George Rallis
Encyclopedia
Georgios Ioannou Rallis , Greek
politician, was Prime Minister of Greece
from 1980 to 1981.
). In 1849 his son George Rallis became Chief Justice of the Greek Supreme Court. Dimitrios Rallis
(1844–1921), paternal grandfather of George Rallis, was five times Prime Minister of Greece, for short periods in 1897, 1903, 1905, 1909 and 1921. His son, Ioannis Rallis
or John Rallis (1878–1946), was collaborationist Prime Minister from 1943 to 1944, during the German
occupation. After the liberation of Greece he was sentenced to life imprisonment for collaboration and died in jail in 1946. His maternal grandfather, Georgios Theotokis
, was four times Prime Minister of Greece, between 1901 and 1907.
district of Athens
, after schooling he studied law and political sciences at the University of Athens. Shortly after graduating he joined the fight against fascist Italy after the invasion on 28 October 1940. He had the rank of the junior lieutenant. During the retreat (April 1941) he had to shoot his own horse, because it was injured and stuck in the mud. He remembered with sorrow this incident in a TV interview during the 1990s.
. He joined Constantine Karamanlis
when he formed the National Radical Union
and was a minister in the Karamanlis administrations until 1963.
After the military coup of 1967, Rallis was arrested and sent into exile on the island of Kasos
when he said that democracy should be restored. He was later allowed to leave the country and stayed in exile until the restoration of democracy in 1974.
In 1974, Rallis returned to Greece and became Education Minister. He oversaw the educational reform, the institution of the Demotic Greek
as the formal language in schools, and the reform of the school curricula. He became Foreign Minister in 1978, became the first Greek Foreign Minister to visit the Soviet Union
, worked to restore relations with Bulgaria
and Yugoslavia
and negotiated Greece's accession to the EEC
.
When Karamanlis retired in 1980, Rallis was elected leader of the New Democracy
party and succeeded Karamanlis as Prime Minister. During his tenure Greece rejoined the military wing of NATO. The following year, however, he was defeated at elections by Andreas Papandreou
's PASOK
party, and resigned as party leader. Later he had disagreements with his successor as leader, Constantine Mitsotakis
, and sat for a time as an independent MP. He retired shortly thereafter. During his retirement, Rallis established and cultivated organically-farmed vineyards and olive groves at his family estate on Corfu
.
Although Rallis became Prime Minister at a time when the fortunes of his party were in decline, he remained a popular figure because of his well-liked personal attributes of mildness, modesty and straightforwardness. A wealthy patrician by birth, he always made a point of living modestly, walking to work (even as a Prime Minister, much to the frustration of his security detail), and taking the time to greet and talk with those he met on the street. He died of heart failure
at his home on 15 March 2006. He is survived by his wife, Lena Rallis (née Voultsou) and their two daughters, Zaira Papaligouras and Joanna Farmakidis.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
politician, was 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...
from 1980 to 1981.
Ancestors in politics
Rallis was descended from an old political family. Before Greek independence, Alexander Rallis was a prominent Phanariote (Greek from ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
). In 1849 his son George Rallis became Chief Justice of the Greek Supreme Court. Dimitrios Rallis
Dimitrios Rallis
Dimitrios Rallis was a Greek politician. Rallis was elected to Parliament in 1872 and always represented the same Athenian constituency. He became Minister in several governments and served as Prime Minister five times...
(1844–1921), paternal grandfather of George Rallis, was five times Prime Minister of Greece, for short periods in 1897, 1903, 1905, 1909 and 1921. His son, Ioannis Rallis
Ioannis Rallis
Ioannis Rallis was the third and last collaborationist prime minister of Greece during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II, holding office from 7 April 1943 to 12 October 1944, succeeding Konstantinos Logothetopoulos in the Nazi-controlled Greek puppet government in Athens.- Early...
or John Rallis (1878–1946), was collaborationist Prime Minister from 1943 to 1944, during the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
occupation. After the liberation of Greece he was sentenced to life imprisonment for collaboration and died in jail in 1946. His maternal grandfather, Georgios Theotokis
Georgios Theotokis
Georgios Theotokis was a Greek politician and four times Prime Minister of Greece. He represented the New Party or Neoteristikon Komma .- Biography :...
