Panagiotis Danglis
Encyclopedia
Panagiotis Danglis was a Greek general of the Hellenic Army
and a politician.
He was born in Agrinio
in 1853, graduated from the Scholi Evelpidon Officer Academy in 1878 as a Second Lieutenant of Artillery, and later extended his studies for another year in Belgium
. Upon his return, as Captain, he was appointed adjutant to the 1884-1887 French military mission, which had been tasked with modernizing the Greek Army. He was a recognized expert in artillery, teaching at the Army Academy and inventing the Schneider-Dangli Gun
in 1893. During the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 he served as chief of staff of I Brigade in the Epirus
sector. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he was transferred to the General Staff Corps in 1904.
Promoted to Colonel in 1907, he participated in the latter stages of the Macedonian Struggle
, supervising operations in the Salonica area, under the nom de guerre of Parmenion
. Promoted to Major General in 1911, he was appointed head of the Army General Staff in August 1912, partly because of his abilities, but also as a balance to the more royalist and Germanophile staff officers like Ioannis Metaxas
. During the First Balkan War
, he served as chief of staff to Crown Prince Constantine
's Army of Thessaly
until November 1912, when he became a member of the Greek delegation in the London Peace Conference
. In March 1913 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and placed in command of the Epirus Army Corps.
In late 1914, he left the army and went into politics, joining the Liberal Party
of Eleftherios Venizelos
in 1915 and elected as an MP for Epirus
. He became Minister for War and supported Venizelos during his struggle against King Constantine in 1916, joining his Triumvirate, the "Provisional Government of National Defence
". In 1917, when Greece joined the First World War, he was appointed nominal commander-in-chief of the Greek Army, a position he retained until the war's end, when he returned to his parliamentary office. In 1921, Danglis succeeded the self-exiled Venizelos as president of the Liberal Party.
He died in Athens
on March 9, 1924.
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
and a politician.
He was born in Agrinio
Agrinio
Agrinion is the largest city and municipality of the Aetolia-Acarnania peripheral unit of Greece, with 96,321 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its capital is the town of Mesolonghi. The settlement dates back to ancient times...
in 1853, graduated from the Scholi Evelpidon Officer Academy in 1878 as a Second Lieutenant of Artillery, and later extended his studies for another year in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Upon his return, as Captain, he was appointed adjutant to the 1884-1887 French military mission, which had been tasked with modernizing the Greek Army. He was a recognized expert in artillery, teaching at the Army Academy and inventing the Schneider-Dangli Gun
75 mm Schneider-Danglis 06/09
The 75 mm Schneider-Danglis 06/09 was a Greek-designed and French-manufactured mountain gun....
in 1893. During the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 he served as chief of staff of I Brigade in the Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
sector. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he was transferred to the General Staff Corps in 1904.
Promoted to Colonel in 1907, he participated in the latter stages of the Macedonian Struggle
Macedonian Struggle
The Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians in the region of Ottoman Macedonia between 1904 and 1908...
, supervising operations in the Salonica area, under the nom de guerre of Parmenion
Parmenion
Parmenion was a Macedonian general in the service of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great, murdered on a suspected false charge of treason....
. Promoted to Major General in 1911, he was appointed head of the Army General Staff in August 1912, partly because of his abilities, but also as a balance to the more royalist and Germanophile staff officers like Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas was a Greek general, politician, and dictator, serving as Prime Minister of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941...
. During the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
, he served as chief of staff to Crown Prince Constantine
Constantine I of Greece
Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in...
's Army of Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
until November 1912, when he became a member of the Greek delegation in the London Peace Conference
Treaty of London, 1913
The Treaty of London was signed on 30 May during the London Conference of 1913. It dealt with the territorial adjustments arising out of the conclusion of the First Balkan War.-History:...
. In March 1913 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and placed in command of the Epirus Army Corps.
In late 1914, he left the army and went into politics, joining the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Greece)
The Liberal Party was one of the major Greek political parties of the early 20th century.- History :Founded as the Xipoliton party in Crete , its early leaders were Kostis Mitsotakis and Eleftherios Venizelos...
of Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos
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 and served from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932...
in 1915 and elected as an MP for Epirus
Epirus (region)
Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
. He became Minister for War and supported Venizelos during his struggle against King Constantine in 1916, joining his Triumvirate, the "Provisional Government of National Defence
Movement of National Defence
The Movement of National Defence was an uprising by Venizelist officers of the Hellenic Army in Thessaloniki in August 1916 against the royal government in Athens. It led to the establishment of a separate, Venizelist Greek government in the north of the country, which entered the First World...
". In 1917, when Greece joined the First World War, he was appointed nominal commander-in-chief of the Greek Army, a position he retained until the war's end, when he returned to his parliamentary office. In 1921, Danglis succeeded the self-exiled Venizelos as president of the Liberal Party.
He died in 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...
on March 9, 1924.