Review of Alexandros Nafpliotis's Britain and the Greek Colonels: Accommodating the Junta in the Cold War (original) (raw)

"A gift from God": Anglo-Greek relations during the dictatorship of the Greek colonels

The Historical Review / La Revue Historique, Vol. XI, 2014

The focus of this article is an analysis of the Greek junta’s relations with the Wilson and Heath governments in the United Kingdom from 1967 to 1974. Emphasis is placed on diplomatic relations between the two traditional allies. The reactions of the military leaders of the regime in Athens and its representatives in Britain to policies pursued by London towards the establishment, consolidation and eventual demise of the colonels’ dictatorship are presented through the examination (for the first time) of official documents from both the UK and Greece. It is argued that the Greek military regime struggled to cultivate relations with Britain primarily for reasons of domestic and international prestige. Whereas Whitehall pursued a policy of “good working relations” with the junta in order to promote British interests vis-à-vis NATO, Cyprus and trade, the leadership in Athens was solely interested in using British support to gain legitimacy internationally and domestically.

The Wilson Government's Responses to 'The Rape of Greek Democracy'

This article is a contribution to the analysis of the era of the Greek Colonels, whose military regime ruled Greece between 1967 and 1974. In particular, it seeks to examine one of its less explored aspects, namely the British authorities' reactions to the news of the coup. It aims to expose underutilized archival evidence proving that the British government, despite its undisputed dislike of the regime's dictatorial features, did little to avert the consolidation of the regime's grasp of power during its early, formative stage. In short, it attempts to offer a coherent narrative about the British responses to the unconstitutional establishment of the Greek Colonels' regime, while accounting for the factors which led them to adopting their stance.

British Foreign Office Perspectives on the Admission of Turkey and Greece to NATO, 1947-1952

2018

On 4 April 1949, NATO was founded with the ultimate objective to combat the Soviet Union’s aggression. Turkey and Greece were arguably ‘victims’ that suffered from the Soviet Union’s aggression, but they still were not considered as appropriate NATO members. Neither Greece nor Turkey were considered to be in Western Europe nor in the Atlantic; and both were considered by Britain that they should be included in a Mediterranean pact. Turkey and Greece were eventually accepted by Britain into NATO because of the MEC plan. This study will expound the British Foreign Office’s perspective with regards to the admission of Turkey and Greece to NATO. The prime objective of this research is to identify their rejection and acceptance of the Foreign Office from the angle that has received less attention from other researchers. This thesis has focused on the significant perspective of the Foreign Office through the methodology of British primary historical resources. The study of these resources...

The Greek Military Regime (1967-1974) and the Cyprus Question — Origins and Goals

Journal of Political and Military Sociology, 1982

This paper uses Abral~amsson's (1972) ddiniti.ol~ O•f military professkmalism, which includes (a) spedalizled thE~oreticall~nowledge ,ac:companied b~• methods and devices for application; (b) respoi~sibilit;,~, groupded on a set oi ethical rules; and (c') a high degr.ee of corporateness deriving from ,common training and devotion t.:) sp~Jcifi~ dactrh1.e$. and customs. See his Military Professionalism and Political Power (Beverly Hills: Sa.ge Publications), p. 15.

The Northern Department of the British Foreign Office and the Soviet Union, 1939-1942

2014

This thesis examines the opinions of, and advice tendered by, members of the Northern Department of the British Foreign Office during the years 1939-1942. Previous works on this era have focussed predominantly on the role of Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden. However, an in depth and exhaustive analysis of the views of the various members of the Northern Department provides a new and original perspective on the relations between London and Moscow in the critical period from the outbreak of war in September 1939 to the signature of the Anglo-Soviet Treaty in May 1942. 'An act of treachery unparalleled in the history of the modern world'. p. 53. Chapter Two 'The question for a British Ambassador here is not how much he can do, but merely how much he can stand'. p. 138. Chapter Three 'It is essential to treat the Russians as though we thought that they were reasonable human beings'. p. 222. Conclusion p. 312. Bibliography p. 319.