Georgios Tsolakoglou
| Georgios Tsolakoglou | |
|---|---|
| Γεώργιος Τσολάκογλου | |
 |
|
| Prime Minister of the Hellenic State | |
|
In office 30 April 1941 – 2 December 1942 |
|
| Deputy | Konstantinos Logothetopoulos |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Konstantinos Logothetopoulos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 1886 Rentina, Karditsa |
| Died | 22 May 1948 (aged 62) Athens, Greece |
| Nationality | Greek |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Soldier |
| Religion | Orthodox Christian |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Greece
(until 1924)
 Second Hellenic Republic
(1924–1935)
Kingdom of Greece
(1935–1941)
|
| Service/branch | Hellenic Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars | First Balkan War Second Balkan War World War I Greco-Turkish War Battle of Greece |
Georgios Tsolakoglou (Greek: Γεώργιος Τσολάκογλου; April 1886 – 22 May 1948) was a Greek military officer who became the first Prime Minister of the Greek collaborationist government during the Axis occupation in 1941–1942.
As an officer in the Hellenic Army, Tsolakoglou participated in the Balkan Wars, the First World War, the 1919 Allied expedition to the Ukraine and the Asia Minor Campaign. With the rank of Lieutenant General, he led the Western Macedonia Army Section in the Greco-Italian War. After the German invasion and capture of Thessaloniki on 9 April 1941, the withdrawal of WMAS from Northern Epirus was belatedly ordered on 12 April. The German motorized units, however, succeeded in reaching the vital Metsovon Pass on 18 April, overcame local Greek resistance and captured Ioannina on the following day, thereby effectively cutting off the Hellenic Army.
When the hopelessness of resistance became apparent, Tsolakoglou, along with several other senior generals began considering surrendering to the Germans. Thus, on 20 April, with the cooperation of the commanders of I Corps, Lt. Gen. Panagiotis Demestichas and II Corps, Lt. Gen. Georgios Bakos, and the metropolitan of Ioannina, Spyridon, he relieved and replaced Lt. Gen. Ioannis Pitsikas, the commander of the Epirus Army Section. He immediately sent messengers to the Germans proposing surrender, and on the same day signed a surrender protocol with the commander of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler brigade, SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich.
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