Dimitrios Ioannides
Encyclopedia
Dimitrios Ioannidis also known as Dimitris Ioannidis, was a Greek military officer and one of the leading figures in the Greek military junta of 1967–1974.
He was born in Athens
to a wealthy, upper middle-class business family with roots in Epirus
.
He studied at the Hellenic Military Academy
and complemented his military education by studying at the Infantry School, the War School, and the School of Atomic-Chemical-Biological Warfare.
Ioannidis took an active part in planning and executing the coup d'etat
of 21 April 1967, but despite his great power he preferred to stay in the shadows allowing George Papadopoulos
to take the limelight. He thus gained the nickname "the Invisible Dictator". Ioannidis became chief of the Greek Military Police
(ESA) which he developed into a feared paramilitary force of more than 20,000 men. The ESA men brutally hunted down and tortured political dissidents. They also became notorious for beating and insulting their nominal superiors, the Generals of the Greek Army, who were generally royalist or republican and opposed to the junta leadership .
After the Athens Polytechnic uprising
of November 1973, Ioannidis, the most hardline of hardliners, became enraged with the "liberalizing" tendencies of the Papadopoulos leadership and hatched a plot to overthrow him using his loyal ESA forces. Indeed, on the night of 25 November 1973, Ioannidis overthrew Papadopoulos in a successful coup. Papadopoulos was arrested by the loyalists of Ioanidis in his opulent seaside villa at Lagonissi. This was the second successful coup d'etat
by Ioannidis, following the original of April 1967 which had abolished democracy. Ioannidis proceeded to install his friend and fellow Epirote Phaedon Gizikis
as figurehead President of Greece
, although total power belonged to him.
Ioannidis pursued a savage crackdown internally and an aggressive expansionism externally. He was determined to annex Cyprus
to Greece and achieve Enosis
. He also felt a bitter personal antipathy towards the President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III
, considering him opportunistic and communistic. He called him the "Red Priest" . To that end, he organised the 15 July 1974 coup d'état
in Cyprus which overthrew the government of Archbishop Makarios III
. This was the third successful coup organized by Ioannidis, and at first things seemed to go along according to plan. Ioannidis put in power one of his puppets, the right-wing EOKA
leader Nikos Sampson
, and prepared to annex the island to Greece. However, the coup provided the pretext for Turkish invasion and partition of the island. This led to the Turkish invasion
of the island on 20 July, which in turn led to the downfall of the Greek Junta and to metapolitefsi
.
On 14 January 1975, Ioannidis was detained and tried
on charges of high treason, rebellion, and of being an accessory to the manslaughters perpetrated during the Athens Polytechnic uprising
. He was given a death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment, which he was serving at Korydallos Prison
.
On 21 July 2007, the 84 year-old Ioannidis filed a request to be discharged for health reasons.
Imprisoned until his death, he died on 16 August 2010 from respiratory problems, having been taken to hospital the previous night.
He was born in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
to a wealthy, upper middle-class business family with roots in Epirus
Epirus (region)
Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
.
He studied at the Hellenic Military Academy
Hellenic Military Academy
The Evelpidon Military Academy is the oldest tertiary level educational institution in Greece. It was founded in 1828 in Nafplio by Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of the modern Greek State....
and complemented his military education by studying at the Infantry School, the War School, and the School of Atomic-Chemical-Biological Warfare.
Ioannidis took an active part in planning and executing the coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of 21 April 1967, but despite his great power he preferred to stay in the shadows allowing George Papadopoulos
George Papadopoulos
Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos was the head of the military coup d'état that took place in Greece on 21 April 1967 and leader of the military government that ruled the country from 1967 to 1974. Papadopoulos was a Colonel of Artillery...
to take the limelight. He thus gained the nickname "the Invisible Dictator". Ioannidis became chief of the Greek Military Police
Greek Military Police
The Greek Military Police , generally known in English by the acronym ESA was the military police branch of the Greek Army in the years 1951-1974.. It developed into a powerful paramilitary organization and a stronghold of right-wing, conservative Army officers....
