Nikolaos Plastiras was a Greek general and politician, who served as Prime Minister of Greece twice.
A distinguished soldier known for his personal bravery, he became famous as “The Black Rider” during the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, where he commanded the 5/42 Evzone Regiment.
To mark the occasion of his birth, we take a look back at his incredible life.
Early Life:
Nikolaos Plastiras was born in Vounesi (today Morfovouni) of Karditsa on November 4, 1883.
After graduating from high school, he enlisted as a volunteer in the army with the rank of Dean in 1903 and took part in the Macedonian Struggle.
Plastiras actively participated in the “Military League,” which brought Eleftherios Venizelos to power.
In 1912, after his graduation from the Military School in Corfu, he participated in the Balkan Wars and was distinguished for his valour. His fellow soldiers nicknamed him “the Black Rider.”
Plastiras as a soldier.
During the National Schism of 1916, he supported Venizelos and participated in the National Defense Movement.
Greco – Turkish War:
In 1919, Plastiras commanded the 5/42 Evzone Regiment in Ukraine, supporting the Russian “White Army” against Lenin’s Bolsheviks.
After the failure of the operation, Plastiras was sent to the Asia Minor Front. The Turks named him “Black Pepper” (because of his dark skin) and his units “Satan’s Army.”
Plastiras was distinguished during the Turkish counterattack in Sangario, which caused the collapse of the Front. He led his unit to Cesme and from there to Chios, while rescuing thousands of refugees who followed him.
The Disaster in Asia Minor in 1922 caused the uprising of the army in Chios and the creation of a “Revolutionary Committee” under the command of Plastiras, Gonatas and Fokas.
Plastiras with Gonatas (L).
The Committee demanded the dethronement of King Constantine and the resignation of the Gounaris government. Constantine resigned in order to place his son George II on the throne, and Krokidas became the new Prime Minister.
Later Years:
Plastiras brought Venizelos back from exile, in order to be the main negotiator of the terms with Turkey, which were settled during the Treaty of Lausanne (1923).
The Revolutionary Committee successfully quenched the pro – royalty coup of Gargalidis and Leonardopoulos. Believing that a soldier’s role is in a bunker and not in a place of power, Plastiras declared that elections would be held in December 1923. The new government paved the way to the Second Greek Republic. On that same day, Plastiras resigned from the army.
Until 1933, Plastiras did not participate in politics and lived between Greece and Italy. Then, the anti – Venizelist party “United Opposition” won the elections and Plastiras tried to organise a coup that failed miserably, as he was not even supported by Venizelos.
Plastiras became a politician later in life.
In the danger of being called treasonous, he went via the Dodecanese to Beirut and finally France. Although he was not prosecuted for the coup of 1933, he was sentenced to death with Venizelos in absentia for the revolutionary movement of 1935.
Death and Legacy:
After the liberation by the Germans, Plastiras became Prime Minister in 1945 as a widely accepted figure. During the Civil War he did not participate in politics, but instead criticised both the Left and the Right Wing for their vile contributions to the schism.
After the end of the Civil War in 1951, he became prime minister forming a coalition government. During the elections of 1952, he lost.
Plastiras died shortly after, having suffered from many heart attacks and strokes in the previous years.
Greece has called for international action to mitigate the effects of climate change on cultural heritage at the UN COP26 climate talks in Glasgow this week.
According to Ekathimerini, Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister, Christos Stylianides, held a meeting at COP26 and stressed how culture is increasingly vulnerable to the adverse social and environmental effects of global climate change.
\Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister, Christos Stylianides.
“Recent scientific reports clearly show that if we do not act now, the damage to the world’s cultural heritage could be irreversible. We have to act now,” he said.
Stylianides stressed the role of education in raising public awareness on climate change, while calling for local, national and international initiatives to help mitigate its effects.
He added that the Greek government plans to organise a leaders’ summit to hammer out a roadmap for further action.
South Australian former senator and lawyer, Nick Xenophon, is hopeful the legal battle between Australian ugg boot manufacturer, Eddie Oygur, and US footwear giant, Deckers, will be heard in the US Supreme Court after receiving federal government support.
Deckers holds the ‘UGG’ trademark in more than 130 countries and, in 2019, successfully sued Mr Oygur over the sale of about a dozen products into the US.
