Cretan Uprising of 1935
Eleftherios Venizelos was an eminent Greek revolutionary, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century.Elected several times as Prime Minister of Greece, serving from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932, Venizelos had such profound influence on the internal and external affairs of Greece that he is credited with being "the maker of modern Greece", and is still widely known as the "Ethnarch".
In 1914 the decision on whether to go in war at the side of Entente or the Central Powers deeply divided the nation, to the effect that there were two governments: one in Athens under the royalists and one in Thessaloniki under Venizelos. Pressure from the Allies brought the king to abdicate in 1917, and left the fate of the country to the Thessalonica government.
In 1935 Venizelos resurfaced out of retirement to support a military coup, the failure of which severely weakened the Second Hellenic Republic, the republic he had created. Its failure obliged Venizelos to seek exile in France. He died there, in Paris, on 18 March 1936 at the age of 71.
The Greek revolution extended 05 March 1935 with a rising in Thrace, and the Minister for War left for Macedonia to direct operations against the rebels. A state of siege was proclaimed and several articles of the Constitution were suspended. The mutineers still retained possession of five warships, which were believed to have reached Crete. Junker passenger planes on the Athens-Salonika service were mobilised for further bombing of the ships. The Government claimed that the rebel Venezelist revolt was crushed in Greece itself, but the situation in Crete remained serious. Crete was virtually under the control of Mr. Venizelos, whom the Premier of Greece (Mr. Tsaldaris) described as "a pirate hero."
The first act of Premier Taaldaris was the reconstruction of the Cabinet. He toole over the portfolio of the Foreign Minister which Mr. Máximos, who was in Paris, resigned prior to the revolt. Admiral Dauzmanis became Minister for Marine, and Mr. Schinas Minister for the Air. The former Premiers and leaders of the Opposition, Messrs. Casagaris and Patamastasiou, who were arrested the previous day, were discovered hiding in Mr. Venilzelos's house.
Venizelos is reported to have issued an anti-Government proclamation inviting Cretan senators and deputies to attend a special meeting. The Government detained senators and deputies representing Salonika. Quiet pïevailled on the mainland. Courts martial were constituted for the trial of rebels. The heavily armoured cruiser Averoff was again bombarded by Government planes at Souda Bay, near Canea, and a dense column of smoke rose from the deck. The extent of the damage to the three warships which refused to surrender was unclear. The artillery was despatched to Kara Point, ten miles from Salonika, which was under martial law, in order to bomb the rebel ships if they attempt to enter the harbor which, it is reported, had been blocked by the sinking of two merchant vessels.
The Government claimed that the rebel Venezelist revolt was crushed in Greece itself, but the situation in Crete remained serious. There was only a small loss of life owing to the use of light bombs, but six aeroplanes carrying two heavy bombs apiece to-day left the mainland to attack the strong-hold of the rebels in Crete, where the rebels under Vice-Admiral Demestichas were taking refuge.
Government instructions previously were to avoid unnecessary damage of ships, but as Vîce-Admiral Demestichas refused unconditional surrender, the aerial bombardment y commenced in earnest. The Government bombers badly damaged two destroyers north-east of Crete. One damaged submarine capitulated and was taken back to Greece. The Government aircraft swooped to within 150 feet of the ship to turn on the machine guns. It was reported they wounded and killed many rebels. Rebel gun fire and anti-aircraft shooting was ineffective. The commandeering of the Junker aeroplane was believed to be the first occasion on which civil machines had been converted to bombers.
The revolution had broken out in Thrace, and Government troops occupied Seres. The first intimation of revolutionary activity in Macedonia was the news of Government troops capturing Seres from the rebels who were withdrawing to the east. The Minister for War (Mr. Koseylis) left for Macedonia shortly.
The situation generally was graver although the Government claimed to have gained control of practically the whole of Macedonia. Government activities against the rebel fleet were increased by the seven remaining loyal warships which the insurgents partially disabled before their departure for Crete.
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