Panagiotis P. Demestichas

In memoriam

ΠΑΝΑΓΙΩΤΗΣ Π. ΔΕΜΕΣΤΙΧΑΣ ΑΝΤΙΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΣ 1887 – 1960

Panagiotis Demestichas (Greek: Παναγιώτης Δεμέστιχας, 6 July 1885 (O.S.) – 14 November 1960) was an officer of the Greek Army who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General, leading an army corps in the Greco-Italian War. He was born in the settlement of Alepou in the village of Kotrona in Laconia. His parents were farmers and livestock breeders, Petros and Venetia Demestichas. He participated in the Balkan Wars, the First World War, the 1919 Expedition to the Ukraine and Crimea, as well as the disastrous Asia Minor Expedition. In 1940-41 he fought against the Italian invaders in the Italian-Greek War. With the German invasion of Greece and the capitulation of the Greek Army, he became a member of the first collaborationist government under Lt. General Georgios Tsolakoglou, serving as Minister of the Interior until 20 September 1941. Following the liberation of the country in 1944, he was tried by a court-martial, and dismissed from the Army in 1946. He was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment, but released by Royal Decree in 1951. He died in Athens on 14 November 1960. His funeral and interment took place on 15 November 1960 at the 1st Cemetery of Athens. He married Aikaterini Kampani [Αικατερίνη Καμπάνη] in 1932 and had three children: Petros, Evangelia (Veni) & Grigorios.

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