About

[To get a short historical account of this website as the pioneering site on Metaxas on the Internet since 2000, click here ]

This online-based project is focused on the history and philosophy of the fascist regime which existed in Greece in the 1930s called “The Fourth of August” and which was lead by General Ioannis Metaxas. In it you will find an online database entirely dedicated to the study of the years of the Metaxas dictatorship.

I created the Metaxas Project some years ago as the logical consequence of my interest in Ioannis Metaxas, an interest which emerged as a consequence of myself being of Cephalonian origin just like Metaxas himself, with whom I additionally share blood ties. With the advent of the Internet in the late 90’s, I noticed that there was a complete lack of information about Ioannis Metaxas and the Fourth of August regime on the Internet, so I decided to pioneer and solve it out.

The Metaxas Project was officially launched on January 1st, 2000, when it first appeared on the World Wide Web as the only online website in the world about Ioannis Metaxas and his regime.

It was born as a long-term project and as such all over these years it has never stopped growing both in quantity and quality, eventually becoming the largest website about the Metaxas years. Today, it still is the sole reference website across the Internet specialized in this quite unknown period of Fascist Greece.

The website is now nearly 8 years old (as of November 2007), and it is an authoritative site bringing forth reliable, in-depth and voluminous information covering almost all aspects of the Metaxas regime. The website is constantly updated, so those interested in the period of fascism in Greece are strongly encouraged to access the website on a regular basis.

Since its inception, the Metaxas Project has mantained a three-folded purpose:

First, to emmend the desperating lack of information over the Internet on Ioannis Metaxas and the 4th of August regime. The website intends to become an open repository and accessible workshop for all those who are interested in this dark period of modern Greek history, especially for those who approach it for their first time. In this website they should find a place where all Metaxas-related issues are discussed, analysed and addressed in articles, resourceful sections and other ever-expanding online tools.

Second, to rehabilitate Ioannis Metaxas as a first-line political character, since for too long now his historical profile has been overshadowed by extremely biased political views. I consider it fair and rightful to redeem such a ridiculous state-of-affairs by contributing an appropiate forum where non-biased, non-apologetical and non-partisan people can meet and discuss all aspects concerning Ioannis Metaxas – as a politician, as a general, as a prime minister and as a family man. As such, this website aims to streamline Metaxas’ figure with the sheer objectivity all historical personalities deserve.

Third, it aims to propel the serious, indepth, scientific study on the 4th of August regime at the academical level. In fact, this website is not only addressed to the general public, but also to historians and scholars researching the Metaxas years. In it they should find a generic framework that they can use as a starting-point to inspire their own research. This is especially aimed because in Greece  the Metaxas years are still observed and studied from a hostile political viewpoint rather than from an objective historical one. Hence the need for a scientific study overpassing old and narrow-minded political schemes.

The Metaxas Project tries to achieve these goals by bringing forth a large and indepth website in which historical truth about Ioannis Metaxas and his legacy is to prevail to gain a better, wider and deeper insight on the Fourth of August regime and about the man behind it, Ioannis Metaxas.

Andreas Markessinis, November 2007 You can contact me at metaxas.project@gmail.com