Key Questions Explored:

• Why did Karamanlis choose to hold the elections on the anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising, November 17, 1974?
• Why did Andreas Papandreou refer to a “changing of the NATO guard” when the junta fell?
• Why didn’t Karamanlis rebuild the National Radical Union (ERE) upon returning from Paris, and why did Andreas Papandreou take the risk of founding PASOK?

In the fall of 1974, the political landscape was vastly different from the spring of 1967, when the colonels’ coup occurred. Karamanlis’ decision to legalize the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), which had already split in 1968, was significant. Meanwhile, the political center chose to remain unchanged, a decision that quickly proved untenable.

In the first elections following the junta, Karamanlis achieved a commanding victory, securing 54.3% of the vote and 220 out of 300 parliamentary seats. The Center Union, which had received 52.7% in the last elections before the coup, barely managed to surpass 20%. Andreas Papandreou’s PASOK garnered just over 13%, initially disappointing its leader.

During this time, Mikis Theodorakis’ famous phrase “Karamanlis or Tanks” resonated strongly. But what prompted our great composer to say this?

Watch and listen to the answers in the third episode of the series:
The First Election, the Triumph of Karamanlis, and the New Parties – Night Flight Ep.3