Charilaos Florakis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charilaos Florakis
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| Χαρίλαος Φλωράκης | |
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| General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece | |
| In office 20 December 1972 – 11 July 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Konstantinos Koligiannis |
| Succeeded by | Grigoris Farakos |
| President of Synaspismos | |
| In office 8 April 1989 – 18 March 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Maria Damanaki |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 July 1914 Paliozoglopi (near Karditsa), Greece |
| Died | 22 May 2005 (aged 90) Athens, Greece |
| Resting place | Ai Lias Hill, Paliozoglopi |
| Political party | Communist Party of Greece |
| Other political affiliations |
Synaspismos |
| Spouse |
Magda Anagnostaki
(m. 1976; |
| Residences | Chalandri, Athens |
| Signature |  |
Charilaos Florakis (born July 20, 1914 – died May 22, 2005) was an important political leader in Greece. He led the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) for many years. He was known for making the KKE a strong political force. He also worked with other political groups, even those with different ideas.
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Early Life and World War II
Charilaos Florakis was born in a village called Paliozoglopi in Greece. This was on July 20, 1914. He was one of six children in his family.
He joined the Communist Party of Greece in 1941. During World War II, he fought against the Nazi occupation. He was a partisan, which means he was part of a group fighting secretly. He used the code name Yotis. He started as a captain and became a major.
After the war, Greece had a Greek Civil War. Florakis was on the side that lost this war. Because of this, he had to leave the country for a time.
Life After the Civil War
Florakis returned to Greece in 1954. When he came back, he was arrested. He was sentenced to spend his life in prison.
Throughout his life, he spent 18 years in jail or under house arrest. This included a time when the military ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974. They sent him away to live in a remote place.
In 1974, after the military rule ended, Florakis was elected to parliament. He became the general secretary of the KKE in 1972. He led the party until 1989. Even though he was still able to do the job, he decided to step down. He suggested Grigoris Farakos take his place.
The Synaspismos Era
Even after stepping down from leading the KKE, Florakis stayed active in politics. In 1989, he became the president of a new political group. This group was called Synaspismos, or the Coalition of the Left.
Synaspismos was created to bring together different groups of communists in Greece. These groups had split apart earlier. Florakis helped start this new coalition. It included members from the KKE and other leftist groups.
By 1991, the Soviet Union was changing a lot. This caused new disagreements within the KKE. Some members wanted to keep working with Synaspismos. Others wanted the party to go back to its original ideas. Florakis agreed with those who wanted to return to the party's roots. The KKE officially left Synaspismos. Florakis was then made the honorary president of the KKE.
Death
Charilaos Florakis passed away on May 22, 2005. He died at his home in Athens from heart failure.
Thousands of people came to pay their respects to him. His funeral was held on May 25. Many important people attended, including the President of Greece and the prime minister. He was buried on May 26 in his home village.
Awards and Honors
Charilaos Florakis received several important awards during his life. These awards recognized his political work and achievements:
- Order of Friendship of Peoples, from the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
- Order of Karl Marx, from the German Democratic Republic
- Dimitrov Prize, from the People's Republic of Bulgaria
- Order of Lenin, from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1984
