Konstantinos Pallis

Konstantinos Pallis
Born	1871[1] Athens
Died	1941 Athens
Allegiance	Greece
Service/branch	Hellenic Army
Years of service	1889–1923, 1927, 1940–41
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff Chief of Staff of the Army of Asia Minor
Wars	Greco-Turkish War of 1897, Balkan Wars, Asia Minor Campaign, Greco-Italian War
Other work	Minister Governor-General of Macedonia

Konstantinos Pallis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Πάλλης, 1871–1941) was a Greek Army staff officer, who served as chief of staff of the Army of Asia Minor in 1920–22, and as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff during the Greco-Italian War of 1940–41.

Life

Born in Athens on 5 March 1871, Pallis entered the Hellenic Army Academy and graduated on 31 July 1883 as an Artillery 2nd Lieutenant.^[2][3] During the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 he served in the expeditionary corps sent to Crete under Colonel Timoleon Vassos.^[2][3]

In 1904 he became a Lieutenant, followed by promotions to Captain II class (1910) and I class (1911).^[2] During the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 he served as a staff officer in the General Headquarters of the Crown Prince, and later King, Constantine I of Greece.^[2][3] Pallis was promoted to Major in 1913, Lieutenant Colonel in 1915, and Colonel in 1917. In 1915–17 he was head of the Army Staff Service's 3rd Directorate, responsible for training and history.^[2]

Due to his royalist views, he was dismissed from the army in 1917–20, but after the electoral victory of the pro-royalist United Opposition in November 1920, he was recalled to active service and appointed chief of staff to the Army of Asia Minor, under Lieutenant General Anastasios Papoulas. In 1921 he was promoted to Major General. He remained in his post until Papoulas' dismissal on 23 May 1922, after which he too requested to be reassigned.^[2][3] Following the Turkish offensive and the dismissal of Papoulas' successor Georgios Hatzianestis, Pallis was reinstated as chief of staff of the rapidly disintegrating Army of Asia Minor, under Lt. General Georgios Polymenakos, on 26 August.

He retired from service on 28 November 1923. In 1927, the Special Military Council decided his re-activation and promotion to Lieutenant General, but Pallis declined and resumed his retirement.^[2][3]

On 7 December 1935, he was appointed as Minister Governor-General of Macedonia in the cabinet of Konstantinos Demertzis,^[4] a post he continued to hold under Demertzis' successor, Ioannis Metaxas, until his resignation on 2 June 1936.^[5]

Upon the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War on 28 October 1940, Pallis was recalled to active service and placed Chief of the Field Army General Staff, a position he held until February 1941. He died in the same year, at the age of 70.^[2]

References

1. Note: Greece officially adopted the Gregorian calendar on 16 February 1923 (which became 1 March). All dates prior to that, unless specifically denoted, are Old Style.
2. "Αντιστράτηγος ΠΑΛΛΗΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ του ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΟΥ, ΑΜ 4280.". Συνοπτική Ιστορία του Γενικού Επιτελείου Στρατού 1901–2001 [A Concise History of the Hellenic Army General Staff 1901–2001] (in Greek). Athens: Army History Directorate. 2001. p. 158.
3. Μεγάλη Στρατιωτική και Ναυτική Εγκυκλοπαιδεία. Τόμος Ε′: Νάβα – Σαρακηνοί [Great Military and Naval Encyclopedia. Volume V] (in Greek). Athens. 1930. p. 246.
4. "Κυβέρνησις ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΔΕΜΕΡΤΖΗ - Από 30.11.1935 έως 13.4.1936" (in Greek). General Secretariat of the Government. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
5. "Κυβέρνησις ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΜΕΤΑΞΑ - Από 13.4.1936 έως 29.1.1941" (in Greek). General Secretariat of the Government. Retrieved 16 February 2015.