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The Kingdom of Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: , Vasíleion tis Elládos) was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London
London Conference of 1832

The London Conference of 1832 was an international conference convened to establish a stable government in Greece. Negotiations between the three Great Powers resulted in the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece under a Otto of Greece....
 by the Great Powers (the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927....
, France and the Russian Empire
Russian Empire

File:Russian Emperor Flag.jpgFile:Romanov Flag.svgThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917....
). It was internationally recognized in the Treaty of Constantinople
Treaty of Constantinople (1832)

The ?reaty of Constantinople was the product of the Constantinople Conference which opened in February 1832 with the participation of the Great power on the one hand and the Ottoman Empire on the other....
, where it also secured full independence
Independence

Independence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
 from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
. It succeeded from the Greek provisional governments
First Hellenic Republic

The First Hellenic Republic is a name used to refer to the provisional Greece state during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire....
 of the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence

The Greek War of Independence was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between 1821 and 1829, with later assistance from several Europe powers, against the Ottoman Empire, who were assisted by their vassal state, the Egypt under Muhammad Ali and his successors....
, and lasted until 1924, when the monarchy was abolished, and the Second Hellenic Republic
Second Hellenic Republic

The Second Hellenic Republic is the term used to describe the political regime of Greece from 1924 to 1935. It followed from the period of "crowned republic" under the monarchs of the Gl?cksburg dynasty, and lasted until its overthrow in a military coup d'?tat which restored the monarchy....
 declared. The Kingdom was restored in 1935, and lasted until 1974, when, in the aftermath of a seven-year military dictatorship
Greek military junta of 1967-1974

The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974....
, the current Third Republic came into existence.

Greeks had risen up against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
 in 1821, leading to a struggle which lasted until 1829.






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The Kingdom of Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: , Vasíleion tis Elládos) was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London
London Conference of 1832

The London Conference of 1832 was an international conference convened to establish a stable government in Greece. Negotiations between the three Great Powers resulted in the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece under a Otto of Greece....
 by the Great Powers (the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927....
, France and the Russian Empire
Russian Empire

File:Russian Emperor Flag.jpgFile:Romanov Flag.svgThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917....
). It was internationally recognized in the Treaty of Constantinople
Treaty of Constantinople (1832)

The ?reaty of Constantinople was the product of the Constantinople Conference which opened in February 1832 with the participation of the Great power on the one hand and the Ottoman Empire on the other....
, where it also secured full independence
Independence

Independence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
 from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
. It succeeded from the Greek provisional governments
First Hellenic Republic

The First Hellenic Republic is a name used to refer to the provisional Greece state during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire....
 of the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence

The Greek War of Independence was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between 1821 and 1829, with later assistance from several Europe powers, against the Ottoman Empire, who were assisted by their vassal state, the Egypt under Muhammad Ali and his successors....
, and lasted until 1924, when the monarchy was abolished, and the Second Hellenic Republic
Second Hellenic Republic

The Second Hellenic Republic is the term used to describe the political regime of Greece from 1924 to 1935. It followed from the period of "crowned republic" under the monarchs of the Gl?cksburg dynasty, and lasted until its overthrow in a military coup d'?tat which restored the monarchy....
 declared. The Kingdom was restored in 1935, and lasted until 1974, when, in the aftermath of a seven-year military dictatorship
Greek military junta of 1967-1974

The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974....
, the current Third Republic came into existence.

House of Wittelsbach

Otto of Greece
The Greeks had risen up against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
 in 1821, leading to a struggle which lasted until 1829. Greece had been led since 1828 by Count John Capodistria, but after his assassination in 1831 the country descended into civil war. At this stage, the Great Powers stepped in and decided to make Greece a kingdom. At the London Conference
London Conference

The London Conference could refer to several conferences:* London Conference of 1832* London Conference of 1838?39* London Conference of 1852...
 of 1832, Great Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927....
, France and Russia
Russian Empire

File:Russian Emperor Flag.jpgFile:Romanov Flag.svgThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917....
 (the Great Power
Great power

A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess economics, military, diplomacy, and soft power strength, which may cause other, smaller nations to consider the opinions of great powers before taking actions of their own....
s at the time) offered the Greek throne to the 17-year-old Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
n Prince Otto
Otto of Greece

Otto of Bavaria was made the first modern king of First Kingdom of Greece in 1832 under the London Conference of 1832, whereby Greece became a new independent monarchy under the protection of the Great Powers ....
 of the ruling House of Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach

The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a Germany dynasty from Bavaria. Their major principal roles were as List of rulers of Bavaria , Electoral Palatinate , List of rulers of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, County of Hainaut and Zeeland , List of bishops and archbishops of Cologne , Duchy of J?lich and Berg , Kings of Sweden...
, who became the first King of Greece. Otto was a minor when he arrived in Greece and thus a Council of Regents ruled in his name until 1835. In 1835, Otto began a period of absolute monarchy
Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged in an individual, who is the head of state, often for Life tenure or until abdication, and "is wholly set apart from all other members of the state." The person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch....
 in which he selected an advisor (usually Bavarian) to serve as the President of the Council of State. At times, he himself was his own chief councilor.

