Office of the Historian

344. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization1

Athens, December 13, 1967, 0915Z.

164. For the Secretary.

1.
King Constantine summoned me to Tatoi Palace at 0915 local and stated he has decided to move against Junta today.2 He planned to leave Tatoi airport this morning in his aircraft with entire Royal family, Prime Minister Kollias and General Antonakas and fly to Kavalla where military commanders in north prepared to receive him. He will assume command of Greek armed forces, and call for resignation of government so he can reform it to carry forward “Greek renaissance.”
2.
King asked that we pass his instructions through our channels to Ministers Pipinelis and Spandidakis ordering them to support his move with NATO allies and then proceed immediately to Thessaloniki to join government.
3.

King said he would be grateful if President and USG could endorse his move as step toward constitutional government.

He also asked that we use all available persuasion to convince colonels it would be unwise for them to seek to oppose his action and thus thrust Greece into civil war. He asked that USG do what it can to keep Greece’s neighbors from taking advantage of situation. He asked if American stations in Greece could broadcast statement he has taped stating he has gone to Macedonia in order to exercise freely his initiative for reforming of government in order to bring about return to democratic normality. He hoped we could do this if forces loyal to him fail in effort projected for this hour to seize Athens radio facilities. Finally, he also asked me to request our Ambassadors to advise King and Queen of Denmark and Princess Sophia in Madrid.3

4.
Comment: Whether or not King is prepared, die is cast. I will send further flash when we hear whether he has safely gotten away from Tatoi airport. I do not plan to have King’s statement broadcast on American [Page 704] facilities at least until it clear his maneuver has reasonable chance of success. Please inform Pipinelis and Spandidakis.4
Talbot
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Flash; Nodis. Repeated to the Department of State. Secretary Rusk was in Brussels December 10–15 to attend the NATO Ministerial Meeting. The source text is the Department of State copy.↩
  2. Talbot provided a more complete report on the meeting and the events surrounding it in telegram 2749 from Athens, December 13. (Ibid.) In a letter to Brewster, December 18, Talbot provided a postmortem of the counter coup attempt. (Ibid., Greek Desk Files: Lot 69 D 553, Countercoup)↩
  3. The message was transmitted to the Embassy in Copenhagen in telegram 49, a repeat of telegram 2721 from Athens, December 13. (Ibid., Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE)↩
  4. The Greek Foreign and Defense Ministers were also in Brussels attending the NATO Ministerial Meeting.↩