According to ABC News, after losing a US court appeal against Deckers in April, Mr Oygur owes $572,629 in damages and millions in legal fees.
Australian ugg boot manufacturer, Eddie Oygur. Picture: Toby Zerna.
Mr Xenophon is part of his legal team and said the Australian government had briefed a senior American appeals lawyer to file a “friend of the court” brief that would provide “critical support” to help take the case to the US Supreme Court. His team has also filed an appeal in the Court.
Ships and aircraft from eight nations took part in annual drills on Wednesday to boost safety and security procedures on vessels and oil rigs off Cyprus’ southern coastline amid ongoing tensions with Turkey over competing claims to hydrocarbon reserves.
According to Ekathimerini, the “Nemesis” exercise, in which the US, France, Italy, Britain, Israel and Egypt took part, involves search and rescue, medical evacuation and anti-pollution operations.
One drill also involved a fictional scenario where Cypriot forces had to liberate an oil rig and support ship that fell into the hands of terrorists.
Officials observe Cypriot forces conducting rescue and counter-terrorism drills streamed live to monitors during the “Nemesis” exercise in Larnaca, Cyprus, November 3, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Karadjias.
“We recognise that the utilisation of our exclusive economic zone comes not only with benefits, but also with responsibilities and I would like to assure you that the Republic of Cyprus is committed to adhere to them,” Cypriot Defense Minister, Charalambos Petrides, said before the start of the exercise.
In response, Turkey said those areas where the exercise took place lie inside waters that Turkish Cypriots claim as their own and have licensed the Turkish Petroleum Company (TPAO) to conduct its own hydrocarbon search.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will be admitted to the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to undergo an examination on Wednesday, delaying his departure from the United States.
Doctors will determine if the Patriarch requires angioplasty and stent placements.
Following the results of a check-up @ Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, as well as consultations with doctors,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will be admitted to the hospital later this afternoon for an angiogram that will evaluate the need for stent placement.
The Patriarch also underwent tests on Tuesday that, according to a statement released by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, were very promising.
Bartholomew is closing a tour of the US, which included the door-opening ceremony of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at the World Trade Center.
Bartholomew also met with US President Joe Biden during his trip.
Hundreds of Greek healthcare workers protested in central Athens against mandatory coronavirus vaccines for their profession on Wednesday, a day after the government imposed more restrictions on unvaccinated Greeks amid a spike in infections, hospitalisations and deaths.
About 300 demonstrators chanted slogans and held up banners outside the parliament building, protesting regulations that call for unvaccinated health care workers to be suspended from their jobs.
Health care unions have said they do not oppose the vaccines but object to them being required. Vaccines against the coronavirus are compulsory for workers in Greece’s healthcare sector and those working in care homes for the elderly.
Healthcare workers opposing mandatory coronavirus vaccinations and the suspension from work for those who refuse to get the shots, chant slogans during a protest outside the Greek Parliament. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
On Wednesday, a total of 6,150 new COVID-19 cases and 49 deaths were recorded in Greece, continuing the trend of elevated case numbers in the country in recent days.
But despite this, Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said on Wednesday in Parliament there will not be a new lockdown in the country.
From Saturday however, tougher restrictions would be imposed for all those who are unvaccinated.
Anyone without a certificate of vaccination or recent recovery from COVID-19 will need to display a negative PCR or rapid test, conducted at their own cost at a private facility, for access to a wide range of facilities, including banks, public services, shops, hair salons and entertainment venues.
Public and private sector employees will also have to take two tests per week, up from the current one, to enter their workplaces.
Around 61% of Greece’s total population has been fully vaccinated, and people age 12 and over are eligible for shots. Booster shots are available for those over 50, and will be available starting Friday to all adults who received their last vaccine dose six months earlier.
Our homeland “lives” wherever on earth the heart of Greeks beats. Australia is a “second Greece” and our homogeneity is one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. The love for the homeland remains indelible, passes from generation to generation and the community does everything in its power so that every new child born does not forget its roots, its origin and of course, its traditions.
The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, honoured us with in-depth exclusive interview to The Greek Herald, the newspaper with the 96-year-old history, which strives every day to convey all the news from home and is a main source of information for every Greek living in Australia.