September 3 revolution

By 1843, public dissatisfaction with Otto and the "Bavarocracy" had reached a tipping point, and the people were starting to make demands for a constitution. Initially Otto refused to grant a constitution
Constitution

A constitution is a system for government — often codified as a written document — that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity....
, but as soon as German troops were withdrawn from the kingdom, a military coup was launched. On 3 September 1843, the infantry, led by Colonel Dimitrios Kallergis and the respected Revolution captain Ioannis Makriyannis assembled in the square in front of the palace in Athens. The rebellion refused to disperse until the king agreed to grant a constitution, which would require that there be Greeks in the council, that he convene a permanent national assembly, and that Otto personally thank the leaders of the uprising. King Otto gave in to the pressure and agreed to the demands of the crowd.

House of Glücksburg


After King Otto was deposed in 1862, 17-year-old Prince William
George I of Greece

George I was List of Kings of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish monarchy, George was only 17 years old when he was elected King by the Hellenic Parliament#History, which had deposed the former Otto of Greece....
 of Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
 was elected to the throne as a constitutional monarch
Constitutional monarchy

A constitutional monarchy is a form of constitutional government, where in either an elected or hereditary monarch is the head of state, unlike in an absolute monarchy, wherein the king or the queen is the sole source of political power, as he or she is not legally bound by the constitution....
, known as George I. He reigned for 50 years, and his tenure is remembered for expanding the boundaries of Greece (upon his accession to the crown, Britain ceded the Ionian Islands
Ionian Islands

The Ionian Islands are a island group in Greece. They are traditionally called "Eptanisa", i.e. "the Seven Islands" , but the group includes many smaller islands as well as the seven principal ones....
 to Greece), its economic progress and the acceptance of the concept that the government should be headed up by the leader of the party that received the most votes in the previous election, not whichever minister was most favoured by the king. Nevertheless, King George I was quite politically active. He was assassinated in 1913 in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki , Thessalonica, or Salonica is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country in Greece and the capital of Macedonia , the nation's largest Regions of Greece....
, which had recently been annexed to Greece as a result of Greek victory in the First Balkan War
First Balkan War

The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies, and achieved rapid success....
.

King George I was succeeded by his son, King Constantine I
Constantine I of Greece

Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars, in which Greece captured Thessaloniki, and doubled in area and population....
, who had distinguished himself as a military leader in Greece's drive to add territory to her demesne. He was educated in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, and married Sophia, the daughter of the Kaiser. Constantine was perceived as pro-German, in opposition to Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos

Eleftherios Venizelos was an eminent Greeks revolutionist, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century....
' support for the Triple Entente
Triple Entente

File:Map Europe alliances 1914-en.svgThe Triple Entente was the name given to the loose alignment of the British Empire, French Third Republic, and Russian Empire after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
. Further bolstering this view was the king's overt efforts to keep Greece neutral in the First World War. The Entente Powers
Allies of World War I

File:Map Europe alliances 1914-en.svgThe Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The main allies were the Russian Empire, French Third Republic, the British Empire, Kingdom of Italy , the Empire of Japan, and the United States....
 backed Eleftherios Venizelos and after a period, known as the National Schism, where separate governments were established in Athens
Athens

Athens , the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the List of cities by time of continuous habitation, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
 and Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki , Thessalonica, or Salonica is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country in Greece and the capital of Macedonia , the nation's largest Regions of Greece....
, Greece joined the Entente
Triple Entente

File:Map Europe alliances 1914-en.svgThe Triple Entente was the name given to the loose alignment of the British Empire, French Third Republic, and Russian Empire after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
 and King Constantine was forced to abdicate in favour of his son, Alexander
Alexander of Greece

Alexander of Greece may refer to:* Alexander of Greece , the 20th century king of Greece* Alexander of Greece , the ancient Greek rhetorician...
 in 1917. Greece was rewarded for her support of the winning side in the war with territories in Asia Minor including Smyrna
Smyrna

Smyrna is an ancient city in Izmir in Turkey. Located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean Sea coast of Anatolia and aided by its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence before the Classical Era....
. King Alexander died in 1920 from a monkey bite and his father returned as king. After the disastrous Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)

The Greco-Turkish War of 1919?1922, also called the War in Asia Minor, or the Greek campaign of the Turkish War of Independence, was a series of military events occurring during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May 1919 and October 1922....
, King Constantine was deposed again and he died in exile in Sicily
Sicily

Sicily is an Autonomous regions with special statute of Italy. Of all the regions of Italy, Sicily covers the largest land area at 25,708 km? and currently has just over five million inhabitants....
.

