King Constantine of Greece Abdicates Throne

The German conspiracies in the Balkans not only had alienated Greece and Bulgaria from their natural allegiance to the Allies and brought disaster both to Serbia and Romania, they had given free rein to the savage passions of the Turks as well. These conspiracies came to an end on June 11, 1917, when King Constantine of Greece was compelled to abdicate his throne in favor of his son Alexander. King Constantine had been as wax in the hands of his wife Sophia, the sister of Emperor William of Germany. Through her contrivance, Greece had observed a spurious neutrality while secretly aiding Germany; the aspirations of the Greek people for complete freedom had been thwarted, and Greece betrayed into playing an ignoble part in the great War for human freedom.

Queen Sophia Seeks German Aid

Early in 1916, both Queen Sophia and King Constantine had implored the Kaiser to send an army into the Balkans and expel from Greek soil the Allied forces assembling at Salonika for the support of Serbia. A few weeks later, the royal conspirators ordered the Greek garrison at Fort Rupel to surrender to the Bulgarians. In December, 1916, after a band of Greek royalists in Athens had fired upon the representatives of the Allies, Queen Sophia exulted in a letter to the Kaiser over the "splendid victory" which Greek arms had achieved over "four great powers." At the same time, she again urged her brother to dispatch an army to Greece and rid the country of the presence of Allied troops.

To this appeal, Emperor William craftily replied that it were better that King Constantine should wage war against General Sarrail's forces at Salonika. Queen Sophia declared this impossible, owing to the lack of equipment and ammunition in the Greek Army. Emperor William then suggested the expediency of organizing Greek guerilla bands to operate in the Lake Ochrida Region in conjunction with the Austrian forces. Acting upon this suggestion, guerilla bands were organized under the general command ...

Abdication Proclamation of King Constantine I

Yielding to necessity, accomplishing my duty towards Greece, and having in view only the interests of the country, I am leaving my dear country with the Crown Prince, leaving my son Alexander on the throne.

Still, when far from Greece, the queen and I will always preserve the same love for the Hellenic people. I beg all to accept my decision calmly and quietly, trusting in God, whose protection I invoke for the nation.

In order that my bitter sacrifice for my country may not be in vain, I exhort you, for the love of God, for the love of our country, if you love me, to maintain perfect order and quiet discipline, the slightest lapse from which, even though well-intentioned, might be enough to cause a great catastrophe.

The love and devotion which you have always manifested for the queen and myself, in days of happiness and sorrow alike, are a great consolation to us at the present, time. May God protect Greece.

At the moment when my venerated father, making to the Fatherland the supreme sacrifice, entrusts me with the heavy duties of the Hellenic throne, I pray that God, granting his wishes, may protect Greece and permit us to see it once more united and strong.

In the grief of being separated in such painful circumstances from my well-beloved father I have the single consolation of obeying his sacred command. With all my energy I shall try to carry it out by following along the lines which so magnificently marked his reign, with the help of the people on whose love the Greek dynasty rests.

I have the conviction that, in obeying the will of my father, the people by their submission will contribute to our being able together to draw our well-beloved country out of the situation in which it now is.