The leader of the New Democracy Party referred to major issues concerning the community, such as, of course, the very critical issue of facilitating the vote of expatriates. In addition, he spoke about his relations with his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, which he described as excellent, about his intention to visit the country in the future, but also about the coronavirus pandemic and whether the Greek government followed the same model as Australia to tackle the crisis.
Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaks exclusively with The Greek Herald.
In addition, the prime minister spoke about the grandiose and ambitious plan for the repatriation of Greeks abroad, which can only be done by creating new and attractive jobs, and of course we did not fail to ask about AUKUS, which was recently the number one current affairs issue globally.
Finally, after praising the Australian diaspora, calling it an irreplaceable arm of World Hellenism, he also sent his message to all Greeks who may live far away, but never forget the country of their fathers and grandfathers.
1.The vote for expatriate Hellenism did not, unfortunately, get the green light from the Parliament. Are you thinking of bringing back the issue, and if so, in what way?
Unfortunately, last May, a great opportunity was missed to remove restrictions on expatriate voting and to allow our expats to vote without formalities in the next election. So the law which was passed with an unprecedented parliamentary majority in 2019 still stands. We will take every possible opportunity to improve the framework for making it easier for expats to vote at their place of residence. And our new goal is for them to go to the polls en masse. A few days ago, in fact, the communication campaign of the Ministry of Interior began, which informs expatriates in detail about the registration process in the special electoral roll and the electronic registration platform, the apodimoi.gov.gr.
2. What is Greece’s relationship with Scott Morrison’s Australian government?
We share with the Liberal Party and the government of Scott Morrison the same adherence to the principles of political and social liberalism and the same belief in the principles of the rule of law and democratic institutions. Our relations, therefore, are excellent and are founded on common grounds, as well as on history. From the Gallipoli Expeditionary Force and the Battle of Crete, Greeks and Australians fought side by side. But also in peace, we have been collaborators over time, with the Greek diaspora of Australia annihilating the tens of thousands of kilometers that separate our two countries. Our cooperation is dictated by history and is founded on common challenges.
3. Is it in your plans to visit the country sometime in the near future?
Australia is of manifold interest: As the second homeland of hundreds of thousands of Greeks but also as a dynamic country, in which people of such diverse ethnic backgrounds coexist harmoniously, but with the same faith in the principles of democratic equality and the social state that Australia embodies. I watch all this from afar and I would like to see it up close, as well as the progress of the diaspora and its contribution to the progress of Australia. An official visit to the Antipodes is always in my intentions. It depends, however, on the workload and the loose ends of everyday politics, which are still bulky.
Mitsotakis has opened up about his relationship with his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison.
4. Is the repatriation of Greeks – with some incentives to be given – on your agenda?
From the first moment we took over the governance of the country, the return of the Greeks was a top priority. Because it is at the same time a remedy for an injustice for those who were forced to emigrate due to economic difficulties, a way of halting the demographic decline and, above all, the real wealth of the country. We are already giving multiple incentives for the return of Greeks. I will mention indicatively the reduction of income tax by 50% for seven years and the exemption from documentation for those Greeks who work elsewhere and decide to transfer their tax headquarters to our country.
The main, of course, the axis for the repatriation of Greek scientists and workers is dynamic development to convince them that here they will find ideal working conditions and well-paid jobs. Contributing, at the same time, to the vertical increase in growth. With successive legislative regulations and with the reduction of bureaucracy and taxation, the investment environment becomes much more favourable. I will only dwell on a recent development, Pfizer’s large investment in Thessaloniki, which will create 700 new jobs and has already brought back 50 young Greeks and young people who worked abroad. Sending, at the same time, the message to the Australian diaspora that the homeland is for themselves a self-evident destination to live and invest
The repatriation of Greeks is on Mitsotakis’ agenda.
5. The Greek community of Australia is very strong and active, economically, socio-politically and culturally. How closely have the two sides worked together and what does Greece expect from expats?
