaris
Panagis Tsaldaris was a revered conservative politician and leader for many years of the conservative People's Party in the period before World War II...
, the leader of the People's Party, and at the ensuing Greek legislative election, 1935
Greek legislative election, 1935
The Greek legislative election of 9 June 1935 resulted in a victory for the People's Party of Panagis Tsaldaris.The elections were held in a climate of tension between the liberal Republicans, represented by the Venizelist parties, and the pro-royalist People's Party, following the failed...
he campaigned with Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas was a Greek general, politician, and dictator, serving as Prime Minister of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941...
and Georgios Stratos as a candidate of the Freethinker's Party
Freethinkers' Party (Greece)
The Freethinkers' Party was a royalist party established by Ioannis Metaxas in 1922.The first programmatic declaration of the party was published in the daily Nea Imera on 13 October 1922.- Electoral results :...
, but he failed to win election.
Greece was in a time of great political instability and new elections were held, the Greek legislative election, 1936
Greek legislative election, 1936
The 26 January 1936 Greek legislative elections were the first held in the restored monarchy. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Vouli....
. This time Rallis joined with Georgios Kondylis
Georgios Kondylis
Georgios Kondylis was a general of the Greek army and Prime Minister of Greece. He was nicknamed Keravnos, Greek for "Thunder" or "Thunderbolt".-Military career:...
and Ioannis Theotokis
Ioannis Theotokis
Ioannis Theotokis was a Greek politician. He was born in Athens 1880, he was the son of Georgios Theotokis.He was elected a member of the Hellenic Parliament seven times and served as Minister for Agriculture three times, before being shortly Prime Minister of a caretaker government in 1950. He...
and he was elected. Parliament was fractured, with the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Greece)
The Liberal Party was one of the major Greek political parties of the early 20th century.- History :Founded as the Xipoliton party in Crete , its early leaders were Kostis Mitsotakis and Eleftherios Venizelos...
under Themistoklis Sophoulis
Themistoklis Sophoulis
Themistoklis Sofoulis or Sophoulis was a prominent centrist Greek politician from Samos Island, belonging to the centre-left wing of the Liberal Party, which he led for many years.-Early life:...
having a one seat majority and the opposition divided between monarchists and Communists and every philosophy in between.
When the Metaxas dictatorship
4th of August Regime
The 4th of August Regime , commonly also known as the Metaxas Regime , was an authoritarian regime under the leadership of General Ioannis Metaxas that ruled Greece from 1936 to 1941...
was declared later that year, and parliament was dissolved on August 4, 1936, Rallis expressed disapproval of this political coup, despite his personal friendship with Metaxas.
Collaboration with the occupying forces
Rallis was the first eminent Greek political figure to collaborate politically with the German occupying forces. The Germans hoped that Rallis would gain some support from the pre-war Greek political elites, that he might be able to restore order to the country and that he could form an anticommunist front against the Ethniko Apeleftherotiko MetopoEthniko Apeleftherotiko Metopo
The National Liberation Front was the main movement of the Greek Resistance during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II. Its main driving force was the Communist Party of Greece , but its membership throughout the Occupation period included several other leftist and republican groups...
(EAM) and the Ethnikos Laikos Apeleftherotikos Stratos
Ethnikos Laikos Apeleftherotikos Stratos
The Greek People's Liberation Army or ELAS , often mistakenly called the National People's Liberation Army , was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberation Front during the period of the Greek Resistance until February 1945.-Birth of ELAS:After Nazi Germany attacked the...
(ELAS).
EAM was the main movement of the Greek Resistance
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
and had been initially formed by an alliance of Communist Party of Greece
Communist Party of Greece
Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :...
, the Socialist Party of Greece
Socialist Party of Greece
The Socialist Party of Greece was a political party in Greece. The party was formed in 1920, as an anti-Comintern minority split away at the second congress of the Socialist Labour Party of Greece. The group that founded the Greek Socialist Party was led by A. Sideris...
, the Greek Popular Republic and the Agricultural Party of Greece. ELAS was its military arm. Since anti-communism
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
served as a common ground between the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Greece)
The Liberal Party was one of the major Greek political parties of the early 20th century.- History :Founded as the Xipoliton party in Crete , its early leaders were Kostis Mitsotakis and Eleftherios Venizelos...
and the People's Party
People's Party (Greece)
The People's Party of Greece was a conservative and pro-monarchist political party founded by Dimitrios Gounaris, the main political rival of Eleftherios Venizelos and his Liberal Party. The party existed from 1920 until 1958....
, the idea of a united front seemed plausible.
Rallis changed the ministry council and was instrumental in creating the so-called "Security Battalions
Security Battalions
The Security Battalions were Greek collaborationist military groups, formed during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II in order to support the German occupation troops.- History :...
"—collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
ist paramilitary groups equipped by the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and dedicated to the persecution of resistance
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
groups (mainly ELAS). Being more experienced in politics than his predecessors, he was more respected by the Germans and proved more effective against the resistance movements.
Greek collaborators
All three administrators during the occupation (Georgios TsolakoglouGeorgios Tsolakoglou
Georgios Tsolakoglou was a Greek military officer who became the first Prime Minister of the Greek collaborationist government during the Axis Occupation in 1941-1942.-Military career:...
, Konstantinos Logothetopoulos
Konstantinos Logothetopoulos
Konstantinos Logothetopoulos was a distinguished Greek medical doctor who became Prime Minister of Greece, directing the Greek collaborationist government during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II.Logothetopoulos was born in Nafplion in 1878...
and Ioannis Rallis) presided over what was in effect a puppet government (1941-44) completely subordinate to the Nazi occupation authorities. Thus, they all failed to prevent the Nazis from imposing heavy "reconstruction" fees on Greece, paid eventually by the confiscation of crops and precipitating a terrible famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
that according to the Red Cross, cost the life of about 250,000 people (mainly in the urban areas of the country). They also did not react to the annexation of the northern territories of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and Eastern Macedonia by the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
partner Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
Life sentence for treason
After the liberation of Greece, Rallis was sentenced to life imprisonmentLife imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
for collaboration. He died in jail, in 1946.
Ioannis Rallis's son George Rallis
George Rallis
Georgios Ioannou Rallis , Greek politician, was Prime Minister of Greece from 1980 to 1981.- Ancestors in politics :Rallis was descended from an old political family. Before Greek independence, Alexander Rallis was a prominent Phanariote . In 1849 his son George Rallis became Chief Justice of the...
became prime minister during 1980–1981. In 1947, George published a book entitled Ioannis Rallis speaks from the grave, which consisted of a remorseful text written by his father during his imprisonment.
Sources
- Georgios Ghikas, Encyclopedia Πάπυρος-Larousse-Britannica, vol. 51, entry Ioannis Rallis, Athens: Πάπυρος, 1992.
- Mark Mazower,Inside Hitler's Greece. The Experience of Occupation, 1941-44.(Greek translation), Athens: Αλεξάνδρεια, 1994(1993).