Konstantinos Demertzis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Konstantinos Demertzis
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| Κωνσταντίνος Δεμερτζής | |
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| Prime Minister of Greece | |
| In office 30 November 1935 – 13 April 1936 |
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| Monarch | George II |
| Preceded by | Georgios Kondylis |
| Succeeded by | Ioannis Metaxas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 January 1876 Athens, Greece |
| Died | 13 April 1936 (aged 60) Athens, Greece |
| Political party | Freethinkers' Party (1922–1936) |
Konstantinos Demertzis was an important Greek politician and a smart scholar. He was born in Athens on January 12, 1876. He became the 49th Prime Minister of Greece and served from November 1935 until April 1936. Sadly, he passed away from a heart attack while he was still in office.
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Early Life and Education
Konstantinos Demertzis was born in Athens, the capital of Greece. He was a very good student and decided to study law. He went to the Law School at the University of Athens.
In 1896, he earned a special degree called a doctorate in law. After that, he traveled to Munich and lived there for three years. When he came back to Athens, he started teaching law at the university.
In 1904, he became a professor of Civil Law. He taught for four years, sharing his knowledge with many students.
Entering Politics
Konstantinos Demertzis first became involved in politics in 1910. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time. He joined the Liberal Party.
This happened during the parliamentary elections on November 28, 1910. Because he knew so much about law, he helped a lot with changing the Constitution in 1911. The Constitution is like a rulebook for the country.
First Steps in Government
In 1912, Demertzis was elected as a Member of Parliament again. The next year, in 1913, he became the Minister of Marines. This meant he was in charge of the country's navy. He served in this role for about a year.
He became Minister of the Navy a second time in 1917. This was during the government led by Alexandros Zaimis.
Starting a New Party
In 1924, Konstantinos Demertzis helped create a new political group. It was called the "Unionist Progressive Party." He was chosen to be the leader of this new party.
However, this party did not last for a long time.
Challenging a Dictator
In June 1925, a general named Theodoros Pangalos took control of the government. He became a dictator, which means he ruled the country with total power. In March 1926, the President of Greece, Pavlos Kountouriotis, resigned because he disagreed with Pangalos.
Many political parties suggested Demertzis as a candidate to become the new President. However, most democratic parties decided not to vote. Pangalos was easily elected President. He received many more votes than Demertzis.
After Pangalos's rule ended, Demertzis was elected as a Member of Parliament for Athens again in 1926.
Break from Politics
In 1928, Demertzis went back to teaching. He became a professor of family law at the Law School of Athens. For the next seven years, until 1935, he stayed away from politics. He focused only on his university work.
Becoming Prime Minister
In 1935, the Kingdom of Greece was restored. This meant that a king was back in charge of the country. King George II asked Konstantinos Demertzis to become the new Prime Minister.
At this time, Demertzis was not part of any political party. He accepted the King's request and formed a new government. He became Prime Minister on November 30, 1935. He also kept the job of Minister of Foreign Affairs for himself.
Leading the Country
The main goal of Demertzis's government was to hold new elections. These elections took place on January 26, 1936, and they were very well organized. The day after the elections, Demertzis offered to resign.
However, the political leaders could not agree on how to form a new government. So, King George II asked Demertzis to continue as Prime Minister. Demertzis was supposed to get a vote of confidence from the Parliament. This vote would show if Parliament supported his government.
Sadly, this process was never finished. On April 13, 1936, Konstantinos Demertzis passed away from a heart attack. After his death, Ioannis Metaxas, who was a vice-president in Demertzis's government, took over as Prime Minister.
