National Schism and Prime Ministry
Following the death of King George I in 1912, Greece's Prime Minister Venizelos and new king Constantine were increasingly at odds. As Europe descended into the First World War, the pro-German king and the pro-Allied Prime Minister struggled politically over Greece's entry into the war with the king supporting neutrality and Venizelos favoring entry on the side of the Allies. Venizelos resigned and was succeeded by Alexandros Zaimis. In October, 1915, Venizelos left Athens and would later set up a rival government in Thessaloniki and Prime Minister Zaimis resigned. At that point, the king asked Skouloudis to form a government of national unity, including representatives of all the parties in parliament in his government. The Skouloudis government focused almost exclusively on the question of Greece's entry into World War I, and attempts to stave off the formation of a rival government in the north. Skouloudis was unsuccessful and Prime Minister Zaimis was reappointed by the king.
Eventually, with the abdication of King Constantine in 1918 and the return of Venizelos triumphant to Athens, Skouloudis found himself investigated for "collaboration" with the former king. He was charged and convicted along with his Cabinet and remained in prison until November 1920. With the electoral defeat of Venizelos, Skouloudis' sentence was commuted in 1921 and he was pardoned. His term as Prime Minister would be his last service to the Greek nation; Skouloudis died in Athens on August 19, 1928.
Read more about this topic: Stephanos Skouloudis
Famous quotes containing the words national, schism, prime and/or ministry:
“While I do not think it was so intended I have always been of the opinion that this turned out to be much the best for me. I had no national experience. What I have ever been able to do has been the result of first learning how to do it. I am not gifted with intuition. I need not only hard work but experience to be ready to solve problems. The Presidents who have gone to Washington without first having held some national office have been at great disadvantage.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
““Summer, you are the eucharist of death;
Partake of you and never again
Will midnight foot it steeply into dawn,
Dawn veer into day,
Nor the praised schism be of year split off year....””
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)
“If Montaigne is a man in the prime of life sitting in his study on a warm morning and putting down the sum of his experience in his rich, sinewy prose, then Pascal is that same man lying awake in the small hours of the night when death seems very close and every thought is heightened by the apprehension that it may be his last.”
—Cyril Connolly (1903–1974)
“the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)