Coups and Countercoups in Greece, 1967-1973 (with postscript)
The military coup d'etat of April 21, 1967, set up an authoritarian no-party system of government in Greece which resisted internal and external pressures for a change toward a multiparty system but resulted in 1973 in the abolition of the monarchy and the formal establishment of a republic. After first giving a summary of the main political events in Greek affairs during the years from 1967 to 1973, this article goes on to indicate the principal gainers and losers from this series of events both within and outside Greece. In describing the serious problem created for Western governments and international organizations subscribing to the values of representative government by the emergence of an authoritarian regime in Athens, the article recounts Western European steps designed to bring about a change in Greece as well as the complications created in the relations between Greece and the United States. An effort then is made to explain the unprecedented durability of this era of authoritarian rule in Greece by reference to economic, social, and demographic factors. Furthermore, the article underlines the difficulties of restoring civilian control over the military in order to move toward a multiparty system, especially when efforts are exerted to combine a quasidictatorial chief execuitive with representative institutions. Finally, the article deals with the impact of the Greek situation on the polycentric communist sector of world politics.