Konstantinos Manetas
Encyclopedia
Konstantinos Manetas was a Greek
Army officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
and served as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
in 1931. He also served thrice in ministerial positions and was elected to parliament in 1950.
in 1879, the son of the politician Panagiotis Manetas, the elder brother of Lieutenant General Theodoros Manetas and younger brother of the politician Ioannis Manetas. After finishing school, he enrolled in the Hellenic Army Academy and graduated on 11 July 1901 as an Infantry Second Lieutenant. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1908 and Captain in 1911. He fought in the Balkan Wars
of 1912–1913 as company and battalion commander, and was wounded at the Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas
. After the wars he was attached as aide de camp to the chiefs of the French military mission to Greece
, generals Joseph-Paul Eydoux and Étienne de Villaret, and was promoted to Major (1914).
During World War I
, he joined the Venizelist Movement of National Defence
and fought in the Macedonian Front
as commander of the 4th Archipelago Regiment. He was promoted to Lt Colonel on 12 January 1917 and to full Colonel on 13 December 1917. In 1919 Manetas participated in the unsuccessful Allied intervention in the Ukraine as Infantry Commander of the 13th Infantry Division. Following the Allied withdrawal, he led the same division as its commander during the early phases of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. In 1920, he was promoted to Major General. As a confirmed Venizelist, he was dismissed and suspended from active duty in November 1920 following the Venizelist electoral defeat.
Following the disastrous defeat of the Greek army by the Kemal
ist forces in August 1922 however, he was recalled to active service as commander of the 7th Infantry Division. He held the post until August 1923, when he was appointed CO of the II Army Corps and soon after named Minister for Military Affairs in the Stylianos Gonatas
cabinet, a post he held until January 1924. Manetas was then promoted to Lieutenant General and sent to Paris
as military attaché, and returned in 1925 to re-assume command of II Corps, until 1926, when he was appointed commander of I Army Corps. He held this post until 1933, with the exception of June–August 1931, when he was appointed Chief of the General Staff. He served as Transport Minister (and interim Justice Minister for a day) in the interim government of Alexandros Othonaios
in March 1933, formed in response of an abortive Venizelist coup. He then assumed the post of Inspector of the Infantry in the General Staff, until March 1935 when he was involved in another unsuccessful Venizelist coup attempt. Following the coup's suppression, he was dismissed from the Army.
During the Axis Occupation of Greece in World War II
, Manetas was arrested by the Italians and imprisoned in concentration camps in Italy and Germany. He was elected
a Member of the Greek Parliament in 1950 for Athens, and served as Minister for Supply and Distribution in the Nikolaos Plastiras
cabinet.
Manetas was unmarried, and died in 1960.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Army officer who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and served as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
Hellenic Army General Staff
The Hellenic Army General Staff is the general staff of the Hellenic Army, the terrestrial component of the Greek Armed Forces. It was established in 1906 as the Army Staff Service . Since 1950, the HAGS is subordinated to the Hellenic National Defense General Staff...
in 1931. He also served thrice in ministerial positions and was elected to parliament in 1950.
Life
He was born in TripoliTripoli, Greece
Tripoli is a city of about 25,000 inhabitants in the central part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. It is the capital of the prefecture of Arcadia and the centre of the municipality of Tripolis, pop...
in 1879, the son of the politician Panagiotis Manetas, the elder brother of Lieutenant General Theodoros Manetas and younger brother of the politician Ioannis Manetas. After finishing school, he enrolled in the Hellenic Army Academy and graduated on 11 July 1901 as an Infantry Second Lieutenant. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1908 and Captain in 1911. He fought in the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
of 1912–1913 as company and battalion commander, and was wounded at the Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas
Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas
The Battle of Kilkis–Lahanas took place during the Second Balkan War between Greece and Bulgaria for the town of Kilkis in Macedonia. The battle lasted three days from 19 to 21 June 1913 and ended with a Greek victory.-Background:...
. After the wars he was attached as aide de camp to the chiefs of the French military mission to Greece
French military mission to Greece (1911–1914)
The 1911–1914 French military mission to Greece was called to Greece by the government of Eleftherios Venizelos to reorganize the Hellenic Army, parallel to a British naval mission for the Royal Hellenic Navy...
, generals Joseph-Paul Eydoux and Étienne de Villaret, and was promoted to Major (1914).
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he joined the Venizelist Movement of National Defence
Movement of National Defence
The Movement of National Defence was an uprising by Venizelist officers of the Hellenic Army in Thessaloniki in August 1916 against the royal government in Athens. It led to the establishment of a separate, Venizelist Greek government in the north of the country, which entered the First World...
and fought in the Macedonian Front
Macedonian front (World War I)
The Macedonian Front resulted from an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. The expedition came too late and in insufficient force to prevent the fall of Serbia, and was complicated by the internal...
as commander of the 4th Archipelago Regiment. He was promoted to Lt Colonel on 12 January 1917 and to full Colonel on 13 December 1917. In 1919 Manetas participated in the unsuccessful Allied intervention in the Ukraine as Infantry Commander of the 13th Infantry Division. Following the Allied withdrawal, he led the same division as its commander during the early phases of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. In 1920, he was promoted to Major General. As a confirmed Venizelist, he was dismissed and suspended from active duty in November 1920 following the Venizelist electoral defeat.
Following the disastrous defeat of the Greek army by the Kemal
Turkish National Movement
The Turkish National Movement encompasses the political and military activities of the Turkish revolutionaries which resulted in the creation and shaping of the Republic of Turkey, as a consequence of the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I....
ist forces in August 1922 however, he was recalled to active service as commander of the 7th Infantry Division. He held the post until August 1923, when he was appointed CO of the II Army Corps and soon after named Minister for Military Affairs in the Stylianos Gonatas
Stylianos Gonatas
Stylianos Gonatas was a Greek military officer and Venizelist politician and Prime Minister of Greece between 1922 and 1924.- Early life and military career :...
cabinet, a post he held until January 1924. Manetas was then promoted to Lieutenant General and sent to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
as military attaché, and returned in 1925 to re-assume command of II Corps, until 1926, when he was appointed commander of I Army Corps. He held this post until 1933, with the exception of June–August 1931, when he was appointed Chief of the General Staff. He served as Transport Minister (and interim Justice Minister for a day) in the interim government of Alexandros Othonaios
Alexandros Othonaios
Alexandros Othonaios was a distinguished Greek general, who became briefly Prime Minister of an emergency government during an abortive coup in 1933.- Early life and career :...
in March 1933, formed in response of an abortive Venizelist coup. He then assumed the post of Inspector of the Infantry in the General Staff, until March 1935 when he was involved in another unsuccessful Venizelist coup attempt. Following the coup's suppression, he was dismissed from the Army.
During the Axis Occupation of Greece in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Manetas was arrested by the Italians and imprisoned in concentration camps in Italy and Germany. He was elected
Greek legislative election, 1950
The 1950 Greek legislative election was held on 5 March 1950.A total of 44 parties contested 250 seats. rowspan=2 colspan=3 valign=top|Summary of the 5 March 1950 Greek Parliament election results...
a Member of the Greek Parliament in 1950 for Athens, and served as Minister for Supply and Distribution in the Nikolaos Plastiras
Nikolaos Plastiras
Nikolaos Plastiras was a Greek general and politician, who served thrice as Prime Minister of Greece. A distinguished soldier and known for his personal bravery, he was known as "O Mavros Kavalaris" during the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922...
cabinet.
Manetas was unmarried, and died in 1960.