Pafsanias Katsotas | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Παυσανίας Κατσώτας |
| Born | 1896 |
| Died | 14 February 1991(1991-02-14) (aged 94–95) |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch |  Hellenic Army |
| Service years | 1916–1929 1940–1946 1949–1950 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands | 1st Greek Infantry Brigade Head of Central Greece Military Command |
| Wars | Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922 World War IIGreek Civil War |
| Awards |  Order of George I Order of the Phoenix Cross of Valour War Cross |
| Alma mater | Hellenic Military Academy |
| Other work | Member of Parliament Minister of Public Order Minister of the Interior Minister-Governor of Northern Greece Mayor of Athens |
Pafsanias Katsotas (Greek:Παυσανίας Κατσώτας, 1896 – 14 February 1991) was aHellenic Army general and politician.
Katsotas was born in the village of Stamna inAetolia-Acarnania in 1896. He graduated from theHellenic Army Academy in 1916 as an Infantry 2nd Lieutenant, and served in the Army until his voluntary retirement in 1929. Following the outbreak of theGreco-Italian War in 1940, he was recalled to service, and fought in theAlbanian front as a regimental commanding officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Following theGerman invasion of Greece in April 1941, he fled the country and joined the forces of theGreek government in exile in theMiddle East. He assumed command of the1st Greek Infantry Brigade, with which he fought in theSecond Battle of El Alamein.
After the liberation of Greece in 1944, he becameMinister of Public Order in the short-lived cabinet ofPanagiotis Kanellopoulos (November 1945),[1] and head of the Athens Military Command. He retired again in 1946, and ran successfully for a seat in theHellenic Parliament in theMarch 1946 elections, representing his native Aetolia-Acarnania. In 1949, during the last stages of theGreek Civil War, he was again recalled to service and appointed as head of theCentral Greece Military Command. He retired in 1950 with the rank ofMajor General.
He was again elected to Parliament in theMarch 1950 elections. He becameMinister of the Interior in the cabinet ofSofoklis Venizelos (March–April 1950),[2] andMinister-Governor of Northern Greece in theNikolaos Plastiras cabinet (May–August 1950).[3] In 1954, he was electedMayor of Athens, a post he occupied with minor interruptions until 1959. In 1960, Katsotas founded his own political party, the "Labour-Technical Party" (Εργατοτεχνικό Κόμμα), which in 1961 joinedGeorgios Papandreou'sCentre Union. In February–June 1964, Katsotas served as Minister of Social Welfare in Papandreou's cabinet.[4]
He last took part in the1977 elections as part of theNational Alignment ticket. Katsotas died in 1991.
Katsotas was decorated with the Grand Commander of theOrder of George I and of theOrder of the Phoenix with Swords. He also received theGold Cross of Valour twice and theWar Cross four times.
Media related toPafsanias Katsotas at Wikimedia Commons
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