Sofoklis Venizelos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sofoklis Venizelos
Σοφοκλής Βενιζέλος
Prime Minister of Greece
In office 21 August 1950 – 27 October 1951
Monarch	Paul
Preceded by	Nikolaos Plastiras
Succeeded by	Nikolaos Plastiras
In office 23 March 1950 – 15 April 1950
Monarch	Paul
Preceded by	Ioannis Theotokis
Succeeded by	Nikolaos Plastiras
In office 14 April 1944 – 26 April 1944
Monarch	George II
Preceded by	Emmanouil Tsouderos
Succeeded by	Georgios Papandreou
Deputy Prime Minister of Greece
In office 8 November – 30 December 1963
Monarch	Paul
Prime Minister	Georgios Papandreou
Preceded by	Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
Succeeded by	Stefanos Stefanopoulos
In office 27 October 1951 – 11 October 1952
Monarch	Paul
Prime Minister	Nikolaos Plastiras
Preceded by	Emmanouil Tsouderos
Succeeded by	Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
In office 30 June 1949 – 6 January 1950
Monarch	Paul
Prime Minister	Alexandros Diomidis
Preceded by	Konstantinos Tsaldaris
Succeeded by	Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
In office 24 January – 29 August 1947
Monarch	Paul
Prime Minister	Dimitrios Maximos
Preceded by	Konstantinos Tsaldaris
Succeeded by	Konstantinos Tsaldaris
In office 24 May – 30 August 1944
Monarch	George II
Prime Minister	Georgios Papandreou
Preceded by	Georgios Rousos
Succeeded by	Kyriakos Varvaresos
Minister of National Defense
In office 21 August – 9 September 1950
Monarch	Paul
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Philippos Manoulidis
Succeeded by	Konstantinos Rendis
In office 10 April – 24 July 1952
Monarch	Paul
Prime Minister	Nikolaos Plastiras
Preceded by	Alexandros Sakellariou
Succeeded by	Georgios Mavros
Personal details
Born	3 November 1894 Chania, Vilayet of Crete, Ottoman Empire (present-day Greece)
Died	7 February 1964 (aged 69) on board SS Hellas, Aegean Sea
Political party	Liberal Party Centre Union
Relations	Kyriakos Venizelos (brother) Nikitas Venizelos (nephew) Konstantinos Mitsotakis (nephew) Dora Bakoyannis (great-niece) Alexandra Mitsotaki (great-niece) Kyriakos Mitsotakis (great-nephew)
Children	Despina Venizelou-Laskari
Parents	Eleftherios Venizelos Maria Katelouzou
Alma mater	Hellenic Army Academy
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Greece
Branch/service	Hellenic Army
Years of service	1911-1920
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	World War I Macedonian Front Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)

Sofoklis Venizelos (Greek: Σοφοκλής Βενιζέλος; born November 3, 1894 – died February 7, 1964) was an important Greek politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Greece three times. His terms were in 1944 (while the government was in exile), 1950, and again from 1950 to 1951.

Sofoklis Venizelos: A Greek Leader

Sofoklis Venizelos was born in Chania, a city on the island of Crete. At the time, Crete was part of the Ottoman Empire. His father was the famous politician Eleftherios Venizelos.

Early Life and Military Service

Sofoklis grew up in a time of change for Greece. He joined the Hellenic Army and fought in World War I. He also served in the early parts of the Asia Minor campaign. He was a brave soldier and reached the rank of Captain in the infantry.

Sophoklis Venizelos with his father Eleftherios and his brother Kyriakos in 1905.

Becoming a Politician

After his military service, Sofoklis left the army. He decided to follow in his father's footsteps and entered politics. In 1920, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP). He joined his father's political group, the Liberal Party.

Sofoklis with his father, Eleftherios Venizelos, around 1916.

Sofoklis Venizelos (standing right) with his father and Ms. Kathleen Zervudachi in 1921.

Leading Greece During Difficult Times

In 1941, Greece was occupied by the Axis powers during World War II. Sofoklis Venizelos became an ambassador to the United States. He represented the Greek government in exile, which was based in Cairo. In 1943, he became a minister in this government. For a short time in 1944, from April 13 to April 26, he even served as its Prime Minister.

After World War II ended, Sofoklis returned to Greece. He became the Vice President of the Liberal Party. He also served as a minister in the first government after the war. This government was led by Georgios Papandreou.

In 1948, Sofoklis took over as the leader of the Liberal Party. He served as a minister in several governments that did not last very long. He also became Prime Minister of Greece three times during this period.

In 1954, his friendship with Georgios Papandreou became strained. Sofoklis then formed a new political group called the Liberal Democratic Union. However, they later resolved their differences in 1958. In 1961, he helped create Papandreou's new party, the Center Union. He remained a member of this party until his death.

His Final Years

On February 6, 1964, Sofoklis Venizelos gave a speech in Chania. He felt unwell but recovered. Later, he boarded the passenger ship Hellas in the Aegean Sea. He was traveling from Chania to Piraeus or Syros. On the ship, he felt sick again and had trouble breathing. Doctors diagnosed him with a serious lung condition. Sofoklis Venizelos passed away on February 7, 1964, at 1:05 AM.

The ship Hellas in 1986.

His funeral was held on February 9 in Chania. Many important people attended, including Crown Prince Constantine. Sofoklis Venizelos was buried next to his famous father, Eleftherios Venizelos. His wife, Kathleen, passed away in 1983. A shipping company later named one of its ferries after him to honor his memory.

A Hidden Talent: Bridge Player

Sofoklis Venizelos was also a very skilled contract bridge player. In the 1930s, while living in France, he was known as an "international stature" player. He even played for France in European bridge championships. In 1935, his team won the European tournament. They later played against an American team in New York City in an unofficial world championship match.

He was considered one of the best French players of his time. He even co-wrote a book about a famous bridge match:

• Les 102 donnes d'un grand match, by Pierre Albarran, Adrien Aron, and Venizelos, published in 1933.

Venizelos/Mitsotakis family tree

Images for kids

• 

  Rank insignia of a Captain in the Hellenic Army.

• 

  Sofoklis Venizelos's signature from 1937.

See also

In Spanish: Sofoklís Venizélos para niños