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Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis

Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis (1855-1935) (Greek: Παύλος Κουντουριώτης) was a Greek naval hero and twice President of Greece.

Pavlos Kountouriotis was a member of the historical Kountouriotis family which originated from the island of Hydra, Saronic Islands from Albanian descent as many of the heroes of 1821; many members of the family took part in the Greek War of Independence, including his grandfather, Georgios Kountouriotis, who was Prime Minister of Greece under King Otto. The original family name was Zervas but was changed to Kountouriotis, since one of their ancestors lived for a while in the village of Kountoura, Megarida.

He joined the navy in 1875, being promoted to Rear Admiral in 1912, on the outbreak of the First Balkan War. During the Balkan Wars, with his flagship, the Georgios Averof, he led the Greek Navy to major victories against the Turkish fleet in December 1912 (Battle of Elli) and in January 1913 (Battle of Limnos), liberating most of the Aegean islands. His victories, due in large part to his daring but successful tactics, earned him the status of a national hero.

In 1916, he became a minister in the Stephanos Skouloudis government, but, in disagreement with the pro-German feelings of King Constantine I of Greece, he followed Eleftherios Venizelos to Thessaloniki were he was assigned the ministry of Naval Affairs in Venizelos' National Defence government. He subsequently retired from the navy, and when King Alexander I of Greece died in 1920, he became Regent of Greece until the elections that took place in November 1920 and brought King Constantine back.

In March 1924, after King George II of Greece was deposed, he was elected as the first President of the Second Hellenic Republic, but resigned the post in March, 1926 in opposition to General Pangalos' dictatorship. He was reelected president in May 1929, but due to serious health complications he resigned in December of the same year.

Pavlos Kountouriotis died in 1935. Α World War II Greek destroyer and a Standard-class frigate, the F 462 Kountouriotis, are named after him.

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First Hellenic Republic (1827–1832): Ioannis Kapodistrias | Augustinos Kapodistrias | Governing Council First Period of Monarchy (1832–1924): Otto | George I | Constantine I | Alexander | Constantine I | George II Second Hellenic Republic (1924–1935): Pavlos Kountouriotis | Theodoros Pangalos† | Pavlos Kountouriotis | Alexandros Zaimis Second Period of Monarchy (1935–1974): George II | Paul | Constantine II 1967-1974 military dictatorship: Georgios Zoitakis† | Georgios Papadopoulos† | Phaedon Gizikis† Third Hellenic Republic (1974–): Phaedon Gizikis | Michail Stasinopoulos | Konstantinos Tsatsos | Constantine Karamanlis | Ioannis Alevras | Christos Sartzetakis | Constantine Karamanlis | Costis Stephanopoulos | Karolos Papoulias †denotes military dictator

• History of the Hellenic Navy
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