The National Schism, which began in 1915, was the longest political conflict in modern Greek political history. However, many aspects of it remain a subject of debate. What kind of conflict was the Schism? Was it a civil war or something else? When did it end? Who prevailed? What were its effects on state institutions? By what mechanisms did the Schism in practice often negate the basic conditions for the functioning of the parliamentary system? How did the role of the army evolve within this framework? Was there a “mechanism” for overthrowing the Greek political systems on the two occasions when this happened, in 1924 and 1935? What were the effects of the National Schism not only at the “state” level, but also on the lives of ordinary citizens? How did the National Schism affect the political culture of the country, given that there was such an intense and prolonged political conflict? To what extent did the practices and attitudes of the Schism continue after its end, largely determining the style of political confrontation? How did it affect the next major institutional crisis, namely the civil war, both at the institutional level and in terms of attitudes? How was it possible to overcome the Schism? But also, to what extent do its “aftereffects” remain visible to this day, especially in the country’s political culture?

Evanthis Chatzivasiliou (born. 1966) graduated from the Law School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1987 and in 1992 he was awarded a PhD in International Relations History from the London School of Economics. He currently serves as professor of Postwar World History in the Department of History and Archaeology at the University of Athens, as well as secretary general of the Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy. His work includes studies and books on the history of international relations during the period 1870-1991, Greek foreign policy, Greek political history of the 20th century, and the Cyprus issue. He edits the “Modern and Contemporary History” series for Patakis Publications and is responsible for the history page of the Sunday edition of Kathimerini.