Panagis Tsaldaris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Panagis Tsaldaris
Παναγής Τσαλδάρης |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Prime Minister of Greece | |
| In office 10 March 1933 – 10 October 1935 |
|
| President | Alexandros Zaimis |
| Preceded by | Alexandros Othonaios |
| Succeeded by | Georgios Kondylis |
| In office 4 November 1932 – 16 January 1933 |
|
| President | Alexandros Zaimis |
| Preceded by | Eleftherios Venizelos |
| Succeeded by | Eleftherios Venizelos |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Panagiotis Tsaldaris
5 March 1868 Corinth, Greece |
| Died | 17 May 1936 (aged 68) Athens, Greece |
| Political party | People's Party |
| Spouse | Lina Tsaldari |
| Education | School of Law, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens |
| Signature |  |
Panagis Tsaldaris (born March 5, 1868 – died May 17, 1936) was an important Greek politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Greece two times. He was a respected leader of the People's Party, a conservative political group, from 1922 to 1936, before World War II. His wife, Lina Tsaldari, was also a famous figure. She fought for women's right to vote and later became a member of Parliament and a government minister.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Panagis Tsaldaris was born in 1868 in Kamari, a town near Corinth in Peloponnese, Greece. He was a very good student. He studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
After finishing his studies in Greece, he continued learning abroad. He studied in cities like Berlin and Paris. When he returned to Greece, he became a lawyer. People respected him for his skills and knowledge in law.
In 1919, Tsaldaris married Lina Tsaldari. Her father, Spyridon Lambrou, was a university professor and later became Prime Minister himself. Lina was a strong supporter of Panagis throughout his life. She remained active in politics even after he passed away.
Starting a Political Career
Tsaldaris began his political journey in 1910. He was elected to the Parliament to represent his home area of Corinth. He was re-elected many times until his death in 1936.
In 1915, Greece faced a big political disagreement known as the National Schism. Tsaldaris supported King Constantine I in his conflict with another powerful politician, Eleftherios Venizelos. Tsaldaris became the Minister of Justice in the government led by Dimitrios Gounaris.
However, when Venizelos returned to power and the King left Greece, Tsaldaris faced difficulties. He was put in prison and then sent away to different islands in the Aegean Sea.
After the elections in 1920, the People's Party won by surprise. Tsaldaris then served in several government roles. He was the Interior Minister and Minister of Public Transport in the governments of Dimitrios Rallis and Nikolaos Kalogeropoulos. He also served as Minister of Public Transport again under Dimitrios Gounaris.
Leading the People's Party
In 1922, the leader of the People's Party, Dimitrios Gounaris, was executed. After this, the party members chose Tsaldaris as their new leader.
In the 1923 elections, his party decided not to participate. Tsaldaris spoke out against the unfair treatment of right-wing politicians. In 1924, when people voted on whether Greece should be a republic or a monarchy, Tsaldaris supported King George II.
During the time when General Theodoros Pangalos ruled Greece as a dictator, Tsaldaris refused to work with his government. After the 1926 elections, Tsaldaris joined a government of national unity led by Alexandros Zaimis. He held important roles like Minister of National Economy, Education, and Interior Affairs. However, he resigned in August 1927 due to disagreements about the country's money policies.
From 1928 to 1932, Eleftherios Venizelos and his Liberal Party were in power. During this time, Panagis Tsaldaris was the leader of the Opposition. This meant he led the second-largest party in Parliament. In 1932, Venizelos asked Tsaldaris to lead a government that would unite different parties, but Tsaldaris said no.
Serving as Prime Minister
First Term as Prime Minister
Panagis Tsaldaris became Prime Minister for the first time in 1932. He formed a government with other politicians like Georgios Kondylis and Ioannis Metaxas. Before taking office, he officially accepted the results of the 1924 vote that had created the Second Hellenic Republic.
However, his first government did not last long. Tsaldaris formed a new government on March 10, 1933, after his party won the elections that year.
