From the archive: General Pangalos' coup in Athens
From The Times: June 26, 1925
Rumours of unrest in the Army have been current for the last few days, and this morning General Pangalos brought off the threatened coup d'état.
Athens awoke to hear rifle fire in the neighbourhood of the Post Office, and found that this was in the hands of the Revolutionaries, who had displaced the guard placed there overnight by the Government. Soon it became apparent that things were not as usual, owing to the presence of numbers of troops in the streets.
At 10 o'clock General Pangalos, who had taken up a position between Athens and the Piraeus, sent an ultimatum to Admiral Konduriotis, the Head of the State, demanding the resignation of the Michalakopoulos Cabinet before 4 o'clock this afternoon. A similar communication was sent by Admiral Hajikyriakos, who had assumed command of the Fleet, hoisting his flag in the Averoff. These messages intimated that if the Government did not immediately withdraw and hand over authority together with the money in the Treasury, the infantry barracks, the Presidential Palace, and the War Office would be bombarded.
As soon as these documents had been received M Michalakopoulos, the Prime Minister, with the rest of the Cabinet, handed in their resignation to the Head of the State in order to avoid bloodshed.
The rapid success of General Pangelos's coup d'état has made a great impression on public opinion, which is at present somewhat apathetic, although no later than this morning bloodshed was threatened, and the Government's troops, including General Kondylis's famous Chasseurs, realizing the extent of the Revolution and the futility of opposing the superior forces at the disposal of General Pangalos, have joined the movement.
It now appears that the Revolution was precipitated by the Government's decision to accept General Kondylis's advice to take energetic measures to restore discipline in the Army, beginning with the arrest of the leaders of the unrest. General Pangalos and his supporters thereupon decided to strike without further delay. Admiral Hajikyriakos also declared that he had assurances that the whole Fleet would support the movement.
Explore 200 years of history as it appeared in the pages of The Times, from 1785 to 1985: thetimes.co.uk/archive
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