What was the National Schism in Greece?

The National Schism was a profound political and social crisis in Greece during World War I, centered on a disagreement between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos regarding foreign policy and alignment. Venizelos favored joining the Allies, while the king supported neutrality favoring the Central Powers, escalating the country into a covert civil war and a territorial split. The division left deep bitter effects on Greek political life for decades, contributing to subsequent military and governmental collapses.

What we know

• The National Schism was a series of disagreements between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos from 1915 to 1922 over foreign policy and whether Greece should join World War I. [1, 2]
• Venizelos formed a provisional government in August 1916 based in northern Greece, effectively splitting the country into north and south entities. [2]
• King Constantine abdicated in June 1917 following a five-month naval blockade and armed confrontations in Athens between Allied and royalist forces. [2]
• The split reflected differences between 'New Greece' territories gained after the Balkan Wars, which were largely pro-Venizelist, and 'Old Greece', which leaned pro-royalist. [2]

Where to go next

• whoHow did Eleftherios Venizelos shape modern Greek politics?
• what followedWhat was the impact of the Treaty of Sèvres on Greece?
• what caused itHow did the Balkan Wars create New Greece?
• the bigger pictureHow do political schisms compare across history?
• whenWhat happened during the Greco-Turkish War following WWI?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a 2018 religious schism echo historic Greek divisions?The Church of Greece's recognition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church sparked further international ecclesiastical fallouts reminiscent of older geopolitical fractures.

Sources

• [1]National Schism (Wikidata Q1346487) · CC0 1.0
• [2]National Schism · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]East–West Schism · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Schism · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. Who runs the Paris Fire Brigade?
2. /What was the National Schism in Greece?