King Constantine was now succeeded by his eldest son, King George II
George II of Greece

George II ruled Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947....
, who left the country in 1924 when the Second Hellenic Republic
Second Hellenic Republic

The Second Hellenic Republic is the term used to describe the political regime of Greece from 1924 to 1935. It followed from the period of "crowned republic" under the monarchs of the Gl?cksburg dynasty, and lasted until its overthrow in a military coup d'?tat which restored the monarchy....
 was declared. In 1935 a military coup headed by General Georgios Kondylis
Georgios Kondylis

File:Georgios Kondylis.jpgGeorgios Kondylis was a general of the Greece army and List of Prime Ministers of Greece of Greece. He was nicknamed Keravnos, Greek language for "Thunder" or "Lightning"....
 abolished the Republic, and staged a plebiscite
Greek plebiscite, 1935

The Greek plebiscite of 1935 was held to decide whether the monarchy should be restored.In 1935, prime minister Georgios Kondylis, a former pro-Eleftherios Venizelos military officer, became the most powerful political figure in Greece....
 which approved the restoration of the monarchy. King George II returned to the country, where he subsequently actively supported the dictatorial Metaxas Regime. During the German invasion
Battle of Greece

The Battle of Greece was a World War II battle that occurred on the Greek mainland and in southern Albania. The battle was fought between the Allies of World War II and Axis powers of World War II forces....
 of Greece in 1941, he fled with the government to Egypt. He returned to Greece in 1946 and reigned until his death in 1947.

King George was followed by his last brother, King Paul
Paul of Greece

Paul, King of The Hellenes was King of Greece from 1947 to 1964.Paul was born in Athens, the third son of Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia ....
 who reigned from 1947 until his death in 1964. His son, King Constantine II
Constantine II of Greece

Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until deposed in 1974, the sixth and last monarch from the House of Gl?cksburg. In Greece, he is usually referred to as "the former King" , or "the Former" , or simply "Gl?cksburg" ....
 was king until he was exiled after a failed counter coup against the military junta
Greek military junta of 1967-1974

The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974....
 in December 1967. The Junta appointed an illegal Regent in place of the King and eventually staged a carefully controlled plebiscite
Greek plebiscite, 1973

The Greek plebiscite of 29 July 1973 was held by the then ruling Greek military junta of 1967-1974 under Georgios Papadopoulos and resulted in the abolition of monarchy and the establishment of a Republic, initiating the first period of the Metapolitefsi....
 in 1973, which led to the illegal abolition of the monarchy. Georgios Papadopoulos became the new President of Greece
List of Presidents of Greece

This is a list of the heads of state of Greece, from the foundation of the modern nation state until the present....
 on 1 June 1973.

The reign of the military junta effectively ended the following year but King Constantine II was not restored to the throne. The matter of his restoration was set in another plebiscite
Greek plebiscite, 1974

The Greek plebiscite of 1974 resulted in the final abolition of monarchy in Greece and the establishment of the current Third Hellenic Republic....
 in December 1974, where 69% of Greeks voted for the final abolition of the monarchy.

List of Kings of Greece

  • King Otto
    Otto of Greece

    Otto of Bavaria was made the first modern king of First Kingdom of Greece in 1832 under the London Conference of 1832, whereby Greece became a new independent monarchy under the protection of the Great Powers ....
     6 February1833 - 23 October 1862
  • King George I
    George I of Greece

    George I was List of Kings of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish monarchy, George was only 17 years old when he was elected King by the Hellenic Parliament#History, which had deposed the former Otto of Greece....
     30 March 1863 – 18 March 1913
  • King Constantine I
    Constantine I of Greece

    Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars, in which Greece captured Thessaloniki, and doubled in area and population....
     18 March 1913 - 11 June 1917 and 19 December 1920 - 27 September 1922
  • King Alexander
    Alexander I of Greece

    Alexander, King of the Hellenes ruled Greece from 1917 to 1920 until his unusual death as the result of sepsis contracted by being bitten by two monkeys....
     June 11, 1917 - October 25, 1920
  • King George II
    George II of Greece

    George II ruled Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947....
     27 September 1922 - 25 March 1924, and later 3 November 1935 – 1 April 1947
  • King Paul
    Paul of Greece

    Paul, King of The Hellenes was King of Greece from 1947 to 1964.Paul was born in Athens, the third son of Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia ....
     1 April 1947 - 6 March 1964
  • King Constantine II
    Constantine II of Greece

    Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until deposed in 1974, the sixth and last monarch from the House of Gl?cksburg. In Greece, he is usually referred to as "the former King" , or "the Former" , or simply "Gl?cksburg" ....
     6 March 1964 - 1 June 1973
Note: The dates signify reign not life span.

Heir

During the kingdom, the heir apparent
Heir apparent

An heir apparent is an heir who cannot be displaced from inheriting; the term is used in contrast to heir presumptive, the term for a conditional heir who is currently in line to inherit but could be displaced at any time in the future....
 carried the title of Diadochos
Crown Prince

A Crown Prince or Crown Princess is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, as unique as dauphin in France (but not linked to any territory). During the Glücksburg
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gl?cksburg , from Gl?cksburg in northernmost Germany, is a line of the House of Oldenburg that is descended from Christian III of Denmark....
 dynasty, the heir also enjoyed the title of "Duke of Sparta
Sparta

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the Eurotas River in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From circa 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars....
".

See also

  • History of modern Greece
    History of modern Greece

    The history of modern Greece covers the history of Greece from the recognition of independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832 after the Greek War of Independence to the present day....
  • List of heads of state of Greece
  • House of Glücksburg
  • Royal Family of Greece