Cold Open

It’s late afternoon on March 18th, 1913, in the Greek city of Thessaloniki.

The sun hangs low over the waterfront as the 67-year-old King of Greece, George I, strolls past the White Tower. He slows, gazing up at the circular fortress. Built more than five centuries ago, this tower long symbolized Thessaloniki’s occupation by the Ottoman Empire. But now, the city has returned to Greek hands.

Four months ago, Greek forces captured Thessaloniki from the Ottomans. And George has come in personally to solidify Greece’s claim on the city. But he doesn’t let politics get in the way of his daily routine. He still insists on his evening walk every day.

Turning away from the White Tower, George speaks quietly with an aide. A handful of passersby pause to watch as he ambles past, but most pay him no attention at all. Over the past few weeks, the king has become a familiar sight in the city. Two guards trail him at a respectful distance, but George prefers to blend in with his subjects.

Still, when he passes a café, a cheer goes up from the patrons. Forks tap against glasses and hands pound tabletops. George lifts a hand in greeting, smiling warmly, and then continues on his walk.

But before he can take even a few more steps…the crack of a gunshot echoes through the street. There are screams as people run for cover. But George barely hears them. His eyes swim as a searing pain tears through his back. Then he pitches forward and crashes face-first to the ground.

King George I of Greece will die within minutes of being shot on the streets of Thessaloniki. He was the longest-reigning monarch in Europe. And during his five decades on the throne, Greece had transformed into a modern state. But it will be plunged back into crisis and uncertainty by the shocking act of violence that killed its king on March 18th, 1913.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is March 18th, 1913: The Assassination of King George I of Greece.

Act One: The State of Greece

It’s just before 11 AM, on June 6th, 1863, in Copenhagen, Denmark, 50 years before the death of King George I.

17-year-old Prince William of Denmark stares bleakly out the window of a carriage as it rolls through the streets of the Danish capital. Across from him, his father and older brother try to lift his spirits. All morning, William has been sullen and withdrawn. And it’s obvious why. Today is the day that he will renounce his place in Denmark’s order of succession. Instead of being third in line for the Danish throne, he’s about to be proclaimed King of Greece.

Despite its ancient history, the independent Greek state is a recent invention. For centuries, the Eastern Mediterranean was dominated by the Ottoman Empire, a vast Muslim realm governed from Constantinople. But just over 40 years ago, the Greek people rose in rebellion. After a brutal war, they won independence from the Ottomans. But the new Greek state was fragile and divided. To try to unify the country, Greece’s European allies, Great Britain, Russia, and France, urged it to adopt a monarchy as its system of government, and eventually, a young Bavarian prince named Otto was chosen as the first ruler of the independent Kingdom of Greece.

But Otto proved deeply unpopular. Eight months ago, he was forced into exile. But his removal solved one problem while creating another. With no clear successor, the Greek National Assembly spent months in talks with Europe’s great powers. And at last, they settled on another neutral foreign prince to take the throne—William of Denmark. And today, he will formally accept the Greek crown. But he’s doing so with a heavy heart.

William was born and raised in Copenhagen. And it’s the only home he has ever known. Soon, though, he’ll have to leave it behind for a country more than a thousand miles away.

William's carriage slows outside the gates of the royal palace. A footman opens the door, and William follows his father and brother inside. In the palace’s great hall, dignitaries from Denmark wait alongside ambassadors from all across Europe. And as the clocks chime 11, emissaries from Greece enter the chamber. At the head of the procession, an admiral in full dress uniform carries a cushion bearing a scroll—the decree of the Greek National Assembly proclaiming William as their new king.

William takes the piece of paper. And then, he formally agrees to the honor. From now on, he is no longer Prince William of Denmark. He adopts a new name to go with his new role. He is now King George.

