Eleftherios Venizelos

Eleftherios Venizelos , in Greek Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος, (August 23rd, 1864 - March 18th, 1936) was a Greek politician .

He was probably the most important politician of the modern Greece. Born in Mournies close to Caned the, Crete. He studied the right to the National university capodistrienne of Athens, then he returned to Crete where he was elected at the Local assembly in the rows of the Liberal party. He took part in rising crétois against the Ottoman Empire in 1897 and belonged to those which claimed the union with Greece. Venizelos was a Ministre time for the justice of Crete.

In 1910, he became member of the Greek Parliament. It founded the political party called Komma Fileleftheron (Liberal party). October 2nd, 1910, it formed a government and started to reorganize the economic affairs, political and main roads of the country. It prepared the Greek army and the navy with the Balkan Guerres of 1912 - 1913, which Greece left victorious. The relations between Venizelos and the prince Constantin were often conflict, by the way in particular of the route of the army, the cities having to be released in priority, of neutrality (wanted by Contantin Ier) during the First World War. Venizelos resigned on February 21st 1915 of its station of Prime Minister. After the war, it took part in the Conference of Paris (1919) and signed like representative of Greece the Traité of Neuilly (November 27th, 1919) and the Traité of Sevres (August 10th, 1920). These treaties devoted obtaining (very temporary) for Greece of the Eastern Thrace and Smyrna. Venizelos faced an attempted murder at the station of Lyon. After its re-establishment, it turned over to Greece, where it was accommodated like a hero, because it had released from the whole areas of Greek population.

In spite of the victory, it lost the elections of November 1920, with the great dissatisfaction with the lately released populations of Asia Mineure. Because of its defeat, it left for Paris, and withdrew some time of the political life. After the disaster of Minor Asia, it signed, as a representative of Greece, on July 24th 1923, the Traité of Lausanne with the Turkey.

The elections of July 5th 1928 made him regain its influence in the Greek policy. That enabled him to start new elections on August 19th of the same year. Its party gained 228 seats out of 250 at the Parliament. Venizelos directed Greece until 1932.

In 1933 it faced its second attempted murder. One period of disorder followed. It then led a military movement to the sides of the general Nikolaos Plastiras in 1935. The movement having failed, it left for Paris, where it died in 1936. Its body was repatriated and buried in Akrotiri in Crete.

The International airport of Athens Eleftherios Venizelos in Spata, close to Athens, Greece, was named in its honor. Its image is also present on the Greek parts of 0.50 €.

Bonds external

The site of the foundation which bears its name, in English and Greek

The site of the airport which bears its name, in English and Greek

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