Οικονομία και δικτατορία: η συγκυρία 1925-1926 (review)

Reviews 115 impact of the Greek Resistance on the Nazi attack on the USSR could have ended more creatively than the way it did. Important as meteorological statistics may be, one would expect that the concluding chapter of a volume on Greek-Soviet Relations, 1917-1941 would have ended on a more interpretive tone relating to the whole study. After 593 pages of text and notes (almost equally divided and with the notes occasionally being more extensive than the text on the page), a more appropriate ending might have made reading this volume a more rewarding experience. Clearly, Mr. Zapantis' study is the result of extensive research in published sources including official foreign policy and military documents of Greece and the Soviet Union, and scholars will appreciate its usefulness for many years to come. It will provide a frame of reference of research that needs to be done in this important area of Greek-Soviet relations if not much guidance on how to do it. Finally, this volume should serve as a reminder that dissertations do not always need expansion for purposes of publication. Sometimes, careful editing may be infinitely more appropriate. Theofanis G. Stavrou University of Minnesota Thanos M. Veremis. Οικονομία και δικτατοϕία: η συγκυϕία 19251926 . Athina: Morfotiko Idrima Ethnikis Trapezis, 1982. Pp. 210. The early 1920s in Greece was a period marked by instability, turmoil and conflict. Οικονομία και δικτατοϕία: η συγκυϕία 19251926 commences with an examination ofthe pre-1925 era. During this period, Greece and Turkey were involved in military confrontation . This conflict, which resulted in the disastrous defeat of the Greeks at the hands of Mustafa Kemal, continued until July 23, 1923 when the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. The Lausanne accord provided for the compulsory exchange of Muslim and Orthodox populations between these two states under the supervision ofthe League of Nations. This resulted in the establishment of a more homogeneous population in Greece as well as a problem of assimilating over 1.5 million refugees. Greece's troubles were further aggravated by incidents at the Greek-Albanian periphery in August 1923, leading to the Italian 116 Reviews bombardment of Corfu and the imposition of heavy indemnities by the League of Nations. Veremis shows how these problems, coupled with an increase in the economic ailments ofthe Greek state as well as a worsening in the corruption ofthe Mikalakopoulos government, led General Pángalos and twenty-eight co-conspirators to stage a coup d'état and take over the government on June 30, 1925. This scholarly work is written in katherevousa Greek and unless one is thoroughly familiar with the historical and political events of the time,, one will have great difficulty in understanding Pángalos' ideas and decisions as Veremis tends to shift from topic to topic breaking up his thoughts. Οικονομία και δικτατοϕία: μ συγκυϕία 1925-1926 analyzes the dictatorial reign of Pángalos with a special examination of the Greek economy of that era. Veremis argues that social transformation occurred before industrial change did and this factor, and the strikes which followed, hurt the Greek political infrastructure more than the actual danger it had posed. This work also scrutinizes Pángalos' attempts to settle the country 's war loan debts to Great Britain through negotiations. The Greek populace was tired of paying money to the British. It felt that the Greeks had given enough to the allies during World War I in terms of blood, sacrifice and money. Several Greek political leaders blamed the United Kingdom and the other major powers for the postwar monetary ailments and the depreciation of the drachma since they failed to honor all of their agreements with Greece. Veremis shows how Pángalos proposed to repay the loans to Britain on the same terms that the British gave to Italy. Unfortunately , the United Kingdom accused Pángalos of preparing Greece for military confrontation with Turkey. Veremis then examines the British distrust for Pángalos and their unfavorable comparisons of him to Mussolini. The author shows how the British were indifferent to the political effects their policies had on Greece. Britain felt Greece was no longer needed in case of war. The British, only interested in collecting the war debts, suggested that the Greek government implement a no-spending policy and increase taxes to...