The Colonels' Coup and the American Embassy: A Diplomat's View of the Breakdown of Democracy in Cold War Greece

by Keeley, Robert V.; Latrides, John O.

• ISBN13: 9780271037585
• ISBN10: 027103758X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-01-31
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr

Summary

The so-called Colonels' coup of April 21, 1967, was a major event in the history of the Cold War, ushering in a seven-year period of military rule in Greece. In the wake of the coup, some eight thousand people affiliated with the Communist Party were rounded up, and Greece became yet another country where the fear of Communism led the United States into alliance with a repressive right-wing authoritarian regime. In military coups in some other countries, it is known that the CIA and other agencies of the U.S. government played an active role in encouraging and facilitating the takeover. The Colonels' coup, however, came as a surprise to the United States (which was expecting a Generals' coup instead). Yet the U.S. government accepted it after the fact, despite internal disputes within policymaking circles about the wisdom of accommodating the upstart Papadopoulos regime. Among the dissenters was Robert Keeley, then serving in the U.S. Embassy in Greece. This is his insider's account of how U.S. policy was formulated, debated, and implemented during the critical years of 1966 to 1969 in Greek-U.S. relations.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Prologue	p. xiii
Introduction with Dramatis Personae	p. 1
Setting the Scene
First Impressions	p. 18
The Political Situation	p. 23
The Phenomenon of Andreas Papandreou	p. 26
The Monarchy	p. 34
Trials and Negotiations	p. 36
An Alternative: U.S. Intervention?	p. 40
The Author Gets Involved
Andreas's March I Speech	p. 44
A Policy Assessment	p. 51
Preparing for Elections	p. 58
The Days Before the Coup
Presentiments and Alarums	p. 66
Washington Weighs In	p. 79
The Coup
The Coup of April 21, 1967	p. 81
Assessing the Coup	p. 83
Coup Vignettes	p. 93
Reacting to the Coup
"Our Present Dilemma"	p. 99
Other Reactions	p. 103
Mac Thompson's Attempt	p. 108
A Draft Telegram	p. 112
Mac and I Try Again	p. 114
Dealing with the New Government
A Call on Kollias	p. 118
A Postmortem	p. 123
A Visit by Nixon	p. 127
Shift of Focus	p. 130
Andreas Papandreou and Prospects For Democracy
Andreas in Danger	p. 132
Bits and Pieces	p. 136
Meeting Margaret	p. 140
Speculations	p. 144
The Countercoup
Planning the King's Coup	p. 146
Crisis in Cyprus	p. 150
Checkmate of Constantine	p. 152
Aftermath of Failure	p. 157
Assessing the Colonels' Regime
The FDR Fiasco	p. 161
Andreas Released	p. 162
"Dear Charley"	p. 170
Harassment Continues	p. 170
The Meaning of Fascism	p. 172
Friction at the Embassy
Kay Leaves, I Continue	p. 174
Go Along to Get Along	p. 177
Parallels with Pakistan	p. 180
Looking to the Future of Greece
Assessment of Andreas	p. 183
The Papandreou Funeral	p. 185
Was Greece Ever a Democracy?	p. 190
Don't Make Waves	p. 193
Final Thoughts
Postscript	p. 197
All's Well That Ends Well?	p. 200
Seferis and the Clinton Speech	p. 203
Internal Embassy Memoranda, March-June 1968	p. 206
Notes	p. 257
Index	p. 265
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