Greece - History II

In 336 before JC, Alexandre the Great  inherited Macedonia from King Philippe, his father, who had joined together most of Greece under his banner. Alexandre quickly consolidated his capacity during his the first two years of reign and, with the unified force of the Greeks, swept Persians and the greatest part of the world known, in the expansion of his empire. In 146 before JC, Greece fell under the military power from the Roman Empire. The Emperor Constantin establishes the Eastern Roman Empire (later Byzantine Empire) in Constantinople in 330 after JC. But the Byzantine Empire became Turkish in 1453 and the Greeks were subjected to the Othoman law until in 1821, date on which they revolted successfully against the Turks, and offered to Greece its independence. After independence, Otto of Bavaria was crowned king in 1833, an event orchestrated by the principal European capacities. Although the republic was in the small beginning, it increases when other beforehand Greek areas, were returned to him: Ionian islands in 1864, areas of Epire and Thessalie in 1881, Crete, islands of the oriental party of the Aegean Sea and Macedonia in 1913, finally followed from Western Thrace in 1919. Greece recovered the islands of Dodécanèse after the Second world war.

In 1941, Greece was invaded by the troops of the Axis and various resistance movements developed. At the end of the Second world war, these groups of resistance were polarized in two enemy groups: royalists and Communists. The civil war which followed lasted until 1949, when the royalists took control. In 1974, monarchy was rejected by referendum, and Greece today is controlled by a Parliament and is directed by a President and a Prime Minister.