Konstantinos Tsatsos
Encyclopedia
Konstantinos Tsatsos (July 1, 1899–October 8, 1987) was a revered Greek diplomat
, professor of law, scholar and politician. He served as the second President of the Third Hellenic Republic
from 1975 to 1980.
in 1899. After graduating from the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
in 1918 he joined the diplomatic corps. After completing his doctoral studies (1924-1928) in Heidelberg
, Weimar Republic
Germany
, he returned to Greece where he became a professor of law in 1933. In 1940, he was arrested and exiled for opposing the 4th of August Regime
under Prime Minister of Greece Ioannis Metaxas
. During the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II, Tsatsos participated in the Greek Resistance
and then he fled to the Middle East
, where the exiled Greek government was seated.
After the end of World War II
, in 1945 he returned to Greece and entered politics and became minister for the first time. In 1946, when he decided to participate more actively in the politics of Greece
, he resigned from his post National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
and then he became a member of the Liberal Party
. After the formation of the National Radical Union
by Constantine Karamanlis
, in 1955 he became a member of the party and one of the closest colleagues of Karamanlis, although, ideologically, he was a centrist-liberal and not a conservative.
He served as a member of parliament and in various ministerial positions until the Greek military junta of 1967-1974
. Under the first premiership of Karamanlis (1955-1963) he served for many years as Minister of Public Administration. After the Metapolitefsi
in 1974, he was elected again as member of the Hellenic Parliament
and became Minister for Culture
. In 1975, he was elected President of the Republic by the parliament. He retired after serving his five-year term. He died in 1987 in Athens. He was survived by his wife, Ioanna née Seferiádou, the sister of the Nobel laureate poet George Seferis.
Since 1962 he was a member of the Greek Academy
. His vast writing work includes textbooks of legal theory, surveys on philosophy and history, as well as literary works, poems, essays and translations of ancient Greek and Roman classics. In 1974, he presided over the parliamentary commission that submitted the first draft of the new constitution
.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, professor of law, scholar and politician. He served as the second President of the Third Hellenic Republic
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...
from 1975 to 1980.
Life
He was born in AthensAthens
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...
in 1899. After graduating from the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
in 1918 he joined the diplomatic corps. After completing his doctoral studies (1924-1928) in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he returned to Greece where he became a professor of law in 1933. In 1940, he was arrested and exiled for opposing the 4th of August Regime
4th of August Regime
The 4th of August Regime , commonly also known as the Metaxas Regime , was an authoritarian regime under the leadership of General Ioannis Metaxas that ruled Greece from 1936 to 1941...
under Prime Minister of Greece Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas was a Greek general, politician, and dictator, serving as Prime Minister of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941...
. During the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II, Tsatsos participated in the Greek Resistance
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
and then he fled to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, where the exiled Greek government was seated.
After the end of 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...
, in 1945 he returned to Greece and entered politics and became minister for the first time. In 1946, when he decided to participate more actively in the politics of Greece
Politics of Greece
The Politics of Greece takes place in a large parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Hellenic Parliament...
, he resigned from his post National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
and then he became a member of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Greece)
The Liberal Party was one of the major Greek political parties of the early 20th century.- History :Founded as the Xipoliton party in Crete , its early leaders were Kostis Mitsotakis and Eleftherios Venizelos...
. After the formation of the National Radical Union
National Radical Union
The National Radical Union was a Greek political party formed in 1955 by Konstantinos Karamanlis out of the Greek Rally party....
by Constantine Karamanlis
Constantine Karamanlis
Konstantínos G. Karamanlís , commonly anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or Caramanlis, was a four-time Prime Minister, the 3rd and 5th President of the Third Hellenic Republic and a towering figure of Greek politics whose political career spanned much of the latter half of the 20th century.-...
, in 1955 he became a member of the party and one of the closest colleagues of Karamanlis, although, ideologically, he was a centrist-liberal and not a conservative.
He served as a member of parliament and in various ministerial positions until the Greek military junta of 1967-1974
Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
. Under the first premiership of Karamanlis (1955-1963) he served for many years as Minister of Public Administration. After the 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...
in 1974, he was elected again as member of the Hellenic Parliament
Hellenic Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece....
and became Minister for Culture
Minister for Culture (Greece)
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is a government department of Greece entrusted with the preservation of the country's cultural heritage, the arts, as well as sports, through the subordinate General Secretariat for Sport...
. In 1975, he was elected President of the Republic by the parliament. He retired after serving his five-year term. He died in 1987 in Athens. He was survived by his wife, Ioanna née Seferiádou, the sister of the Nobel laureate poet George Seferis.
Tsatsos as a scholar
Konstantinos Tsatsos served as professor of the philosophy of law from 1933 since 1946, when he entered politics.Since 1962 he was a member of the Greek Academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
. His vast writing work includes textbooks of legal theory, surveys on philosophy and history, as well as literary works, poems, essays and translations of ancient Greek and Roman classics. In 1974, he presided over the parliamentary commission that submitted the first draft of the new constitution
Constitution of Greece
The Constitution of Greece , was created by the Fifth Revisional Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975. It has been revised three times since, most significantly in 1986, and also in 2001 and in 2008. The Constitutional history of Greece goes back to the Greek War of...
.
Writings on legal theory
- Der Begriff des positiven Rechts, Heidelberg: Weiss'sche Universitäts-Buchhandlung, 1928
- The Problem of the Interpretation of Law, Athens: Sakkoulas, 1978 (in Greek)
- The problem of the Sources of Law, Athens: Papadogiannis, 1941 (in Greek)
- Introduction to Legal Science, Athens: Papazisis, 1945 (in Greek)
- Studies on the Philosophy of Law, Athens: Ikarosa, 1960 (in Greek)
- "Society and the Law", in Archive of Philosophy and Positive Sciences (1935) (in Greek)
- "Le Droit et la societe", in Droiy, Morale, Moeurs, IIe Annyaire de l'Institute Intern de Philosophie du Droit, Paris, 1936
- "Contract as Legal Rule", in volume for K. Triantafillopoulos, Athens, 1959 (in Greek)
- "Qu' est-ce-que la philosophie du droit?", in: Archives de Philosophie du Droit 7 (1962)
Surveys on history and philosophy - Translations
- The Social Philosophy of Ancient Greeks, Athens: Estia, 1962 (in Greek)
- Cicero, Athens: Estia, 1968 (in Greek)
- Demosthenes, Athens: Estia, 1975 (in Greek)
Essays
- The Greek Course, Athens: Estia, 1967
- Anathemas and meditations, 4 Volumes, Athens: Estia, 1983-1991 (in Greek)
- The Modern World, Athens: Editions of the Friends, 1992 (in Greek)
Literary writings
- Palamas, Athens: Estia, 1966 (in Greek)
- A Dialogue about poetry - A dialogue with Giorgos Seferis, Athens: Estia, 1975 (in Greek)