Democratic Greece—Stumbling Toward Modernity

The collapse of the Greek dictatorship in July 1974 generated an extraordinary sense of hope. After turbulent and discouraging decades everything now seemed possible. The traditional reactionary right, utterly discredited because of its collaboration with the dictatorship, was expected to disappear as a political force, thus removing the major impediment to fundamental changes.

The forces of the antijunta resistance—the liberal conservatives, the liberal and social democratic center, and the spectrum of the left—had one basic demand: “dejuntaization.” They expected at a minimum the removal and trial of all those, whether military or civilian, who had risen to power through collaboration with the dictatorship. Beyon...