Second Term as Prime Minister
In his second time as Prime Minister, Tsaldaris again worked with Georgios Kondylis and Ioannis Metaxas. He successfully dealt with a military uprising led by Nikolaos Plastiras. Because of this crisis, a temporary government was put in place under Lieutenant General Alexandros Othonaios.
His government's reputation was later affected by an attempt to assassinate Eleftherios Venizelos. Tsaldaris had nothing to do with the attack and strongly condemned it. However, some members of his party were thought to be involved.
At the same time, three important members of Tsaldaris's party openly supported the return of the monarchy and the exiled King George II. Tsaldaris disagreed with these statements. This made the Liberal Party very angry. These statements also worried Venizelos's supporters, who tried to overthrow the government in March 1935. After this attempt failed, Tsaldaris dissolved the Parliament. He called for new elections to choose a special assembly to write a new constitution.
During his second term, Tsaldaris also signed an important agreement called the Balkan Pact. This was a four-country agreement with Turkey, Romania, and Yugoslavia. He also signed a separate agreement with Turkey. These agreements helped guarantee the shared borders of these countries.
Final Years in Politics (1935–1936)
In the 1935 elections, the opposition parties, including the Liberal Party, did not participate. They were protesting against a new election law passed by Tsaldaris's government. They also protested against special courts that had sentenced two important Liberal army officers to death. As a result, the People's Party won almost all the seats in Parliament.
Most people believed that the 1935 elections would lead to the monarchy being restored. Tsaldaris himself strongly wanted King George II to return. But he wanted to make sure it was done properly by holding a public vote, called a plebiscite, first.
However, some right-wing groups, including many in Tsaldaris's own party, wanted the King to return immediately without a vote. During the election campaign, a group called the Union of Royalists, which included Ioannis Metaxas, openly demanded the King's immediate return.
In the National Assembly, Tsaldaris insisted on holding a referendum. This angered those who wanted to skip the vote, especially his War Minister, Georgios Kondylis. Kondylis was a former supporter of Venizelos.
On October 10, 1935, Kondylis and military leaders, including Alexandros Papagos, demanded that Tsaldaris resign. Tsaldaris had no choice but to agree. Kondylis then became Prime Minister. Later that day, he forced President Alexandros Zaimis to resign. Kondylis ended the republic, declared himself Regent (a temporary ruler), and held a vote on November 11 for the monarchy to return. The official results showed that 98 percent of voters supported the monarchy. This number was so high that it likely meant there was cheating.
After these big events, the People's Party split. Ioannis Theotokis formed a new group called the National People's Party. Tsaldaris continued to be very active in Parliament. He gave some of his best speeches during this time. However, his health was not good, and he could not achieve all his political goals.
Panagis Tsaldaris died in Athens on May 17, 1936. Before his death, he voted against the first government of Ioannis Metaxas. This government later led to a dictatorship.
Tsaldaris's Legacy
Panagis Tsaldaris was respected for being a moderate politician. He was a royalist and right-wing, but he was not extreme. For example, when Kondylis and other royalists demanded the monarchy return immediately, Tsaldaris insisted on holding a public vote. He believed in following democratic rules.
When political problems became too much, Tsaldaris chose to step down rather than make things worse. He always stuck to his democratic values. This was his main challenge: balancing his belief in democracy with his support for the monarchy.
Tsaldaris once said, "I was always anti-Venizelist and royalist but, at the same time, I always remained lawful." This was a difficult balance to keep, as shown by the dramatic events of 1935. Even though Tsaldaris saw himself as against Venizelos, they had some things in common. Both were against populism and extreme views.
However, Tsaldaris did not have the same charisma as Venizelos. Venizelos was a very popular leader who caused strong feelings among people. Tsaldaris's time in history was much quieter.
One thing Tsaldaris might be criticized for is not seeing the coming dictatorship of Metaxas. He also did not act to prevent it. But many other politicians of his time also failed to see this danger.
Images for kids
-
Panagis Tsaldaris's signature
