On this day, March 18, 1913, an era violently ended when King George I was assassinated in Thessaloniki. Born a Danish prince, George became the longest-reigning monarch in modern Greek history, steering the country through fifty years of expansion. The 67-year-old King was on a quiet walk near the White Tower when Alexandros Schinas stepped from the shadows and shot him at point-blank range.

​His sudden death completely altered Greece's trajectory. He was succeeded by his son, Constantine Ι. Unlike the diplomatically cautious George, Constantine was staunchly pro-German. This soon sparked a bitter conflict with the pro-Entente Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos. The escalating clash over Greece's alliances during World War I eventually led the Entente powers to force Constantine out of the country into exile for a few years. This deep rupture plunged the nation into the National Schism, creating intense political divisions that would haunt Greece for decades.

📸 1. Authentic commemorative porcelain decorative plate featuring King George I and his wife Queen Olga, the Russian Grand Duchess who was deeply beloved for her immense philanthropic work in Greece, such as founding the Evangelismos Hospital. From my visit to the Vorres Museum in Paiania a few months ago. We have to talk about this relatively unknown museum at some point.

📸 2. Karl Haupt, The Assassination of H.M. the King of the Hellenes, 1913