Ioannis Pitsikas (Greek:Ιωάννης Πιτσίκας, 1881–1975) was aGreekArmylieutenant general active inWorld War II, who served asMayor of Athens and twice in cabinet posts in interim governments post-war.
Pitsikas was born in 1881 in the village of Kallithea inSpercheiada. He became a career officer in theGreek Army after studies in theHellenic Army Academy, and fought in theBalkan Wars and theAsia Minor Campaign.[1] Trained as a staff officer in the 1920s, he served as CO of the6th Infantry Division until 1935, and then, promoted toLieutenant General, as CO ofI Army Corps until 1940. With the outbreak of theGreco-Italian War, he assumed command of theWestern Macedonia Army Section (Τμήμα Στρατιάς Δυτικής Μακεδονίας) on theAlbanian front and later of theEpirus Army Section (Τμήμα Στρατιάς Ηπείρου), which he led until the Greek Army's capitulation during theGerman invasion of Greece. In July 1943 he was arrested by the German occupation authorities along with a number of other senior generals, led byAlexander Papagos, for their contacts with theAllies in the Middle East, and transported toDachau concentration camp in Germany.
Released from captivity after the war's end, he retired with the rank of lieutenant general. He was installed by the conservative governments asMayor of Athens after his predecessorAristeidis Skliros was dismissed, serving in the post in 1946–1950.[1] He also served asMinister of National Defence inDimitrios Kiousopoulos'caretaker government in 1952, and asMinister for Northern Greece in the caretaker cabinet ofKonstantinos Dovas in 1961.[1] He was awarded the Grand Cross of theOrder of George I.[1] He died on 6 July 1975 and was buried in theFirst Cemetery of Athens.[2]
| Preceded by | Mayor of Athens 18 May 1946 – 17 August 1950 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for National Defence ofGreece 11 October – 23 November 1952 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Northern Greece 24 September – 4 November 1961 | Succeeded by |
