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Hellenic State Ἑλληνική Πολιτεία Elliniki Politeia | |||||||||
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| 1941–1944 | |||||||||
.svg) Flag ![Coat of arms[1] of Hellenic State (1941–1944)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aCoat_of_arms_of_Greece_(1924%25E2%2580%25931935).svg) Coat of arms[1] | |||||||||
| Motto: "Eleftheria i Thanatos" Ελευθερία ή θάνατος "Freedom or Death" | |||||||||
| Anthem: "Imnos is tin Eleftherian" Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν "Hymn to Freedom" | |||||||||
.svg) The Hellenic State in 1942 | |||||||||
| Status | Puppet state ofItaly andNazi Germany (1941–43) Puppet state of Nazi Germany (1943–44) Government in exile(September–October 1944) | ||||||||
| Capital | Athens | ||||||||
| Common languages | Greek language | ||||||||
| Religion | Greek Orthodox | ||||||||
| Demonyms | Greek,Hellene | ||||||||
| Plenipotentiary | |||||||||
• 1941–1943 | Günther Altenburg | ||||||||
• 1943–1944 | Hermann Neubacher | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1941–1942 | Georgios Tsolakoglou | ||||||||
• 1942–1943 | Konstantinos Logothetopoulos | ||||||||
• 1943–1944 | Ioannis Rallis | ||||||||
| Historical era | World War II | ||||||||
| 6 April 1941 | |||||||||
• Establishment | 30 April 1941 | ||||||||
| 20 May 1941 | |||||||||
| 12 October 1944 | |||||||||
| Currency | Greek drachma (₯) | ||||||||
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| Today part of |  Greece | ||||||||
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TheHellenic State (Greek:Ελληνική Πολιτεία,romanized: Elliniki Politeia,lit. 'Greek State') was apuppet state ofItaly from 1941 to 1943, and then ofNazi Germany from 1943 to 1944, during theAxis occupation in theSecond World War.
After thefall of Greece, a puppet government with GeneralGeorgios Tsolakoglou as its prime minister was installed on April 30, 1941. Tsolakoglou's main qualification for the position was that he surrendered to the Wehrmacht the week before, on April 20, against the express orders of his commanding officerAlexandros Papagos.[2] AsKing George II with the legitimateGreek government-in-exile were in Crete, the new regime avoided all reference to theGreek monarchy and usedHellenic State as the country's official, generic, name. The collaborationist regime lacked a precise political definition, although Tsolakoglou, arepublican officer, considered the Axis occupation as an opportunity to abolish the monarchy, and announced its end upon taking office.[3] The existence of a native Greek government was considered necessary by the Axis powers, in order to give some appearance of legitimacy to their occupation, although it was never given more than an ancillary role. The country's infrastructure had been ruined by the war. Raw materials and foodstuffs were requisitioned, and the government was forced to pay the cost of the occupation, giving rise to inflation, further exacerbated by a "war loan" Greece was forced to grant to Nazi Germany. Requisitions, together with the Alliedblockade of Greece, resulted in theGreat Famine (Greek: Μεγάλος Λιμός) during the winter of 1941–42, which caused the deaths of an estimated 300,000 people.
The regime was first led byGeorgios Tsolakoglou, however he was sacked a year later and replaced byKonstantinos Logothetopoulos, who himself was sacked in 1943. The last prime minister of the Hellenic State wasIoannis Rallis, who led the collaborationist regime until its dissolution in 1944.Georgios Bakos, aGreek Armymajor general, served as the minister of national defense, a position which Rallis had previously held in the regime. The Hellenic State was widely viewed as apuppet government and was unpopular with the Greek people.
Administratively, the Hellenic State was divided into a number of prefectures.
TheHellenic State lacked the infrastructure and latitude for action to face the great difficulties of the Occupation period; it was also devoid of any political legitimacy, and was widely considered a puppet government. Tsolakoglou demanded greater political rights for his government, and soon threatened to resign.[3] The proclamation of a mandatory work service in Germany for Greek citizens proved widely unpopular and hastened the fall of Tsolakoglou; on 17 November 1942, he was sacked and replaced by his deputy,Konstantinos Logothetopoulos. The new government announced that 80,000 Greek citizens were to be sent to Germany. This led to widespread demonstrations and strikes, and the decision was eventually revoked.[citation needed] Logothetopoulos, who had protested against the measures taken by the Axis occupation authorities, was himself sacked on 6 April 1943. Against the wishes of the Italians, who favored Finance MinisterSotirios Gotzamanis, he was replaced byIoannis Rallis, a monarchist politician. Rallis, who was looking beyond the German withdrawal from Greece to the restoration of the post-war political order, and who was alarmed by the growth of the mostlyCommunist-dominatedGreek resistance, obtained German consent for the creation of theSecurity Battalions, armed formations that were used in anti-partisan offensives.
The collaborationist regime under Rallis set upSecurity Battalions, units of soldiers that aided theGerman Army in fighting the resistance. They are known for committing atrocities against the civilian population. An officer namedGeorgios Bakos served as the minister of national defense.
In September 1944, a new collaborationist government was established atVienna, formed by former collaborationist ministers. It was headed byEktor Tsironikos. It ceased to exist after the withdrawal of German forces and theliberation of the country in October 1944. Tsolakoglou, Rallis and Logothetopoulos (in Germany, where he had escaped to) were all arrested, along with hundreds of other collaborationists. The restored government set up the Trials of Collaborationists (I Diki ton Dosilogon) to judge collaborators.[4] During 1945, Tsironikos was tried and sentenced to death. On 10 May 1945, he was arrested in Vienna byAllied forces and sent to Greece, where he was imprisoned.[5][6][7] The government did not fulfil its promise to make major efforts to punish collaborators; this contributed to the escalation of political enmities in Greece, which in turn played a part in the outbreak of theGreek civil war.[8]
