Ioannis was born on 1 November 1885[1] in the village of Potamoi, at the Lasithi Plateau on the then-Turkish occupied island of Crete.

Hasan Tahsin Pasha, the Ottoman ruler of the city, conveyed to the Bulgarian officer: "I had only one Thessaloniki, which I had to surrender."

Alexakis, a fervent supporter of Eleftherios Venizelos and his Venizelism ideology, continued the northern advance.

The Ottoman Empire had lost almost all its European holdings, Bulgaria was defeated, Serbia made some gains and Greece was enlarged.

This quick victory was the result of a well-planned attack by the Allies which compelled Bulgaria to give up and sign the Armistice of Salonica on 29 September 1918.

Based on this treaty, the Greeks advanced beyond Smyrna, but by September 1922 Turkey recovered the land in Asia Minor.

In 1923, by the Treaty of Lausanne, Greece lost all territorial rights in Asia Minor and a Greco-Turkish population exchange was arranged.

In 1937, in a demonstration against the Ioannis Metaxas' dictatorship,[12] Alexakis was demobilized and served as Commander of Athens' garrison until the Second World War.

Following the declaration of war with Italy, Alexakis returned to the line for the Battle of Elaia–Kalamas on the Albanian border, from which the Italian troops were trying to enter Greece.

Overall, the Allied forces decorated Alexakis 20[15] times with medals for his courage and in 1945 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.

[16] As a member of numerous social committees and the Parnassos Literary Society, he received public adulation, and he shared his memories with many people.

A museum whose contents of historical interest reflect the General's forty years of military service is located inside the Municipal Library of Agios Nikolaos, Crete.