Alexandros Papagos

Prime Minister of Greece

9 December 1883 Athens, Kingdom of Greece

4 October 1955(1955-10-04) (71) Athens, Kingdom of Greece

19 November 1952 – 4 October 1955

Greek military leader and politician Alexandros Papagos (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Παπάγος ; 9 December 1883 – 4 October 1955) was a Greek army officer who led the Hellenic Army in World War II and the later stages of the subsequent Greek Civil War. The only Greek career officer to rise to the rank of Field Marshal, Papagos became the first Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff from 1950 until his resignation the following year. He then entered politics, founding the nationalist Greek Rally party and becoming the country's Prime Minister after his victory in the 1952 elections. His premiership was shaped by the Cold War and the aftermath of the Greek Civil War, and was defined by several key events, including Greece becoming a member of NATO; U.S. military bases being allowed on Greek territory and the formation of a powerful and vehemently anti-communist security apparatus. Papagos' tenure also saw the start of the Greek economic miracle, and rising tensions with Britain and Turkey over the Cyprus issue.