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People
Kings Of The Hellenes
Georgios I (1845-1913)
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Georgios I {Γεώργιος Α'} (1845-1913) [The Thon Manor] [Villa "Margarita"] ["Elpis" Hospital] [Pan-Athenian Stadium] [Konstandinos Kanaris] [Odissefs Androutsos]. King of the Hellenes (1863-1913). Second son of Christian IX of Denmark.
After the deposition of King Otto I {Othon I ~ Όθων Α'} [People] in 1862, he was elected to succeed on the throne of Greece. Much more effective than his predecessor, Georgios introduced a democratic constitution in 1864, acquired Thessaly {Thessalia ~ Θεσσαλία} and part of Epirus {Ipiros ~ Ήπειρος} from the Ottomans in 1881, and in 1897 declared war on the Ottomans in order to aid the insurrection in Crete {Kriti ~ Κρήτη}. Although badly defeated, Georgios' close contacts with most of the ruling houses of Europe helped prevent the Ottomans from imposing a harsh peace settlement.
Georgios saw Greece through the first of the Balkan Wars, during which Macedonia {Μακεδονία} [Place Names] [Contents] was gained, but was assassinated before the outbreak of the second.
Harilaos Trikoupis {Χαρίλαος Τρικούπης} [People] and Eleftherios Venizelos {Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος} [People] were the outstanding political figures in Georgios' reign. Georgios married Grand Duchess Olga, a niece of Alexander II of Russia. He was succeeded by his son Konstandinos I {Κωνσταντίνος Α'} [People].
During his Reign and specifically on May 21st, 1864, Britain yielded the Ionian Islands [Flags] to Greece. The British rule proved to be illiberal and the local islanders started to protest and rise in revolt. The most important rebellion which broke out on the island of Kefallinia {Κεφαλληνία} was stifled by the British who ruinated houses and hanged revolutionaries. Nevertheless, the unrest continued under the leadership of Dionisios Solomos {Διονύσιος Σολωμός} [People], Aristotelis Valaoritis {Αριστοτέλης Βαλαωρίτης}, Ilias Zervos {Ηλίας Ζερβός} and Georgios Tipaldos {Γεώργιος Τυπάλδος}, until Britain was forced to yield the Islands to Greece.
Georgios I (1845-1913)
04-06-2004