Department of History and Archaeology
Library of the School of Philosophy

2024-06-05

2024

Douros Dimitrios

Επιβλέπων: Σπυρίδων Γ. Πλουμίδης, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ

Μέλος: Ευάνθης Χατζηβασιλείου, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ

Μέλος: Σωτήρης Ριζάς, Διευθυντής Ερευνών, ΚΕΙΝΕ, Ακαδημία Αθηνών

Μέλος: Νικόλαος Αναστασόπουλος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων

Μέλος: Βαγγέλης Καραμανωλάκης, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ

Μέλος: Μανώλης Κούμας, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ

Μέλος: Δέσποινα Παπαδημητρίου, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Πολιτικής Επιστήμης και Ιστορίας, Πάντειο Πανεπιστήμιο

Κρίση και Διχασμός στην Ελλάδα του Μεσοπολέμου (1932-1936): Η πολιτική συζήτηση και ο κοινωνικός προβληματισμός

Greek

Crisis and National Schism in interwar Greece (1932-1936): Political debates and social reflections

This doctoral thesis examines the political discourse and relevant aspects of the public discussion regarding the multifaceted crisis that Greece experienced during the interwar period, focusing on the period from 1932 to 1936. More specifically, it studies the political impact of the economic crisis and the state’s bankruptcy that led to the fall of the Liberals’ government in the spring of 1932, which is considered altogether as a crucial turning point that marked the gradual descend towards the establishment of the ‘4th of August’ dictatorship. The main working hypothesis concerns the correlation between the economic crisis and the renewal of the National Schism, as a juncture that significantly contributed to the demise of parliamentarism. In sum, the economic crisis of 1932 is presented as a ‘state of emergency’ that resulted to the radical transformation of political structures and signified the turn towards authoritarianism following the collapse of the liberal status quo.

The main questions that this thesis addresses are: In which ways did the economic crisis affect the political system of Greece? How did the economic crisis transform into a political one? Which were the main features of the political discourse and which were were the essential stakes of the political antagonism during this period? The two concepts of the title (“Crisis” and “National Schism”) can be seen as the key threads running through the thesis. Regarding the first one, I attempted to highlight the complexity as well as the distinct though interconnected aspects of the crisis (economic, political, social, ideological, etc.). Concerning the second one, the political cleavage of the National Schism was thoroughly examined, as the reminiscence and the legacy of political violence during the 1915-1922 fuelled the conflict between venizelists and anti-venizelists during the 1930s.

Both methodological axes of the thesis are inextricably linked to the concept of political discourse. The first one involves the analysis of the political discourse expressed of the main political agents of the interwar period. Directly related to the first, the second methodological axis concerns the study of the political status of the Press, which is examined not only as a mediator but also as a moderator of political discourse. Consequently, one of the main primary sources used in this thesis is a large number of the Greek capital papers. Another fundamental primary source is the Proceedings of the Parliament’s Plenary Sessions, as well as the memoirs, diaries, and personal archives of the political leaders of the time.

Regarding its structure, the thesis is divided into two parts. The first one outlines the broader historical context of the interwar period, as an essential basis for the subsequent analysis of the main subject. The second part follows the escalation of the political conflict between the political forces of venizelism and anti-venizelism, from the outbreak of the economic crisis to the fall of the Liberal government in 1932, from the failed venizelist coups d’ etat of 1933 and 1935 to the restoration of King George II as well as from the elections of January 1936 to the establishment of the ‘4th of August’ dictatorship.

Finally, by investigating the broader intellectual context in which the domestic political discourse developed, the thesis also examines the perceptions as well as the domestication of the wider geopolitical developments and ideological conflicts taking place all over Europe from the Greek political system and the public sphere as well. Through the synthesis of all the above questions, this thesis attempts to outline the course of Greek politics during the first half of the 1930s, placing it within the broader context of the crisis of democracy in interwar Europe.

History

interwar period, National Schism, political history

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0

No

1443

446

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https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/3400388