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George II

Given Name George House Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Born 20 Jul 1890 Died 1 Apr 1947 Country Greece Category Government Gender Male

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe son of King Constantine I was born at Tatoi, near Athens, in Greece. On 27 Sep 1922, he took the throne as King George II. In the following year, however, he was exiled by his own government while it considered the form of government for Greece's future; he was officially deposed on 25 Mar 1924 when Greece became a republic. On 3 Nov 1935, he returned to Greece as the king after a successful military coup led by General Ioannis Metaxas. When the German troops crossed Greek borders in Apr 1941, he fled to Crete, Egypt, then finally Britain. He remained the recognized head of state of Greece by the Allied powers throughout the German occupation. On 15 Jun 1942, he traveled to the United States and delivered a speech to the Congress to gather support for Greece's war effort. During his absence, however, a new leftist movement took form, gaining popularity as it resisted against German occupation. This leftist movement eventually led to the Greek Civil War that threatened the future of monarchy in Greece. On 28 Sep 1946, a national referendum restored his powers as a monarch, but he died of a heart attack less than a year after his return.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: May 2006

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