Goudi coup in the context of "Greco-Turkish War (1897)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Goudi coup

The Goudi coup (Greek: κίνημα στο Γουδί, romanizedkinima sto Goudi) was a military coup d'état by a group of military officers that took place on the night of 28 August [O.S. 15 August] 1909, at the barracks in Goudi, located on the eastern outskirts of Athens, Greece. The coup was pivotal in modern Greek history, ending the old political system and ushering in a new period for Greece.

The coup occurred under simmering tensions in Greek society, which reeled under the effects of a lack of necessary reforms and financial troubles that had been exacerbated by the defeat in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. Emulating the Young Turks, several junior army officers founded a secret society, the Military League. With Colonel Nikolaos Zorbas as their figurehead, on the night of 15 August, the Military League, having gathered together its troops in the Goudi barracks, issued a pronunciamiento to the government, demanding an immediate turnaround for the country and its armed forces.

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Goudi coup in the context of Eleftherios Venizelos

Eleftherios Kyriakou Venizelos (Greek: Ελευθέριος Κυριάκου Βενιζέλος, romanizedEleuthérios Kyriákou Venizélos, pronounced [elefˈθeri.os cirˈʝaku veniˈzelos]; 23 August [O.S. 11 August] 1864 – 18 March 1936) was a Cretan Greek statesman and prominent leader of the Greek national liberation movement. As the leader of the Liberal Party, Venizelos served as prime minister of Greece for over 12 years, spanning eight terms from 1910 to 1933.

He first made his mark on the international stage with his leading role in securing the autonomy of the Cretan State, and later in the island's union with Greece. In 1909, he was invited to Athens to resolve the political deadlock and became Prime Minister. He initiated constitutional and economic reforms that set the basis for the modernization of Greek society and reorganized both the Greek Army and the Greek Navy in preparation for future conflicts. Before the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, Venizelos' catalytic role helped Greece to gain entrance to the Balkan League, an alliance of the Balkan states against the Ottoman Empire. Through his diplomatic acumen with the Great Powers and with the other Balkan countries, Greece doubled its area and population with the liberation of Macedonia, Epirus, and most of the Aegean islands.

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