The Relationship Between Armed Forces-Economy in Greece and Cyprus Problem During The Early Periods of The Cold War: General Aleksandros Papagos
Following its defeat in the Turkish War of Independence, Greece entered a period of political and economic chaos, compounded by the challenge of resettling and integrating the returning Greeks, the result of population exchane, and the subsequent bankruptcy in 1932 due to the economic repercussions of the 1929 global depression. The eruption of the Greek Civil War after the German occupation, precipitated the exhaustion of Greece's economic resources. Greece was included in the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid plans against the growing threat of communism during the civil war. However, due to Greece's different state traditions and social structure from the West, the US began to direct this aid to the top commanders of the Greek army rather than to Greek politicians, and General Alexander Papagos, one of the most influential soldiers of the period, came to the fore. During this period, Greece initiated a more proactive approach towards the Cyprus problem. In this context, the study aims to analyse the military-economy relationship in Greece and the development of Greek policy on the Cyprus problem as a result of this relationship, with the process of General Papagos coming to power with the support of the US, by using mainly Greek literature.
Soğuk Savaş’ın İlk Dönemlerinde Yunanistan’da Ordu-Ekonomi İlişkisi ve Kıbrıs Sorunu: General Aleksandros Papagos
Yunanistan, Türk Kurtuluş Savaşı’nda yaşadığı yenilgi sonrası siyasi ve ekonomik bir kaosa girmiştir. Bu kaosa ek olarak nüfus mübadelesiyle gelen Rumların iskanı ve topluma entegrasyonu sorunuyla da yüzleşen Yunanistan, 1929 ekonomik buhranının da etkisiyle 1932 yılında iflas etmiştir. İkinci Dünya Savaşı ise Yunanistan için oldukça olumsuz koşullar yaratmıştır. İkinci Dünya Savaşı sonrası başlayan Yunan İç Savaşı sırasında artan komünizm tehlikesine karşı Yunanistan, ABD tarafından Truman Doktrini ve Marshall Yardımı planlarına dâhil edilmiş, bu kapsamda hem askerî hem de mali yardımlar Yunanistan’a ulaşmıştır. Ne var ki Yunanistan’ın batıdan farklı devlet gelenekleri ve toplum yapısına sahip olması nedeniyle, bu yardımların kullanımında ABD tarafından Yunan siyasetçiler yerine Yunan ordusunun üst düzey komutanları muhatap alınmaya başlanmış, burada da dönemin etkili askerlerinden General Aleksandros Papagos öne çıkmıştır. Genaral Papagos’un öne çıktığı bu yıllar, aynı zamanda Yunanistan’ın Kıbrıs sorununda “Enosis” yani adanın kendisine bağlanması konusunda daha aktif bir politika izlemeye başladığı bir dönem olmuştur. Bu kapsamda çalışmada; ABD desteği sayesinde General Papagos’un iktidara gelme süreciyle birlikte, Yunanistan’da ordu-ekonomi ilişkisi ve Kıbrıs sorunu konusundaki izlenen Yunan politikasının ağırlıklı olarak Yunanca literatür kullanılarak incelenmesi hedeflenmiştir.
The Greek state, which founded with the support of the Western powers following the success of the Greek rebellion, was faced with budgetary problems on the one hand and social problems arising from the creation of a modern state on the other. As a result of these problems, Greece experienced its first official bankruptcy in 1843, and the expansionist policy that began within the framework of the 'Megali Idea' led the country to make efforts that went far beyond the elements of national power. The influence of the army on politics, which developed along with this policy, was one of the most important problems in Greek domestic politics.
Greece, which wanted to continue its expansionist policy in Anatolia but was defeated in the Turkish War of Indepen dence, then had to deal with the problems caused by the compulsory exchange of population in Asia Minor and the bankruptcy of 1932, triggered by the economic crisis of 1929. The Metaxas dictatorship in 1936 and the Second World War left a deep mark on the economy and social structure of Greece.
In the internal conflict between the pro-royalists and the communist rebels that began in the country after the Second World War, the pro-royalists won the war with the support of the West. In this context, the role of US and British aid, which Greece received due to its geographical position, in winning the war cannot be denied. This massive aid, both military and financial, was the most effective factor in preventing Greece from adopting a communist regime. However, due to the socio-political structure of Greece, there were problems in the efficient use of this aid and the establishment of a stable government in the country, and in this context the American military delegation and the US embassy preferred to work with the military high command rather than with Greek politicians.
General Papagos also stands out in this choice. Given his successful leadership in the Civil War and his undisputed power over the Greek Army afterwards, the Americans' choice of Papagos was quite logical. Papagos was heavily supported by the US Embassy, both in his control of the army and in his later resignation and entry into politics. This support, together with the economic development environment created by Marshall Aid, meant that Papagos was seen by the Greek public as the expected saviour of the country, and Papagos and the party he founded achieved great success in the 1952 elections and came to power alone. This event constitutes the main research question of this article. This deliberate decision by the US to keep Greece in the Western camp would later prove to be an important factor in the Greek army's intervention in politics. In other words, while the economic and political support provided led the military to feel independent of the government and to intervene in politics, it also paved the way for Greece to become a permanent member of the Western camp, just as the US wanted.
The period in which General Papagos ascended the ranks of Greek politics coincided with a time when Greece elected to adopt a more proactive stance on the Cyprus issue. During this era, General Papagos assumed an instrumental role in bringing the Cyprus problem to the forefront of the international agenda, while the EOKA terrorist organisation initiated actions aimed at consolidating nationalist votes in Greece. This study will explore the ascent of General Papagos within the Greek political landscape and the proactive policy pursued by him about Cyprus problem.
The study is mainly based on Greek literature. Some sources that critically analyse Marshall Aid and US influence in Greece are also included. The study briefly touches upon the Greek civil war and analyses the process from General Papagos' assumption of command of the Greek army to the elections he won in 1952. In connection with this process, the domestic and economic policies pursued by Papagos in 1953 and 1954, and the US support for these policies, are also mentioned. In connection with this process, the policies pursued by Papagos in 1953 and 1954 about Cyprus problem are also mentioned.
