Prometheus plan
| Location | Greece |
|---|---|
| Description | NATO contingency plan intended for the military to take power in Greece |
| Perpetrators | NATO, Greece/Military, Greece/Stay behind |
The Prometheus plan was a NATO contingency plan intended for the military to take power in Greece with the aim of neutralizing a communist threat. The coup makers of 1967 used this existing plan to mislead and neutralize the military leadership on the night of the coup.
Overview
The plan envisaged the occupation of key buildings and facilities by the army and the arrest of left wing cadres. It is closely related to modern Greek history, as a variant with the name Hierax II was used by Georgios Papadopoulos in the coup of 21 April 1967 for the sizing of political power and the imposition of the Colonels' junta.[1]
One of the first actions of the coup conspirators was to arrest the head of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Spantidakis, and replace him with Odysseas Angelis, who was an insider in the movement. The new army chief ordered all major military formations to implement the Prometheus plan, thus ensuring the obedience of the troops throughout the country.[2]
The Hierax II plan also provided for the arrest of Andreas Papandreou, former Deputy Defense Minister Michalis Papakonstantinou, journalists and others.[3][4]
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20091005051142/http://istoria.exnet.gr/biographies/201-2008-09-11-20-51-36.htmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20091005051142/http://istoria.exnet.gr/biographies/201-2008-09-11-20-51-36.html
- ↑ https://www.ekriti.gr/politismos-istoria-afieromata-istorika/21-aprilioy-1967-48-hronia-meta-to-praxikopima-ton
- ↑ Papachelas, Alexis (1997). Ο βιασμός της ελληνικής δημοκρατίας. (The Rape of Greek Democracy). Estia. p. 259. ISBN 9600507481.
- ↑ https://www.ekriti.gr/tags/shedio-promitheys
