Constantine I of Greece

King of Greece (r. 1913–17; 1920–22)

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Lived 1868–1923, aged 55

Wikipedia
56 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1868–1923
Aged 55
Awards
15
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

He commanded Greek victories that doubled the nation's size, then split it nearly to civil war by refusing to break with Germany — his brother-in-law's empire — as the Great War raged.

Biography

About

Constantine I became King of Greece in 1913 after his father's assassination, having already led Greek forces to triumph in the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 under Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos. Educated in Germany and married to Kaiser Wilhelm II's sister Sophia, he twice dismissed Venizelos and blocked Greece's entry into World War I on the Allied side, sparking the National Schism that divided the country between royalist Old Greece and pro-Venizelos New Greece. His refusal cost Greece Fort Roupel and Macedonian territory to Bulgaria; his paramilitary units attacked Venizelos supporters a…

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