Konstantinos Tsaldaris
Encyclopedia
Konstantinos Tsaldaris was a Greek politician and twice Prime Minister of Greece
.
Tsaldaris was born in Alexandria
, Egypt
. He studied law at the University of Athens as well as Berlin
, London
and Florence
. He became a prefectural
politician from 1915 to 1917.
In 1926, he was elected as a deputy for the first time in the Argolidocorinthia prefecture (now split into Argolis
and Corinthia
) with the Freethinkers' Party
of Ioannis Metaxas
. In 1928, he became a member of the People's Party
, the leader of which was his uncle Panagis Tsaldaris
. He entered Panagis Tsaldaris' second government as Vice Minister of Transportation from 1933 to 1935, and continued as Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister
. After the death of Panagis Tsaldaris in 1936, he became a member of the administrative commission of the People's Party, which was however soon dissolved under the dictatorship of Metaxas.
After Liberation in 1944, he was recognized as the leader of the reborn People's Party, and won in the controversial 1946 elections as leader of the right-wing "United Patriotic Party" coalition and became prime minister of Greece from April 1946 through January 1947. His government carried out the plebiscite on the return of the monarchy in August 1946.
During 1947-1949 he acted as the head of the Greek representation in the UN General Assembly. He was Deputy Prime Minister during the governments of Dimitrios Maximos
(1947), Themistoklis Sophoulis
(1947–1949) and Alexandros Diomidis
(1949–1950). He once again became prime minister from August 1947 until September of the same year.
With the foundation and rise to power of the Greek Rally
of Marshal Alexandros Papagos, the People's party lost a large part of its electoral base and Tsaldaris did not win in the 1952 election
. He was voted into Parliament with the Democratic Union, in the 1956 election
s, but in the 1958 election
s, as head of the Union of the People's Party, he failed to be elected. Shortly afterwards he ended his political career. He died in Athens in 1970.
Prime 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...
.
Tsaldaris was born in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He studied law at the University of Athens as well as Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. He became a prefectural
Prefectures of Greece
During the first administrative division of independent Greece in 1833–1836 and then again from 1845 until their abolition with the Kallikratis reform in 2010, the prefectures were the country's main administrative unit...
politician from 1915 to 1917.
In 1926, he was elected as a deputy for the first time in the Argolidocorinthia prefecture (now split into Argolis
Argolis
Argolis is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.-Geography:...
and Corinthia
Corinthia
Corinthia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated around the city of Corinth, in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.-Geography:...
) with the Freethinkers' 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 :...
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...
. In 1928, he became a member of 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 leader of which was his uncle 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...
. He entered Panagis Tsaldaris' second government as Vice Minister of Transportation from 1933 to 1935, and continued as Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister
Prime 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...
. After the death of Panagis Tsaldaris in 1936, he became a member of the administrative commission of the People's Party, which was however soon dissolved under the dictatorship of Metaxas.
After Liberation in 1944, he was recognized as the leader of the reborn People's Party, and won in the controversial 1946 elections as leader of the right-wing "United Patriotic Party" coalition and became prime minister of Greece from April 1946 through January 1947. His government carried out the plebiscite on the return of the monarchy in August 1946.
During 1947-1949 he acted as the head of the Greek representation in the UN General Assembly. He was Deputy Prime Minister during the governments of Dimitrios Maximos
Dimitrios Maximos
Dimitrios E. Maximos was a Greek banker and politician. He briefly served as Prime Minister of Greece after World War II.Maximos was born in 1873 in Patras. He began his career in banking. Between 1933 and 1935, he became Foreign Minister of the government of Panagis Tsaldaris. He was Prime...
(1947), 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:...
(1947–1949) and Alexandros Diomidis
Alexandros Diomidis
Alexandros Diomedes was a former governor of the Central Bank of Greece who became Prime Minister of Greece upon the death of Themistoklis Sophoulis....
(1949–1950). He once again became prime minister from August 1947 until September of the same year.
With the foundation and rise to power of the Greek Rally
Greek Rally
Greek Rally , Ellinikos Synagermos ) was a Greek political party founded on 6 August 1951 by former general Alexandros Papagos. The party encompassed a broad spectrum of the royalist conservative right in Greek society and was modeled on the Charles de Gaulle's Rassemblement du Peuple Français...
of Marshal Alexandros Papagos, the People's party lost a large part of its electoral base and Tsaldaris did not win in the 1952 election
Greek legislative election, 1952
The Greek legislative election of 16 November 1952 resulted in victory for General Alexander Papagos and the party he had founded the previous year, the Greek Rally party....
. He was voted into Parliament with the Democratic Union, in the 1956 election
Greek legislative election, 1956
The Greek legislative election of the 19 February 1956 resulted in victory for Constantine Karamanlis and his National Radical Union party by securing the electoral vote despite trailing in the popular vote...
s, but in the 1958 election
Greek legislative election, 1958
The Greek legislative election of the 11 May 1958 resulted in the second consecutive victory for Constantine Karamanlis and his National Radical Union party....
s, as head of the Union of the People's Party, he failed to be elected. Shortly afterwards he ended his political career. He died in Athens in 1970.