(ESA) which he developed into a feared paramilitary force of more than 20,000 men. The ESA men brutally hunted down and tortured political dissidents. They also became notorious for beating and insulting their nominal superiors, the Generals of the Greek Army, who were generally royalist or republican and opposed to the junta leadership .
After the Athens Polytechnic uprising
Athens Polytechnic uprising
The Athens Polytechnic uprising in 1973 was a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. The uprising began on November 14, 1973, escalated to an open anti-junta, anti-US and anti-imperialist revolt and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of November...
of November 1973, Ioannidis, the most hardline of hardliners, became enraged with the "liberalizing" tendencies of the Papadopoulos leadership and hatched a plot to overthrow him using his loyal ESA forces. Indeed, on the night of 25 November 1973, Ioannidis overthrew Papadopoulos in a successful coup. Papadopoulos was arrested by the loyalists of Ioanidis in his opulent seaside villa at Lagonissi. This was the second successful coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
by Ioannidis, following the original of April 1967 which had abolished democracy. Ioannidis proceeded to install his friend and fellow Epirote Phaedon Gizikis
Phaedon Gizikis
Phaedon Gizikis was a Greek Army officer and President of Greece from 1973 to 1974.Born on 16 June 1917, in Volos, Greece, Phaedon Gizikis was a career Greek army officer...
as figurehead President of Greece
President of Greece
The President of the Hellenic Republic , colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the head of state of Greece. The office of the President of the Republic was established after the Greek republic referendum, 1974 and formally by the Constitution of Greece in 1975. The...
, although total power belonged to him.
Ioannidis pursued a savage crackdown internally and an aggressive expansionism externally. He was determined to annex Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
to Greece and achieve Enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
. He also felt a bitter personal antipathy towards the President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
, considering him opportunistic and communistic. He called him the "Red Priest" . To that end, he organised the 15 July 1974 coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in Cyprus which overthrew the government of Archbishop Makarios III
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
. This was the third successful coup organized by Ioannidis, and at first things seemed to go along according to plan. Ioannidis put in power one of his puppets, the right-wing EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
leader Nikos Sampson
Nikos Sampson
Nikos Sampson was the de facto president of Cyprus who succeeded Archbishop Makarios, President of Cyprus, in 1974. Sampson was a journalist and a member of EOKA, which rose against the British colonial administration, seeking Enosis of the island of Cyprus with Greece...
, and prepared to annex the island to Greece. However, the coup provided the pretext for Turkish invasion and partition of the island. This led to the Turkish invasion
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
of the island on 20 July, which in turn led to the downfall of the Greek Junta and to metapolitefsi
Metapolitefsi
The Metapolitefsi was a period in Greek history after the fall of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 that includes the transitional period from the fall of the dictatorship to the Greek legislative elections of 1974 and the democratic period immediately after these elections.The long...
.
On 14 January 1975, Ioannidis was detained and tried
Greek Junta Trials
The Greek Junta Trials were the trials involving members of the military junta that ruled Greece from 21 April 1967 to 23 July 1974. These trials involved the instigators of the coup as well as other junta members of various ranks who took part in the events of the Athens Polytechnic uprising and...
on charges of high treason, rebellion, and of being an accessory to the manslaughters perpetrated during the Athens Polytechnic uprising
Athens Polytechnic uprising
The Athens Polytechnic uprising in 1973 was a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. The uprising began on November 14, 1973, escalated to an open anti-junta, anti-US and anti-imperialist revolt and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of November...
. He was given a death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment, which he was serving at Korydallos Prison
Korydallos Prison
Korydallos Prison Complex is the main prison of Greece, housing both maximum-security men and women. It is located in Korydallos, Piraeus. Its most famous detainees are the November 17 terrorist members and Colonel Nikolaos Dertilis, the last surviving member of the military junta. Korydallos...
.
On 21 July 2007, the 84 year-old Ioannidis filed a request to be discharged for health reasons.
Imprisoned until his death, he died on 16 August 2010 from respiratory problems, having been taken to hospital the previous night.
External reference
- loannidis: Power in the Wings, TIME, 10 December 1973