On a regional level, Greece struck several favorable bargains and treaties in the aftermath of World War I through the statesmanlike qualities and the tact of the Greek prime minister, Eleftherios Venizelos.

During the first half of the year Greece was chiefly occupied with establishing its position at Smyrna and in taking over the other territories which had been allotted to it by the Supreme Council.

Turkish Thrace, including the great town of Adrianople, was also assigned to Greece and was occupied by that country at the end of July.

During the summer it was announced that King Alexander had contracted a morganatic marriage with a certain Mlle Manos in the previous November.

The publication in Athens of the news of the attempted assassination led to outbreaks of serious riots against real and supposed partisans of ex-King Constantine.

King Alexander was the second son of ex-King Constantine and ex-Queen Sophie, sister of the ex-Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany.

The prime minister also announced that the government had sent a message to Prince Paul offering him its sympathy on the death of his elder brother, and informing him of his succession to the Hellenic throne.

The few members of the opposition who were present declared that they considered that the question of the succession could be satisfactorily settled in only one way – by a vote of the entire Greek people.

The reply of Prince Paul to the message of the Greek government caused considerable perturbation in Greece and to some extent even in Europe generally.

The reply was as follows: "I declare that I do not share the point of view of the Hellenic government that, according to the constitution, I am today called upon to ascend the throne.

"I would only ascend the throne if the Hellenic people were to decide that it did not want the return of my august father, and were to exclude the Crown Prince George from his right of succession."

This declaration by Prince Paul placed the government in a difficult position, and it soon became evident that there was a strong movement aiming at the restoration of King Constantine.

Venizelos declared openly that if he and the Liberal Party were returned to power the result would be a condemnation of the claims of King Constantine.

And that "at no moment during the war was any obligation assumed by King Constantine to fight by the side of the Central Powers, or imposing upon Greece a neutral attitude."

It had long been known to those who kept in contact with affairs in the Near East that the royalist People's Party under the leadership of Dimitrios Gounaris had never ceased to be powerful.

But the British and Italian governments were not in favour of placing the Allies in the position of appearing to oppose the declared wishes of the Greek people on a question which was primarily the concern of Greece.

The result of these differences of opinion in the highest quarters was that a somewhat compromising proclamation was issued by the British, French, and Italian governments.

It is more probable that the Liberals of the rank and file, like their compatriots of other parties, were in truth carried away by an enthusiasm – temporary or otherwise – to see the return of the royal exile.

King Constantine and Queen Sophie left Switzerland, and arrived in Athens on December 19, their return to their capital being made the occasion for a tremendous demonstration of sympathy.