Surprise Military Shake-Up Adds to Greek Turmoil

November 02, 2011 from Euronews

Greece's army, navy, and air force chiefs are being replaced in a major military re-shuffle. The move has added to a growing sense of chaos in Greece, with the defense minister offering no explanation, and opposition figures slamming the move as politically motivated. Meanwhile, a crisis cabinet meeting in Greece went on until the early hours and it was far from plain sailing for the increasingly isolated prime minister, George Papandreou. Government sources said some around the table questioned the timing of the referendum called on the latest bailout deal for Greece, while a handful were openly against it.

(more) (less)

In This Video

Greece

Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. According to the 2011 census, Greece's population is around 11 million. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, its urban area also including Piraeus. Greece is strategically located at the cr... Explore this topic

European sovereign debt crisis

The European sovereign debt crisis is an ongoing financial crisis that has made it difficult or impossible for some countries in the euro area to repay or re-finance their government debt without the assistance of third parties. In 1992, members of the European Union signed th... Explore this topic

George Papandreou

Georgios A. Papandreou, commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Yórgos in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election. Belonging to a political dynasty of long standing, he previously... Explore this topic

Military of Greece

The armed forces of the Hellenic Republic are combined military forces of Greece. They consist of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Air Force. The civilian authority for the Greek military is the Ministry of Nat... Explore this topic

Politics of Greece

The Politics of Greece takes place in a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Hellenic Parliament. Between the re... Explore this topic

Minister for National Defence (Greece)

The Minister for National Defence of Greece is a government minister responsible for the running of the Ministry of National Defence. The current Greek Minister for Defence is the New Democracy politician Panos Panagiotopoulos. Explore this topic

Hellenic Army

The Hellenic Army, formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. Along with the Hellenic Air Force and the Hellenic Navy, it makes up the Hellenic Armed Forces. It is currently the largest branch of the three. The army is headed by the chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, ... Explore this topic

Hellenic Navy

The Hellenic Navy is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy it was known as the Royal Navy. The ... Explore this topic

Hellenic Air Force

The Hellenic Air Force is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the... Explore this topic

Referendum

A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government po... Explore this topic

Also See

Greece

European sovereign debt crisis

George Papandreou

Watch Next

0:28

Telegraph.co.uk | Nov 4

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou wins a parliamentary confidence vote, avoiding snap elections which would have killed Greece's bailout deal ...