Several foreign advisers (particularly from Bavaria, who emphasized elements of centralization and authoritarianism), were also brought in to provide training and tactical advice to the newly formed force.

The main task of the Gendarmerie under the army as a whole during this period was firstly to combat the extensive banditry which was endemic in the countryside throughout the 19th century and included kidnappings for ransom, the suppression of local revolts, and the establishment of a strong executive government.

It acquired its own educational and training facilities independent of those of the army (though still remaining a nominal part of the armed forces).

Modernization of the country's police forces was stunted by the successive periods of political instability, which culminated in the regime of Ioannis Metaxas and the Second World War.

[1] Although elements of the former military structure and hierarchy were maintained, explicit characteristics of a "militarily organized" force (such as courts-martial) were lost.