A Greek coup: The day the colonels took power
In 1967, a group of right-wing army officers seized control in Greece to prevent the election of a socialist prime minister, George Papandreou.
On 21 April 1967, a group of right-wing army officers seized power in Greece to prevent the election of a social democratic government led by veteran politician George Papandreou.
The dictatorship, backed by the United States, lasted for seven years. Thousands of people were imprisoned, exiled and tortured.
The grandson of that politician, also called George, was 14 at the time. He went on to be elected as Greece’s prime minister in 2009.
In February 2012, George Papandreou Junior spoke to Maria Margaronis about the night when tanks rolled through Athens and soldiers came to arrest his father. Archive audio is used by permission of ERT, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation.
Archival audio used by permission of ERT, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation.
(Photo: The younger George Papandreou in 2011. Credit: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Last on
Broadcasts
- Wed 6 Dec 202308:50GMTBBC World Service
- Wed 6 Dec 202312:50GMTBBC World Service
- Wed 6 Dec 202318:50GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Wed 6 Dec 202323:50GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Thu 7 Dec 202303:50GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, East Asia, South Asia & West and Central Africa
Podcast
![]()
Witness History
The story of our times, told by the people who were there
