Nationalist Party (Greece)
Encyclopedia
The Nationalist Party of Greece
was the conservative and expansionist political party from 1865-1909. It was opposed primarily by the New Party of Charilaos Trikoupis
.
The Nationalist Party was formed after the previous major-power client political parties, the Russian Party
, English Party
and the French Party
ceased to be factors after the reign of King Otto
in 1865. The first leader of the Nationalist Party was Alexandros Koumoundouros
, who was ten-times Prime Minister of Greece
. Koumoundouros was able to draw much of the conservative stalwarts of the old Russian Party with some of the other two parties to develop a coherent, albeit it mostly personality-driven, party of the right. Koumoundouros was succeeded as party leader and Prime Minister by Theodoros Deligiannis
who famously stated that he "was against everything Trikoupis was for." By stoking the fires of nationalism and territorial expansion, Deligiannis was able to take advantage of military events and economic downturns to propel himself to power.
Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, Greece developed a stable two-party system with the Premiership alternating between Deligiannis and Trikoupis. Deligiannis was assassinated in 1905 by a gambler who was outraged at Deligiannis's proposal to curtail gambling. With Deligiannis's death, the Nationalist Party began to splinter. Many of the conservative leaders followed Dimitrios Gounaris
' so-called "Japanese Group," and later formed the People's Party
.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
was the conservative and expansionist political party from 1865-1909. It was opposed primarily by the New Party of Charilaos Trikoupis
Charilaos Trikoupis
Charilaos Trikoupis was a Greek politician who served as a Prime Minister of Greece seven times from 1875 until 1895....
.
The Nationalist Party was formed after the previous major-power client political parties, the Russian Party
Russian Party (Greece)
The Russian Party , one of the Early Greek Parties, was an informal grouping of Greek political leaders that formed during the brief period of the First Hellenic Republic and lasted through the reign of King Otto...
, English Party
English Party (Greece)
The English Party , was one of the three informal Early Greek Parties that dominated the early political history of Modern Greece, the other two being the Russian Party and the French Party.-History and party development:...
and the French Party
French Party (Greece)
The French Party was one of the three informal Early Greek Parties that dominated the early political history of Modern Greece, the other two being the Russian and the English Party.-History and party development:...
ceased to be factors after the reign of King Otto
Otto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
in 1865. The first leader of the Nationalist Party was Alexandros Koumoundouros
Alexandros Koumoundouros
Alexandros Koumoundouros was a Greek politician. Born in Kampos Avias located in the Messenian side of the Mani Peninsula, he was the son of Spirìdonas-Galànis Koumoundoùros who was the Bey of the area during the last period of the administration of the region by the Ottoman Empire.He was a...
, who was ten-times Prime Minister of Greece
Prime Minister of Greece
The Prime Minister of Greece , officially the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic , is the head of government of the Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Greek cabinet. The current interim Prime Minister is Lucas Papademos, a former Vice President of the European Central Bank, following...
. Koumoundouros was able to draw much of the conservative stalwarts of the old Russian Party with some of the other two parties to develop a coherent, albeit it mostly personality-driven, party of the right. Koumoundouros was succeeded as party leader and Prime Minister by Theodoros Deligiannis
Theodoros Deligiannis
Theodoros Deligiannis, also spelled Delijannis and Deliyannis, , was a Greek statesman.-Life:He was born at Lagkadia, Arcadia. He studied law in Athens, and in 1843 entered the Ministry of the Interior, of which department he became permanent secretary in 1859. In 1862, on the deposition of King...
who famously stated that he "was against everything Trikoupis was for." By stoking the fires of nationalism and territorial expansion, Deligiannis was able to take advantage of military events and economic downturns to propel himself to power.
Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, Greece developed a stable two-party system with the Premiership alternating between Deligiannis and Trikoupis. Deligiannis was assassinated in 1905 by a gambler who was outraged at Deligiannis's proposal to curtail gambling. With Deligiannis's death, the Nationalist Party began to splinter. Many of the conservative leaders followed Dimitrios Gounaris
Dimitrios Gounaris
Dimitrios Gounaris was the Prime Minister of Greece from March 10, 1915 to August 23, 1915 and April 8, 1921 to May 16, 1922...
' so-called "Japanese Group," and later formed the People's Party
People's Party (Greece)
The People's Party of Greece was a conservative and pro-monarchist political party founded by Dimitrios Gounaris, the main political rival of Eleftherios Venizelos and his Liberal Party. The party existed from 1920 until 1958....
.