, was four times Prime Minister of Greece, between 1901 and 1907.
Early life
George Rallis was born in the prestigious KolonakiKolonaki
Kolonaki , literally "Little Column" is a neighborhood in central Athens, Greece. It is located on the southwestern slopes of Lycabettus hill.Kolonaki is a wealthy, chic and upmarket district, and a fashionable meeting area...
district of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, after schooling he studied law and political sciences at the University of Athens. Shortly after graduating he joined the fight against fascist Italy after the invasion on 28 October 1940. He had the rank of the junior lieutenant. During the retreat (April 1941) he had to shoot his own horse, because it was injured and stuck in the mud. He remembered with sorrow this incident in a TV interview during the 1990s.
Political life
Rallis was first elected to the Greek Parliament as a member of the People's Party in 1950, and was first appointed a minister in 1954 in the government of Alexander PapagosAlexander Papagos
Field Marshal Alexander Papagos , was a Greek General who led the Greek Army in the Greco-Italian War and the later stages of the Greek Civil War and became the country's Prime Minister...
. He joined Constantine Karamanlis
Constantine Karamanlis
Konstantínos G. Karamanlís , commonly anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or Caramanlis, was a four-time Prime Minister, the 3rd and 5th President of the Third Hellenic Republic and a towering figure of Greek politics whose political career spanned much of the latter half of the 20th century.-...
when he formed the National Radical Union
National Radical Union
The National Radical Union was a Greek political party formed in 1955 by Konstantinos Karamanlis out of the Greek Rally party....
and was a minister in the Karamanlis administrations until 1963.
After the military coup of 1967, Rallis was arrested and sent into exile on the island of Kasos
Kasos
Kasos is a Greek island municipality in the Dodecanese. It is the southernmost island in the Aegean Sea, and is part of the Karpathos peripheral unit. As of 2001, its population was 990. The island has been called in , .-Geography:...
when he said that democracy should be restored. He was later allowed to leave the country and stayed in exile until the restoration of democracy in 1974.
In 1974, Rallis returned to Greece and became Education Minister. He oversaw the educational reform, the institution of the Demotic Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
as the formal language in schools, and the reform of the school curricula. He became Foreign Minister in 1978, became the first Greek Foreign Minister to visit the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, worked to restore relations with Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
and negotiated Greece's accession to the EEC
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
When Karamanlis retired in 1980, Rallis was elected leader of the New Democracy
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
party and succeeded Karamanlis as Prime Minister. During his tenure Greece rejoined the military wing of NATO. The following year, however, he was defeated at elections by Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
's PASOK
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
party, and resigned as party leader. Later he had disagreements with his successor as leader, Constantine Mitsotakis
Constantine Mitsotakis
Constantine Mitsotakis , a Greek politician, was born in Chania, Crete. He came from a political family: his father and grandfathers were members of parliament, and the great liberal leader Eleftherios Venizelos was his uncle...
, and sat for a time as an independent MP. He retired shortly thereafter. During his retirement, Rallis established and cultivated organically-farmed vineyards and olive groves at his family estate on Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
.
Although Rallis became Prime Minister at a time when the fortunes of his party were in decline, he remained a popular figure because of his well-liked personal attributes of mildness, modesty and straightforwardness. A wealthy patrician by birth, he always made a point of living modestly, walking to work (even as a Prime Minister, much to the frustration of his security detail), and taking the time to greet and talk with those he met on the street. He died of heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
at his home on 15 March 2006. He is survived by his wife, Lena Rallis (née Voultsou) and their two daughters, Zaira Papaligouras and Joanna Farmakidis.