For the Greek diaspora of Australia, any comment is unnecessary. The Greeks of Australia form one of its most robust ethnic communities, with a crucial contribution to the progress of the country and an irreplaceable arm of World Hellenism. Our cooperation with the diaspora will be constantly deepened, we will seek more and more its active involvement in the economic, political and cultural life of Greece. The law on the facilitation of expatriate voting is, after all, a very important step. Our expectations of our Australian compatriots are condensed into just that – getting closer to us. Serving at the same time, as they have been successfully doing for decades, the interests of Hellenism everywhere in the world.
6. Recently the issue of the tripartite security agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (AUKUS), caused great reactions. What is your opinion Mr Mitsotakis?
We are following with attention and interest the developments of the new tripartite agreement. Although it is located far from our neighborhood, the rearrangement of balances also affects our area, highlighting the need for both multilateral cooperation and Europe’s strategic autonomy. A European Defence Union, the closer cooperation of the member states of the European Union, will undoubtedly strengthen NATO. And through our strong alliance with the US, it will make Greece a key geopolitical player in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Greek PM shares his thoughts on AUKUS. Pictured here with French President Emmanuel Macron.
7. Australia, admittedly, has done quite well on the issue of the pandemic, although hard lockdowns have been imposed. Did Greece study the way the Morrison government and its state counterparts managed the coronavirus pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic, with its global and unprecedented spread, has imposed truly radical measures, to manage both its health and economic effects. As a government, we have certainly studied solutions implemented in other countries and adopted successful practices, adapted to the Greek data. I see with satisfaction that with the Australian government we have coincided with major options: the imposition of strict, but necessary, restrictions on travel and certain areas of economic activity, the systematic and fast promotion of vaccinations but also the “brave” support of the real economy. I should say, therefore, that we followed about the same model, though we are so remote.
8. Finally, a message that you would like to address to the Hellenism of Australia that so loves the fatherland and never forgets it.
My message to our compatriots in Australia is simple and warm. Many times in the past the homeland did not show the same love towards its children who fled. The yearning of Australian Hellenism for Greece was often met by the silence and inaction of the official Greek state. But everything is changing, by making it easier for our expats to vote where they reside, by upgrading the services provided, by physical presence or online, by our consular authorities.
The concern for Greeks abroad, with your dynamic presence in your new country, is a priority of the government, at a substantial and practical level. However far away you may be, and however far away the state may have been in the past, so near you will be with us in the future. Keep alive our language and love for Greece in the hospitable continent of Australia.
Mitsotakis send a final message to the Greek Australian community.
A world-first team resilience app, an Australian first STEM program for bushfire awareness and the world’s first interactive English children’s storybook accessible to blind and deaf children are only a few of the innovations announced as finalists in the 2021 Winnovation Awards.
The awards elevate South Australia’s women by acknowledging and celebrating the females behind game-changing innovations.
The finalists announced in late October were selected by a group of independent judges across 11 awards categories, including science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
“We commend all of the entrants who have contributed to making South Australia a more innovative state, as they continue to create a ripple effect through job opportunities, research capabilities and even improving our quality of life,” said President of Women in Innovation SA, Nicole Swaine.
Among the finalists is Greek Australian Dr Louise Kyriaki. A Flinders University researcher who explores how the human language works in the brain, in order to contribute to the scientific and general community through the development of interventions for people with language-related disorders.
It was a huge compliment to be nominated and even more exciting to be announced as a finalist for the @WinnovationSA awards for 2021 😊 An honour to be listed amongst so many great women of South Australia!
Louise sat down with The Greek Herald and answered our 5+1 questions about how her background inspired her research and what she loves about the career path she chose to follow:
-Louise, tell us a bit about your Greek background
I have family from Kastoria and Kozani (Northern Greece), Tilos (Dodecanese islands) and Crete. Most of my family is from Tilos and I have been there a few times in the past.
-How does it feel being a finalist for the Winnovation Awards?
It is a huge honour to be recognised by the Winnovation Awards as a female innovator in South Australia. It is inspiring to see all of the amazing women who are being recognised for their achievements and their work.
-Can you explain in one paragraph how you hope to help the community through your research?
There are still gaps in the scientific knowledge about the brain processes language. The research I do aims to increase our understanding of how language is processed in the human brain.
To do this, I use techniques such as recording the electrical activity of the brain while people listen to speech and recording the movement of the eyes while people read.
