Metaxism

Metaxism (Greek: Μεταξισμός) is a Greek authoritarian nationalist ideology associated with Ioannis Metaxas.^[1] It called for the regeneration of the Greek nation and the establishment of a modern, culturally homogenous Greece.^[2] Metaxism disparaged liberalism, and held individual interests to be subordinate to those of the nation, seeking to mobilize the Greek people as a disciplined mass in service to the creation of a "new Greece."^[2]

Metaxas declared that his 4th of August Regime (1936–1941) represented a "Third Greek Civilization" which was committed to the creation of a culturally purified Greek nation based upon the militarist societies of ancient Macedonia and Sparta, which he held to constitute the "First Greek Civilization"; and the Orthodox Christian ethic of the Byzantine Empire, which he considered to represent the "Second Greek Civilization."^[2] The Metaxas regime asserted that true Greeks were ethnically Greek and Orthodox Christian, intending to deliberately exclude Albanians, Slavs, and Turks residing in Greece from Greek citizenship.^[2]

Although the Metaxas government and its official doctrines are sometimes described as fascist, academically it is considered to have been a conventional authoritarian-conservative dictatorship akin to Francisco Franco's Spain or António de Oliveira Salazar's Portugal.^[1]^[3] The Metaxist government derived its authority from the conservative establishment and its doctrines strongly supported traditional institutions such as the Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek Monarchy; essentially reactionary, it lacked the radical theoretical dimensions of ideologies such as Italian fascism and German Nazism.^[1]^[3] The regime also lacked antisemitism, which it regarded as "distasteful".^[4]

The ideology of Metaxism was associated with Metaxas' political party, the Freethinkers' Party and the 4th of August Regime.^[5] In the post-war period it has been advocated by the 4th of August Party, the Golden Dawn party and the ELAM party.

^ ^a ^b ^c Payne, Stanley G (1995). A History of Fascism, 1914–45. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-14874-2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gert Sørensen, Robert Mallett. International Fascism, 1919–45. London; Portland, Oregon: Frank Cass Publishers, 2002. pp. 159.^{[ISBN missing]}
^ ^a ^b Lee, Stephen J. 2000. European Dictatorships, 1918–1945 Routledge; 2 ed. ISBN 0415230462.
^ Fleming, K. E. (2010). Greece – a Jewish History. Princeton University Press. p. 101. doi:10.1515/9781400834013. ISBN 978-1-4008-3401-3.
^ Peter Davies, Derek Lynch. The Routledge companion to fascism and the far right. London; New York: Routledge, 2002. pp. 276.^{[ISBN missing]}

[stanpayne-1] Payne, Stanley G (1995). A History of Fascism, 1914–45. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-14874-2.

[Sorensen-2] Gert Sørensen, Robert Mallett. International Fascism, 1919–45. London; Portland, Oregon: Frank Cass Publishers, 2002. pp. 159.^{[ISBN missing]}

[European_Dictatorships,_1918–1945-3] Lee, Stephen J. 2000. European Dictatorships, 1918–1945 Routledge; 2 ed. ISBN 0415230462.

[4] Fleming, K. E. (2010). Greece – a Jewish History. Princeton University Press. p. 101. doi:10.1515/9781400834013. ISBN 978-1-4008-3401-3.

[Davies-5] Peter Davies, Derek Lynch. The Routledge companion to fascism and the far right. London; New York: Routledge, 2002. pp. 276.^{[ISBN missing]}

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