Georgios Zoitakis, Source: George Vakos Georgios Zoitakis (Greek : ) (1910 - 1996) was a Greek General and regent. In the 1950s he attended staff officer courses in the Superior School of War and the School of National Defense in Greece parallel to NATO military seminars in West Germany and in the United States. During this period he served as adjutant to King Paul, then chief of staff to the First Army as Brigadier, CO of the I Army Corps as Major General and of the III Army Corps in Thessaloniki, then the most important Greek military formation, as Lieutenant General. On 21 April 1967, the day of the Colonels' coup, he was in Athens. Like most of the senior military leadership, he was caught by surprise at the events, but he quickly moved to support the coup and secured the non-intervention of the III Corps by contacting his deputy, Brigadier Orestis Vidalis, and confirming the putschists' orders to implement emergency measures as legitimate. On the same day, he was placed as Deputy Minister of National Defence in the new government. Following the failure of King Constantine II's counter-coup on 13 December 1967 and the subsequent flight of the royal family to Italy, Zoitakis was sworn in as Regent for the absent King. He held this post until 21 March 1972, when he was replaced by the junta's principal leader, Prime Minister Georgios Papadopoulos. At the same time, he was retired from the Army with the rank of full General. On 1 June 1973, Papadopoulos would abolish the monarchy and declare himself President of a new republic. After Greece's return to democracy, in 1975 Zoitakis, along with the other junta leaders, was tried and convicted to life imprisonment for high treason. He remained in prison for 13 years until 1988, when he was released to to deteriorating health. A pardon plea was rejected in 1991, and he remained confined to his residence until his death in 1996. He was married to Sofia Vouranzeri and had a daughter, Vicky. Preceded by: Office established following the flight of King Constantine II Regent of Greece 1967 - 1972 Succeeded by: Georgios Papadopoulos
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