Fact or Fiction: What More Do We Know about American Involvement in the 1967 Greek Military Coup?
A lack of scholarly and journalistic objectivity has long been a stumbling block in our understanding of the Greek military dictatorship of 1967-74. In Greece, one of the most commonly held beliefs is that the United States was actively involved in launching and maintaining in power the Colonels’ regime. Given the close relationship between the U.S. government and the Greek right (including the Greek military establishment) during the 1940s-1960s, one can easily understand the origin and plausibility of this perception. However, despite the nearly universal Greek acceptance of U.S. involvement, little to no evidence has been provided in either the scholarly or popular literature to substantiate (or refute) this claim. This presentation will attempt to do just that: by calling attention to recently declassified State Department, U.S. Embassy and National Security Council files, as well as documents from the British Foreign Office, Karakatsanis will analyze and assess the U.S. perspective and its reaction to the Colonels’ coup of 1967. Highlighting the complex, contradictory nature of the U.S.-Greek relationship, this presentation sets forth a nuanced understanding of the actors, strategies and interests involved in the run up and immediate aftermath of the colonels’ 1967 coup.
This is a Modern Greek Event.
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