Eleftherios Venizelos

ELEFTHERIOS VENIZELOS

Elefterios Venizelos (1864-1936)was born in Murnies, close to Chania, Crete. He was a lawyer, a politician and the Prime Minister of Greece for several times.

In 1935, having a lot of opponents, he decided to give up politics and moved to France where he died a year later.

As an eminent leader, he led Greece through several external conflicts against the Ottoman empire, Germany and Bulgaria (during the First World War) and Turkey.

He was the 'maker' of modern Greece as he started a lot of constitutional and economical reforms and reorganized the army and navy.

He is also famous for his significant role in the autonomy of the Cretan State and later in the union of Crete with Greece.

He was proclaiming the reconstruction of Greece in its historical borders.

In 1931 he received the Order of the White Eagle.