Blog

Undoubtedly, there are moments in the history of a nation, and of all humanity, which were associated with individuals who decided the fate of many and shouldered the weight of great decisions. And these individuals belong either to the category of military leaders or to the category of political leaders.
Nikolaos Plastiras belongs without a second thought to both categories. Because both as an Officer of the Greek Army and as Prime Minister of the Country in critical moments, he made decisions that proved to be life-saving, no matter how strict some of them may be. After all, it is necessary when we study the science of History, to always keep in mind the era of the events, the existing situations, but also the customs and traditions that prevailed at that time.

The length of an article is zero to accommodate the life, achievements and era of the General. For this reason, we will focus on basic references of his life, in order to learn who he was and why Greek history should commemorate him.
 Officer: Born in 1883 in Morfovouni, Karditsa, he entered the Non-Commissioned Officers' School in 1910 and graduated in 1912, being named Second Lieutenant of Infantry. His voluntary enlistment in 1903 in the Army and his participation in the Macedonian Struggle preceded him. He participated in all the military conflicts of the decade 1912-1922. More specifically:
1. He distinguished himself in the battles of Elassona and Lachanas during the Balkan Wars and was promoted to Captain due to exceptional actions.
2. During World War I, he fought as a Major in Macedonia and was wounded in the Battle of Skra. He was promoted again for bravery, to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
3. He participated in the Ukrainian campaign in 1919 as Commander of the 5/42nd Evzone Regiment.
4. He took part in the Asia Minor Campaign with his Unit, called by the Turks "Saitan Asker", the Devil's Army, while they called him "Kara-Piper", black pepper, due to his appearance. In the lands of Asia Minor, he wrote pages of glory for the Greek Army with the victories of the legendary 5/42, while his Evzones were among the few Units that retreated in an orderly manner and helped many of our compatriots to be saved from the fury and massacre of the Turks.
"A colorless and lackluster sunset is dying down on the plain of Afyon Karahisar. At the bottom of the plain, two horsemen are galloping towards us in two clouds of dust. They are getting closer and closer. The first one seems to be an officer, the second a private. As soon as they reach the entrance, the officer abruptly lets go of the reins of his horse, grabs the saddle with both hands and with a swift acrobatic movement jumps completely to the ground. A colonel, tall, lean, almost black, with a moustache, with puffed-up cheeks. Multicolored squares figure on the chest of the soldier. The famous ones. On the left sleeve the half-years of the front. On the right the jagged marks of the wounds. We stood in awe. So tall and fierce, as he stood before us, he fixed us with his terrible gaze. So that he would not tire us in the attitude of attention and in the attitude of greeting, he seized our right hands with his sturdy hands and lowered them. He asked us for quite a while about the work of the stadium. " These words of a soldier of the front, speak for themselves. And they show the greatness and displacement of the Black Rider.
 Politician: Upon returning from the Asia Minor front, he formed a Revolutionary Triad with Colonel Stylianos Gonatas and Lieutenant Commander Demetrios Fokas. King Constantine left, the perpetrators of the Catastrophe were executed after the Trial of the Six, General Pangalos extremely quickly organized the Evros Army which became a negotiating weapon in the hands of Eleftherios Venizelos during the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, while after the elections of 1923, Plastiras handed over power to the elected government. For this reason, he was named a Worthy General of the Fatherland by the Fourth National Assembly. However, his greatest work was the care and treatment of thousands of our uprooted compatriots as well as the distribution of estates to the landless. As follows:
1. In 1933 and 1935 he carried out failed coups in favor of Venizelos and the Abasileftis Demokratia.
2. In 1945, he assumed the prime ministership as a personality of general acceptance, at a difficult time for the Homeland. He signed the Varkiza Agreement, but despite his later efforts, he was unable to prevent the bloody, fratricidal civil war.
3. In 1950 he founded the EPEK and formed a government twice, the same year and later in 1951-1952. He tried to impose National Reconciliation, the abolition of military courts and the anti-communist law. He dealt with the elimination of the consequences of the Civil War and the economic and social reconstruction, with a program of social benefits, land distribution to the landless, while during his governments the country joined NATO.
His selflessness as Prime Minister is evident from his refusal to employ his brother in public service, from the zero fortune he acquired, from the surprise of Queen Frederick when she visited him before his death and saw a poor house and a barn for a bed. His Evzones adored him – he stood guard in the evenings to give them rest -, the people of Asia Minor honored him – many gave their children his name -, Greece is grateful to him. And the younger generations must learn about him, about the brilliant model of an Officer and Prime Minister.
Miltiadis V. Parlantzas
Assistant Professor (EM), MSc