The Kingdom of Greece

The Kingdom of Greece is a Despotic Monarchy in Europe. They border The Imperium to The North and East and The Italian Empire to the North West. It is ruled by the King of Greece who is the Head of State and Supreme Ruler of Greece. The Country has a Parliament in the form of The Greek National Assembly but this assembly has barely any powers and all laws have to be approved by the King and Most Laws made in the Assembly are ordered by the Monarch.

The Kingdom of Greece remains one of the only nations in Europe not under the Influence of The Imperium or In the Pax-Europa. They have complete sovereignty and even a mutual respect with The Imperium.

## History

### **Formation**

The Kingdom of Greece was founded in 1932 after the collapse of the Greek Republic which had deposed the King George II in 1924 because of his father's failure in the Greco-Turkish War and a failed Royalist Coup. George II was forced to go into exile.

In Greece between 1924 and 1932, there were 23 changes of government, a dictatorship, and 13 coups. After a disliked Dictator came to power, The People wanted a Monarchic System back and King George II returned to Greece from Exile and overthrew the Dictatorship. However. George II installed an absolute Monarchy. He signed decrees that dissolved the parliament, banned political parties, abolished the constitution and established a Greek Assembly that he can easily change. He forced Prime Ministers to resign if they refused to support his ideals. The People of Greece liked this stability and decided to not oppose the Dictatorship.

### **Invasion of Italy and The Balkans**

With the Country now in a State of Prosperity and The Economy had bounced back from the Great Depression, King George II began working on Foreign Relations, mainly with the Newly Formed Imperium who had taken over in Germany during the War of Liberation. George II and The Emperor of The Imperium formed a Friendship and began close allies. In 1941, He would meet with the Emperor of The Imperium. They discussed a Joint Invasion of The Balkans and Italy which George II would accept as he wanted to Expand the Territories of the Kingdom of Greece.

On the 6th August 1941, The Greek Army invaded Yugoslavia from the South and on the 8th Hungary and Romania declared war on The Imperium and Greece. In the War, The Greeks fought very well and valiantly. They were fighting outnumbered against three nations and managed to hold their own. The Imperian Invasion in the North led to the capture of Belgrade on the 12th September and Capitulation of Yugoslavia. The Greek Army then assembled on the Bulgarian Border whilst The Imperium mopped up Romania and Hungary.

The Greeks and Imperians launched a combined Invasion of Bulgaria on the 15th which would see the deaths of 6,000 Bulgarian Soldiers in a few days which would end the Balkan Campaign. The Greek Army completely overwhelmed the Poorly Trained and Unequipped Bulgarian Force. With the end of The Balkan Theatre, The Kingdom of Greece was now focused on occupying their captured land. The Royal Greek Marines did naval invade Sicily with Imperial Forces and a Greek Marine Company was present in the Battle of Rome. On the 30th of November 1941, The Greeks accepted their Peace Deal with Italy. In the War, They gained the Lands of Plovdiv , Northern Epirus, Kosovo and Southern Serbia. Imperian-Greek Relations were very high and The Imperium wished for a closer alliance but Greece decided to go back to neutrality which The Imperium respected.

### **Post-War**

In the War, The Greek Armed Forces had suffered 12,000 Losses and The Imperium had lost 6,000. The Greek and Imperial Armed Forces formed a Friendship through Fire and Blood. In 1944, The Imperium invades Oman, Turkey , Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Emperor gifts parts of Turkey to Greece as thanks for their assistance in the Invasion of Italy. This act of Kindness furthers the Friendship between the Emperor and King George II but Greco-Imperian Relations as a whole.

However, This whole Greek and Imperian Alliance would come under threat in 1947. King George II died arteriosclerosis at the age of 56. With no Children or living Relatives, The Title of King of Greece passed to his Cousin, Prince Philip Mountbatten. With this change in Leadership, Greece changed as a whole.

### **Reign of House Mountbatten**

Philip had served in the British Royal Navy during the War of Liberation against the Italians in the Mediterranean. After, The British Defeat in the War, Prince Phillip became a British Citizen and Member of House Mountbatten ,an Anglicised Version of House Battenberg of Germany. With the British Royal Family being largely dissolved in 1945 and being kept as a British Figurehead with no real power, Prince Philip would return to Greece after his leaving in exile after King Constantine I's abdication in 1922, retaining his Greek Royal Titles. He formed his own House - House Mountbatten of Greece.

His Reign would see the end of the 100 Year Long Glücksburg Dynasty and the Start of a New Mountbatten Dynasty in Greece. Where his predecessor had been very Dictatorial, King Philip is a more lenient ruler. He has given more Power to the Greek National Assembly and has become a Semi-Constitutional Monarch in Practice but still holds the Power to Abolish the Assembly should he chose to.

The Kingdom of Greece has become a more Neutral Nation and despite their neutrality and refusal to Ally with the Imperium, The Imperium respects this decision in honour of George II. The New Greek Policy is to Preserve The Kingdom and The People first and not risk it all by getting involved in Wars.