Overall, this research is working towards looking for indicators of language processing difficulty, which can help us to identify challenges during listening and reading. I hope that in the future this research can provide findings about new ways to support people with language-related disorders or difficulties such as dyslexia.
-What made you choose this career path?
I have always been interested in language, especially as I grew up in Australia speaking English and went to Greek school at night to learn how to speak, read and write Greek. Learning two languages growing up started my interest in researching language processing.
– What are the challenges of being a researcher?
I really enjoy being a researcher. One challenge is that innovative research investigates “the unknown”. This means that I am often working hard to solve questions or puzzles that have not been answered before. While it is very rewarding and exciting, sometimes it can be tricky when experiments don’t work out as expected.
-What is your advice to younger women who would like to pursue a career in your field?
Working in scientific research is an exciting field, and one of the best parts is that no two days look the same. While some days I am analysing data on a computer, other days I am working at a school conducting reading research with children.
If you are interested in contributing to society by answering scientific questions that have never been answered before, a career in research could be a rewarding experience for you!
Kalvos was born on 1 April 1792 in the then-Venetian island of Zakynthos. He was born into an aristocratic and well-off family, to mother Andriani Roukani and father Ioannis Kalvos. Mrs. Roukani and Mr. Kalvos split, leaving 9-year-old Kalvos and his brother Nikolaos to follow their father to Livorno in Italy. His parents’ decision to separate resulted in the poet leaving his birthplace, his first teacher, Antonios Martelaos, and, most importantly, his mother, who remained in Zakynthos.
His first work – Hymn to Napoleon – is an antiwar poem
Andreas Kalvos was a Greek poet of the Romantic school. Kalvos took his first steps as Ugo Foscolo’s student and Italian Neoclassical tragic writer. He subsequently transformed from an Italian to Greek poet within the environment of London philhellenism.
He was a political refugee
Kalvos was involved with the national liberation movement of the Carbonari. His activities in Florentine and Roman revolutionary circles resulted in him being deported from Tuscany on 23rd April 1821. He headed for Geneva, a shelter for persecuted Italian political refugees. There he benefitted from the support of the Philhellenic Committee of Geneva, which helped Greek refugees reach Switzerland. His capacity for writing mixed with his revolutionary activity, resulting in the composing of twenty exceptional Odes that comprise the poet’s legacy to the Struggle of the Greeks.
He followed Italian poet Ugo Foscolo into exile
Ugo Foscolo
In 1815, Italian writer Ugo Foscolo went into exile in Zurich to avoid possible arrest by the Austrian authorities and Kalvos followed him, passing through Geneva first for a while. They would both soon abandon Switzerland for London, which functioned as a refuge for political refugees from Europe. Kalvos made friends with British philhellenes and Italian political exiles — especially through the Italian-language periodical L’Ape Italiana a Londra. He gave lectures on the subject of the Greek language and wrote his first Greek ode, which would be published independently in 1819 as ‘Hope of a Homeland’.
He lies in the Museum of Solomos & Other Eminent People of Zakynthos
Kalvos died aged 77 of pneumonia in 1869 and was buried in Keddington, England. 100 years later, his remains were transported to his homeland of Zakynthos, and, from 1968, have been stored in the specially designed mausoleum at the Museum of Solomos and Other Eminent People of Zakynthos, together with the remains of Dionysios Solomos.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople gave his formal blessing Tuesday to an ornate shrine that will replace a small parish church destroyed during September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City.
Bartholomew of Constantinople presided at a ceremonial door opening at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine near the World Trade Center.
“It’s been so many years, 20 years, and St. Nicholas means a lot to us and to all of the world,” worshipper Effie Doscas said.
“It’s an incredible resurrection, as the patriarch said,” worshipper George Yancopoulos said. “And St. Nicholas means victory of the people over death.”
The attacks on 9/11 and the ensuing collapse of the twin towers buried the church in a mountain of steel and concrete. It was the only house of worship destroyed on that dark and dreadful day, and what followed was a two-decade mission to recover and rebuild a home — not just for Greek Orthodox Christians — but for everyone.
“I’m just so grateful for all the people who made this happen,” worshipper Susie Spanos said. “A lot of work. A lot of work went into this.”
