Alexandros Zaimis Greek statesman Date of Birth: 09.11.1855 Country: Greece

1. Background and Education
2. Early Political Career
3. War with the Ottoman Empire and Treaty of Constantinople
4. Premiership and Economic Reforms
5. Reconciliation on Crete
6. Post-War Roles
7. Second Premiership and Presidency
8. End of Presidency and Legacy

Background and Education

Alexandros Zaimis was born into a prominent political family; his father, Thrasivouslos Zaimis, served as Prime Minister of Greece twice. Alexandros studied law at the universities of Athens, Leipzig, Berlin, and Heidelberg, obtaining a doctorate in law. He also studied at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris.

Early Political Career

After returning to Greece following his father's death, Zaimis was elected as a member of Deligiannis' party in 1887. He served as Minister of Justice from 1890-1892 and President of the Chamber of Deputies in 1893.

War with the Ottoman Empire and Treaty of Constantinople

In 1897, after the dismissal of Deligiannis by King George I, Zaimis formed a cabinet that included both Deligianists and Trikoupis supporters. He faced the challenging task of ending the war with the Ottoman Empire and negotiating an unfavorable peace treaty, which imposed on Greece heavy reparations. The Treaty of Constantinople (1897) also established an International Financial Audit in Greece to oversee certain revenue streams for debt servicing.

Premiership and Economic Reforms

Zaimis resigned in October 1898 due to the government's worsening financial situation. However, the King reappointed him to form a government, and he immediately issued a memorandum outlining the necessary measures for economic and administrative recovery. He remained in power for two years before resigning in 1899 in favor of a government led by Feotokis.

Reconciliation on Crete

In September 1906, King George I appointed Zaimis as the High Commissioner of Crete, replacing Prince George who had resigned. Zaimis attempted to mediate the long-standing conflict between the Prince and Eleftherios Venizelos, including the adoption of a new liberal Constitution for Crete. He also replaced Italian gendarmerie officers with Greek ones and initiated the withdrawal of foreign troops from Crete, effectively bringing the island under Greek control. He left the island in October 1908 after the Cretan deputies unilaterally declared union with Greece.

Post-War Roles

From 1913-1914, Zaimis participated in various missions in Europe. He served as co-Governor of the National Bank from 1914-1920 and led three transitional technical governments in 1915, 1916, and 1917.

Second Premiership and Presidency

Zaimis served as Prime Minister of Greece again from 1926-1928. In 1929, he was elected as a senator and later President of the Senate. Following Pavlos Kountouriotis' resignation, Zaimis became President of Greece in the same year.

End of Presidency and Legacy

Zaimis was dismissed in October 1935 upon the restoration of the monarchy in Greece. He died the following year in Vienna, where he had gone for ophthalmological treatment. His body was returned to Greece and buried with honors in the family mausoleum in Athens' First Cemetery.