Greek nationalist government, 1916

General Panagiotis Danglis (left), Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos (centre) and Admiral Pavlos Koundouriotis (right) arrive at Salonika on 9 October 1916, after establishing a provisional Greek nationalist government in opposition to King Constantine I.

Greece was officially neutral during the First World War, but was bitterly divided between factions supporting the opposing sides. King Constantine I sympathised with Germany and Austria, while Prime Minister Venizelos favoured the Allies. In August 1916, military officers loyal to Venizelos launched an uprising in northern Greece against the royal government in Athens. The following month, Venizelos formed a ‘Triumvirate of National Defence’ with General Danglis and Admiral Koundouriotis. Together they established a separate government - the Provisional Government of National Defence - which entered the war on the side of the Allies in November 1916.