But he’s not yet ready to depart for his new kingdom. Insisting that he needs time to settle his affairs, George remains in Copenhagen for another three months, clinging to his old life for as long as possible. But finally, he can put it off no longer. And in late October, he arrives in Athens. When he does, he’s given a hero’s welcome. Crowds line the streets, reaching out to touch his coat and kiss his hand. His carriage passes beneath three ceremonial arches built for the occasion, and then stops at the city’s cathedral so George can swear an oath to serve the people of Greece.

But then, in the months that follow, George surprises even himself by how well he settles into his new home. He casts himself as a man of the people and makes a point of distancing himself from his unpopular predecessor. Where Otto never learned Greek, George throws himself into the language and soon becomes fluent. And while Otto shut himself away in the royal palace, George takes walks through the streets, accompanied by only a few guards.

But there’s more to his reign than just a few superficial changes. George pushes for the modernization of Greece as well. He champions a new constitution that shares power between the monarchy and an elected parliament. And Greece becomes one of the first countries in Europe to grant the vote to all men, whatever their standing in society.

But there’s one thing George’s arrival in Greece doesn’t change—the desire of the Greek people to reclaim their ancestral lands from their old overlords, the Ottoman Empire.

And in 1866, just three years into George’s reign, Christians on the island of Crete rise up against Ottoman rule in the hope of reuniting with Greece. King George offers the rebels his support—but he must tread carefully. The Ottoman Empire is still far more powerful than Greece. And an open war could be disastrous, so Greek military support is limited to smuggling weapons and supplies to Crete by sea.

But George also tries to rally support for the Cretan cause among the great powers of Europe. Though Britain, France, and Russia are unwilling to intervene. And without their support, the rebellion fails. Less than three years after the uprising began, the Ottomans crush Cretan rebels with overwhelming force.

The failure of the revolt on Crete is the first major setback in King George’s reign. But over the decades to come, conflict with the Ottomans will erupt again and again—and even the king himself won’t be safe from the fallout.

Act Two: A Slice of Turkey

It’s the evening of May 17th, 1897, at a royal palace near Athens, Greece, 34 years after King George took the throne.

52-year-old George sits in the library by an open window as a warm breeze carries the scent of sweet chestnuts from the forest outside. As a Dane, he has never fully adapted to the intense Greek sun, and this shaded library is one of his favorite refuges from the heat.

But tonight, his reading is interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. An official enters carrying a telegram, his face ashen. George takes the piece of paper and quickly scans the message. A pit then opens in his stomach. It’s from his eldest son, the Crown Prince Constantine. The Greek army has been defeated in battle. And there are no longer any defenses standing between the Ottoman troops and Athens itself.

Three months ago, the people of Crete rose once again in rebellion against Ottoman rule. And this time, Greece intervened directly, sending ships to harass the Ottoman navy. But that move ignited open war, and Ottoman forces soon invaded northeast Greece. Since then, a string of defeats has scattered Greek defenses, and now, it seems even the capital is in danger.

Facing a possible catastrophe, King George meets urgently with his prime minister and other political leaders. They agree on a desperate strategy—the king should reach out to his fellow monarchs across Europe, imploring them to intervene in the conflict. So through the night, George dispatches telegram after telegram, pleading for assistance.

Soon, it's clear that the gamble works. The Great European Powers don’t want to see Greece collapse—it would upset the delicate balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean. So, they put pressure on the Ottomans to halt their advance and agree to a peace settlement.

But the terms are harsh. Greece must surrender territory and pay heavy reparations. At home, the conflict becomes known as the “Unfortunate War.” And this humiliating loss damages the nation’s confidence and the reputation of its king—with near-fatal consequences.

The following year, while riding in a carriage with his daughter, King George happens to glance toward a patch of undergrowth by the side of the road—and spots the barrel of a rifle protruding from the bushes. Shots ring out as George throws himself across his daughter, shielding her with his, as the driver cracks his whip and speeds away.

King George and the princess escape unharmed, but it was a close call, with one bullet missing George’s head by barely an inch.

Two would-be assassins are soon arrested. And under questioning, they admit their motive. They blame King George for embarrassing Greece on the international stage.

