Themistoklis Sofoulis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Themistoklis Sofoulis
Θεμιστοκλής Σοφούλης
Prime Minister of Greece
In office 7 September 1947 – 24 June 1949
Preceded by	Konstantinos Tsaldaris
Succeeded by	Alexandros Diomidis
In office 22 November 1945 – 4 April 1946
Preceded by	Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
Succeeded by	Panagiotis Poulitsas
In office 24 July – 7 October 1924
Preceded by	Alexandros Papanastasiou
Succeeded by	Andreas Michalakopoulos
Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament
In office 26 November 1926 – 2 July 1928
In office 15 February 1918 – 10 September 1920
Personal details
Born	24 November 1860 Vathy, Samos
Died	June 24, 1949(1949-06-24) (aged 88) Athens, Greece
Cause of death	Pulmonary edema
Occupation	politician
Profession	archaeologist

Themistoklis Sofoulis (born 24 November 1860 – died 24 June 1949) was a very important Greek politician. He came from Samos Island. He was a leader of the Liberal Party and served as Prime Minister of Greece three times.

Early Life and Studies

Themistoklis Sofoulis was born in 1860 in Vathy, a town on Samos Island. At that time, Samos was a special region under the Ottoman Empire. His father, Panagiotis Sofoulis, had fought to make the island more independent.

Sofoulis studied at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and later in Germany. He became an expert in archaeology, which is the study of old cultures through digging up ancient sites. He wrote interesting reports and took part in many digs across Greece.

Starting in Politics on Samos

In 1900, Sofoulis stopped working as an archaeologist and became a representative for Samos. He led a group that wanted more political freedom for the island. This freedom was promised in a treaty from 1832.

Soon, Sofoulis became the leader of the "Progressives." This group wanted to make changes and join Samos with the Kingdom of Greece. In 1902, he was chosen as the president of the Samos parliament. This made him like the Prime Minister of the island.

People who wanted Samos to join Greece caused some trouble. The island's ruler, Prince Andreas Kopasis Omoudopoulos, asked the Turkish army to step in during May 1908. There were riots, and Sofoulis had to escape to Greece.

When the First Balkan War began, Sofoulis returned to Samos with other Samians who had been exiled. He quickly took control. The Ottoman soldiers left, and on 24 November 1912, the island's parliament officially announced that Samos was joining Greece.

Becoming a Greek National Politician

Samos officially joined Greece on 2 March 1913. Sofoulis stayed as the head of the temporary government of Samos until April 1914. Then, he was made the Governor General of Macedonia.

He stayed in Thessaloniki until February 1915. He left his position when Eleftherios Venizelos resigned as Prime Minister after a disagreement with King Constantine I.

Sofoulis was first elected to the Hellenic Parliament in May 1915. He also served as the Interior Minister in Venizelos' government in Thessaloniki during a time called the National Schism. After King Constantine I went into exile, Venizelos and his government returned to Athens. Sofoulis was then elected as the Speaker of the Parliament, a role he held until 1920.

Leading the Liberal Party

After Venizelos left Greece, Sofoulis became the new leader of the Liberal Party. He served as Prime Minister for the first time from 25 July 1924 to 27 November 1924.

In 1926, after the end of Theodoros Pangalos' rule, Sofoulis again became Speaker of the Parliament. He held this job until 1928, when Venizelos won a big election. Sofoulis then served as Minister of Military Affairs until 1930. He was re-elected as Speaker of the Parliament that year.

Even though there wasn't an official "deputy leader" role, Sofoulis was seen as the second-in-command of the Liberal Party during these years. He remained Speaker of the Parliament until the 1933 elections. In these elections, the Liberal Party lost, and the People's Party formed a government.

During the important events that led to the King returning to power, Themistoklis Sofoulis stayed calm and balanced. King George II liked this approach. On 16 March 1936, Sofoulis was re-elected Speaker of the Parliament. That same year, he signed an agreement with the KKE.

During Ioannis Metaxas' time as dictator, Sofoulis stayed out of politics. However, as the government became more like Fascism, he sent a warning letter to King George II in April 1939.

During the Axis Occupation of Greece in World War II, Sofoulis did not take much action. But he did keep in touch with the Allies. He refused to work with the National Liberation Front (EAM), saying they wanted to take power and set up a Communist government after the war. On 19 May 1944, the Germans arrested him and other politicians. He was held in the Haidari concentration camp until Greece was freed in October.

Themistoklis Sofoulis led the Greek government again from 1945 to April 1946. But in the 1946 elections, his party lost to the People's Party. He tried to stop the Greek Civil War from starting by talking to the Communists and offering them forgiveness. However, the People's Party refused his ideas.

On 7 September 1947, he became Prime Minister once more. This time, his government included both the Liberal Party and the People's Party. Sofoulis continued trying to end the conflict. He talked with the Communist Party about a general forgiveness and a possible government where both parties worked together. This was if the Communists' armed group, the "Democratic Army of Greece," gave up their weapons. But under strong pressure from the United States, these ideas were dropped, and the war continued.

Themistoklis Sofoulis died in Kifissia on 24 June 1949, at 88 years old, before the civil war ended.

His Legacy

Even though he was a centrist politician, Sofoulis led the government and the army during the civil war. People admired him for his clear thinking and bravery, even at his old age. Politicians from the center-left, center, and right all respected him.

A key part of his political career was his ability to find a balance. This is why he wasn't strongly against the King or the dictatorship between 1935 and 1940. This skill helped him lead the country during the Civil War. It also helped him convince General Alexandros Papagos, who was from the right side of politics, to return to active service.