__I have partially read the book about
HWilson, especially this period,.
Chronology of the Facts:
-In 1966 it is impossible to create stable government, because the parliament where the Prime Minister should be ratified, the Government does not achieve the vote of confidence. The situation is delicate , by the plots of Ideologias of Lefts for a coup .
the King solvented the problem, holding private and secret meetings, with the leaders politicals .The political parties agreed to convoke election and respect, to the result of election. . 12/12/1966 the king annunced to convoke election at may. To the king is irrelevant who win the elections, because according to the agreement, the politicians would respect the winner.
-Harold Wilson and his foreign minister want to know about this agrement of King with politicals. They wanted to known if George Papandreou was present at the meetings (they fear the old man, they believe that he aspires to be succeeded by his son). Surprise!!!, George Papandreou was present at the meetings and in the agreement.
Harold Wilson sees the King's solution to the problem well, but his Minister of Foreign Affairs, not
-April 21, it is coup d'etat, initially there had doubts about who were those militaries, but was ruled out that they were communists, they alleged that they acted against a communist coup that was being given that day.( Today we know of the participation of EEUU ...)
-Two months later, the Colonels infringed the state of exception, and elected charges for those who were not competent, invading competentes. The state of exception is temporary, and they break it. The king begins his confrontation with the Colonels, and begins the preparations of the counter coup d'etat.. In September, the king says "This is not my Goverment ", and the division between Colonels and the king is evident.
Harold Wilson shows his support for King Constantine and democracy, and refuses to support the colonels. According to him the solution, the king and democracy, he is with King Constantine.
-13 December was the coup d'eta of King ....., on December 14, that day he arrived at the airport in Rome.
-January 1968, the United States is the first country that recognizes as legitimate government of Greece to the Colonels, this is logical. 27 of January, Great Britain, yes, with Harold Wilson as Prime Minister recognizes the Colonels, is the second country .......
Harold Wilson , In December he supported democracy and the king, and in January he supported the dictatorship.
(1968) Harold Wilson met with King Constantine, Harold Wilson wanted King Constantine to support the dictatorship in Greece. Why?, because Britain was interested in dictatorship to give stability to the area, and feared that the Colonels failed, he thought that if the king supported the Colonels would be identified with a dictatorship as the Spain
The king angried with him. First he showed his support to him and democracy, and then he supports the dictatorship and asks the King to support the dictatorship...and end.
It is true that Constantine was surrounded by traitors. And Karamanlis was one of them. But I do not think he talks about this period and Harold Wilson.
In June 1973, Papadopoulus declared the Republic, and in November were the manifestations of the University. At this time there was already a King -Karamanlis plan. I would say a "goverment in exile"
The King conversed with the greek politician about the events that were taking place in Greece, this could be the time of the fall of the dictatorship, they should be prepared.
the then British Prime Minister invited the king to a breakfast to talk about what was happening in Greece, there were many doubts, whether these demonstrations could end the dictatorship.
The king thought, if the demonstrations were promoted by communists, anarchists ... they would not triumph, but if they were not it, then if the colonels used force, it could mean their end. It is obvious that the goverment of Great Britain knew about the meetings of the King-Karamanlis.
The demostration and the use of force led to the resignation of G. Papadopulus, but the dictatorship did not end, a new Colonel was appointed President.
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Novas was not a political coup, he was the good candidate politician.
The decision of G. Papandreou to appoint himself defense minister is unconstitutional. He should chose a defense minister in person different from himself, or should resigned because a Prime Minister can not infringe the constitution.
First Papandreou refuses to accept it, but after, he committed himself to appoint minister of defense. He goes to the royal palace, but does not appoint defense minister, resigns.
Returning to the moment when Papandreou resigns. It is a free act, and voluntary, nobody forced him or even the king, the king asked him to choose a minister, and Papandreou accepted it.
After resigning, the constitutional process said that the king must propose candidate, Constantine knew that the resignation was a possibility, and he had consulted his advisors, among them professors of the university of Athens experts in constitutional law. They considered that Novas was the candidate to Prime Minister, because:
1- Novas was EK, it was the politicial party winner of the election He was of Papandreou.2.- He had not been in the internal confrontations of the politicial party .3. -He was the President of the Greek Parliament.4 .- And was the most likely to get the confidence vote of parliament. Because he could unify the EK.
But when Papandreou knew that Novas had accepted be Prime Minister , begin to insult to him(nobas was of Papandreou), he called apostate to Novas, Novas was not apostate. Papandreou was hurt that one of his men accepted to be Prime minister.
And Mitsotakis he had no chance of getting a vote confidence, by his confrontation with the Papandreou, and the confrontation with the conservative party , Mitsotakis had not garantee of receive confiance vote of parliament.The King must elect the Prime Minister, the election must propose a person who has more possibilities to take forward the vote of confidence of parliament and this person was Novas.
Papandreou-Mitsotakis, they were confronted, because in 1961 when George created the Union of Center(EK) political formation, in order to attract the most right-wing ideological parties and unite them with those on the left, it was said that they had agreed, George Papandreou would be the President of the party and all they committed themselves within the party to support him, but if there were any circumstances that would lead him to resign or leave office, the succesor of Papandreou would be Mitsotakis.This allowed the creation of the EK, which was a coalition of politicians with different ideologies, but , with a single objective, to win the elections and to govern.
When the whole plot of the ministry emerged and its link to military plots, to overthrow the army's dome (in other countries they call it a coup, but the Papandreou did not it so), the political party broke down. Mitsotakis demanded G. Papandreou to resign and Papandreou refused, and started a campaign of insults and discredit against Mitsotakis. But Mitsotakis was right, George had deceived the politicians of right-wing branches, to get into the EK. mitsotakis and other political parties (left and right) felt victims of a deception, and believed they were used. The Papandreou had used them., By this motive they was confronted . the political party was divided by the scandal of Minister of defence
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