But further humiliation is to come. Later that same year, international pressure forces the Ottoman Empire to grant autonomy to Crete. One of George’s sons is appointed as the island’s high commissioner. But even this victory seems hollow to many Greeks—it suggests that their nation is not strong enough to stand on its own two feet and can only survive with the support of stronger European powers.

Feeling ashamed, the Greek people demand change. And in 1909, army officers stage a coup. Sensing that his hold on the throne is precarious, George agrees to a series of compromises. He dismisses the prime minister and appoints a reformer in his place. He agrees to a new constitution that limits his powers as king even further and backs a sweeping reorganization of the army to make it a more effective fighting force.

These reforms soon face their first test—and once again, the Ottoman Empire is the enemy. In October 1912, Montenegro declares war against the Ottomans and demands that the empire withdraw from southeastern Europe entirely. King George is on vacation in Denmark when this surprise ultimatum is issued. But he rushes back to Athens in less than 24 hours. There, he backs his government’s decision to join the conflict, and Greece soon forms an alliance against the Ottomans with Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Serbia.

Over the next few days, Greek soldiers surge across the border into Ottoman territory. Greek ships patrol the Aegean Sea. And this time, they are far more successful. Less than a month into the war, Greek soldiers capture the strategically important port city of Thessaloniki, marching into the city just hours ahead of their Bulgarian allies. Three days later, King George himself arrives to join the celebrations, traveling to the city to cement Greece’s claim to it.

But this triumph will be the last of George’s reign. Within months of the capture of Thessaloniki, the city will be the site of the king’s assassination—and just as Greece appears to have secured stability, it will be thrown back into uncertainty.

Act Three: Mid-March Big March

It’s 5:20 PM, on March 18th, 1913, in Thessaloniki, four months after the city was captured by Greek troops.

49-year-old Colonel Ioannis Frangoudis strolls along the waterfront beside King George I. There’s still a sense of joy and optimism in the city following its recent liberation, and everywhere King George goes, he is warmly received. Even customers at the café they just passed paused in the middle of their meals to applaud him.

Colonel Frangoudis turns to ask how far the king wishes to walk this evening, but the crack of a pistol suddenly splits the air. Frangoudis reacts instinctively, as if he were back on the battlefield. He wheels around to see a disheveled man standing only yards away, with a smoking pistol in his hand. Frangoudis swipes the gun away, sending it clattering on the cobblestones. Then he seizes the shooter by the throat and pushes him back against the wall. But the man offers no resistance. And the damage has already been done.

Leaving the shooter with two of the king’s bodyguards, Frangoudis dashes back to George. He’s lying motionless on the ground. And just one look shows that there is nothing Frangoudis can do. A large pool of blood is already spreading across the cobblestones. And within mere moments, King George is dead.

Under interrogation, the assassin later claims that the killing was an impulsive act. He was ill and not himself, and when the king happened to pass him on the street, he drew his gun and fired without thinking. Prosecutors never get a chance to challenge this story in court, though. Because six weeks later, the assassin dies under suspicious circumstances, after falling from a jailhouse window.

And the Greek nation that King George leaves behind will soon descend into turmoil. Continuing conflict with the Ottoman Empire and the outbreak of World War I will strain Greece to its limits. George’s sons and grandsons will reign only briefly, either dying young or being forced to abdicate amid the country’s rolling military and political crises.

It was once that the monarchy helped to unify Greece. But in these turbulent times, it will only add to the chaos. And in 1924, Greece will become a republic and the royal family will flee into exile, less than 11 years after George I, the country’s longest reigning king, was gunned down on March 18th, 1913.

Outro

Next on History Daily. March 19th, 1965. 102 years to the day after it sank, the wreck of a Confederate ship is discovered by a teenage diver.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Thrumm.

This episode is written and researched by Owen Paul Nicholls.

Edited by Scott Reeves.

Managing producer Emily Burke.

Executive Producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.