Georgios Papandreou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Georgios Papandreou Γεώργιος Παπανδρέου
Georgios Papandreou
Prime Minister of Greece
In office 19 February 1964 – 15 July 1965
Monarch	Paul Constantine II
Preceded by	Ioannis Paraskevopoulos
Succeeded by	Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas
In office 8 November 1963 – 30 December 1963
Monarch	Paul
Preceded by	Stylianos Mavromichalis
Succeeded by	Ioannis Paraskevopoulos
In office 26 April 1944 – 3 January 1945
Monarch	George II
Preceded by	Sofoklis Venizelos
Succeeded by	Nikolaos Plastiras
Deputy Prime Minister of Greece
In office 28 August 1950 – 4 July 1951
Prime Minister	Sofoklis Venizelos
Preceded by	himself
Succeeded by	Emmanouil Tsouderos
In office 15 April 1950 – 21 August 1950
Prime Minister	Nikolaos Plastiras
Preceded by	Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
Succeeded by	himself
Minister of Education
In office 18 February 1964 – 15 July 1965
Prime Minister	himself
Preceded by	Georgios Kourmoulis
Succeeded by	Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas
In office 8 November 1963 – 30 December 1963
Prime Minister	himself
Preceded by	Ioannis Sountis
Succeeded by	Georgios Kourmoulis
In office 1 February 1951 – 4 July 1951
Prime Minister	Sofoklis Venizelos
Preceded by	Nicholas Bakopoulos
Succeeded by	Nicholas Bakopoulos
In office 16 January 1933 – 6 March 1933
Prime Minister	Eleftherios Venizelos
Preceded by	Dimitrios Chatziskos
Succeeded by	Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian
In office 2 January 1930 – 26 May 1932
Prime Minister	Eleftherios Venizelos
Preceded by	Konstantinos Gontikas
Succeeded by	Pericles Karapanos
Personal details
Born	13 February 1888 Kalentzi, Achaea, Greece
Died	1 November 1968(1968-11-01) (aged 80) Athens, Greece
Political party	Centre Union
Spouses	Sofia Mineyko Cybele Andrianou
Children	Andreas Papandreou Georgios G. Papandreou
Signature

Georgios Papandreou (Greek: Γεώργιος Παπανδρέου Geórgios Papandréou; 13 February 1888 – 1 November 1968) was an important Greek politician. He is known for starting the Papandreou political dynasty, a family with many famous politicians. He served as Prime Minister of Greece three times: from 1944 to 1945, in 1963, and from 1964 to 1965. He was also Deputy Prime Minister from 1950 to 1952. Throughout his long career, which lasted over 50 years, he held many different government jobs starting in 1923.

Early Life and Education

Georgios Papandreou was born in a place called Kalentzi, in the Achaea region of Greece. His father, Andreas Stavropoulos, was an Orthodox priest. His last name, Papandreou, comes from his father's name and the Greek word papas, meaning "priest."

He studied law in Athens, Greece, and political science in Berlin, Germany. His ideas about politics were greatly shaped by German social democracy. This meant he believed in strong social programs to help people. He was also against the idea of a king ruling the country. However, he was very much against communism in Greece.

As a young man, he supported a leader named Eleftherios Venizelos. Venizelos made him the governor of Chios after the Balkan Wars. Georgios Papandreou married twice. His first wife was Sofia Mineyko, and they had a son named Andreas Papandreou. His second wife was the actress Cybele Andrianou, and they had a son named George Papandreou.

Joining the Political Scene

During the World War I, Greece faced a big political problem. Papandreou strongly supported Venizelos, who wanted Greece to join the Allies. This was against the wishes of the pro-German king, King Konstantínos I. When Venizelos left Athens, Papandreou went with him. He helped gather support for Venizelos's government in Thessaloniki.

The leaders of the 1922 Revolution, Colonels Plastiras and Gonatas, with their political advisor, Georgios Papandreou (left).

In 1921, as a lawyer, he defended Alexandros Papanastasiou. Papanastasiou had criticized King Konstantínos. Papandreou himself was put in prison by the royalist government for an article he wrote. He called for the king to step down. He even barely escaped being killed by royalist extremists.

From 1923, he served as interior minister. He was elected to parliament for Lesbos in 1923. He also held jobs as finance minister, education minister, and transport minister. As education minister, he made big changes to the Greek school system. He built many schools for children who had become refugees after the Greco-Turkish War (1919–22).

In 1935, he started his own political group, the Democratic Socialist Party of Greece. He was sent away from the capital when a general tried to bring back the monarchy. In 1938, he was again exiled by the Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas.

World War II and After

When Greece was occupied during World War II, Italian authorities arrested Papandreou. He later escaped to the Middle East. There, he joined the Greek government that was working from outside the country. With help from the British, King Geórgios II made him Prime Minister. Under his leadership, important meetings took place to try and unite different groups in Greece. These meetings aimed to prevent conflicts and form a national unity government.

Liberation and Challenges

Georgios Papandreou and others on the Acropolis of Athens, after Athens was freed from the Axis powers.

After the Axis powers left Greece, Papandreou returned to Athens in October 1944. He was the Prime Minister of the Greek government-in-exile. He tried to bring peace between the different groups in Greece. He worked closely with a British general, Sir Ronald Scobie.

Even though he resigned in 1945, he continued to hold important positions. From 1946 to 1952, he was a minister for labor, supplies, education, finance, and public order. He was also Deputy Prime Minister from 1950 to 1952.

The years from 1952 to 1961 were tough for Papandreou. The liberal political groups in Greece were weak. They lost elections to conservative parties.

Leading the Centre Union

In 1961, Papandreou brought new life to Greek liberalism. He started the Centre Union Party. This party brought together old liberal supporters, social democrats, and some unhappy conservatives. After the 1961 elections, which he called unfair, Papandreou started a "Relentless Struggle" against the right-wing party and the "deep state."

His party won the elections in November 1963 and again in 1964. The 1964 election was a huge victory. As Prime Minister, his new policies were very modern. This caused a lot of disagreement among conservative groups. His son, Andreas Papandreou, also played a big role. Andreas had more left-leaning ideas than his father. He created groups to push for more progressive policies.

Papandreou was against an agreement that led to the creation of Cyprus. When fighting broke out between Greek and Turkish communities there, his government sent a Greek army division to the island.

King Constantine II openly disagreed with Papandreou's government. There were also many plots in the Army by extreme right-wing groups. These events made the government unstable. In July 1965, the King caused a split in the Centre Union party. He then dismissed Papandreou's government. This event is known as the Apostasia.

After a military coup in April 1967, led by George Papadopoulos, Papandreou was arrested. He died in November 1968 while under house arrest. His funeral became a huge protest against the military government. He is buried in the First Cemetery of Athens, next to his son Andreas.

His Lasting Impact

Georgios Papandreou with Nikolaos Plastiras and Gendarmerie officers, 1950

Papandreou was known as one of the best speakers in Greek politics. He was a strong fighter for Democracy. During the time of the military government and after his death, people lovingly called him "ο Γέρος της Δημοκρατίας" (o Géros tis Dimokratías), which means "the old man of Democracy." Today, to tell him apart from his grandson, George A. Papandreou, people often use his full first name, Georgios, for the grandfather.

Works

• The Liberation of Greece, Athens, 1945

Awards and Honors

In 1965, the University of Belgrade gave him an honorary doctorate. This is a special award given to someone for their achievements.

See also

• Andreas Papandreou, his son
• George Papandreou, his grandson

In Spanish: Yorgos Papandréu (1888-1968) para niños