Ioannis Davos

Greek army general

Ioannis Davos
Native name	Ιωάννης Ντάβος
Born	c. 1918 Agios Georgios, Messenia, Kingdom of Greece
Died	15 January 2008 Athens, Third Hellenic Republic
Allegiance	Kingdom of Greece Republic of Cyprus Third Hellenic Republic
Service/branch	Hellenic Army Cypriot National Guard
Years of service	1940–1980
Rank	General
Commands held	Chief of Staff of the Cypriot National Guard III Army Corps Chief of the Armed Forces High Command Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff Chief of the Armed Forces High Command
Wars	World War II Greco-Italian War Battle of Trebeshina Battle of Greece Greek Resistance Greek Civil War
Awards	Gold Cross of Valour^[1]
Alma mater	Hellenic Military Academy
Other work	Deputy Minister for National Defence

Ioannis Davos (Greek: Ιωάννης Ντάβος, 1918 – 15 January 2008) was a Hellenic Army officer who rose to the rank of full general, and held the posts of Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff and of the Armed Forces High Command.

He was born in the village of Agios Georgios in Messenia, in 1918. He entered the Hellenic Army Academy, but the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War on 28 October 1940 interrupted his studies: he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and participated in the campaign, being seriously wounded at the Battle of Trebeshina. Following the collapse of the Greek army during the German invasion of Greece and the subsequent occupation, he was active in the Greek Resistance, forming armed guerrilla groups in the Triphylia-Olympia area and being again wounded.^[1] He was named a lieutenant upon Liberation in 1944, and participated in the subsequent Greek Civil War as a company commander with the rank of Captain (1946). He was promoted to Major (1951), Lt. Colonel (1956), Colonel (1967, retroactive to 1960), Brigadier (1970). He commanded the 30th Infantry Regiment and the 11th Infantry Division, as well as serving in various staff positions - including two stints in Cyprus, in 1964-66 as head of the Operations Bureau and in 1969-70 as Chief of Staff of the Cypriot National Guard - and teaching in the Supreme War School.^[1]

In 1973 he was promoted to lieutenant general and sent to command the III Army Corps in Macedonia. During the July 1974 crisis, brought about by the coup against Cypriot president Makarios III sponsored by the then-ruling Greek military regime and the subsequent Turkish invasion, Davos thus found himself in command of the most powerful formation in the Hellenic Army. It was partly the threat of his active intervention that forced the Armed Forces leadership to topple junta strongman Dimitrios Ioannidis and surrender power to a civilian government under Konstantinos Karamanlis. Shortly after, on 19 August 1974, Davos was appointed as Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, from which position he helped ensure the loyalty of the army to the new regime, which was still under threat by hardline officers.^[1]^[2] He continued in this post until 13 September 1976, when he was promoted to full General and placed as Chief of the Armed Forces High Command. He retired on 10 January 1980, and subsequently served as Deputy Minister for National Defence in January–May 1981.^[1]

He died on 15 January 2008.^[3] He was married and had three children.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Στρατηγός ΝΤΑΒΟΣ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ του ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ, ΑΜ 22577." (PDF). Συνοπτική Ιστορία του Γενικού Επιτελείου Στρατού 1901–2001 [A Concise History of the Hellenic Army General Staff 1901–2001] (in Greek). Athens: Army History Directorate. 2001. p. 185.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Romaios, Giorgos (18 January 2008). "Ο στρατηγός που συνέβαλε στην ανατροπή της χούντας" (in Greek). To Vima. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
^ "Οι σημαντικότερες απώλειες του 2008" (in Greek). Kathimerini. 23 December 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2011.

Military offices
Preceded by Lt General Andreas Galatsanos	Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff 19 August 1974 – 13 September 1976	Succeeded by Lt General Agamemnon Gratsios
Preceded by General Dionysios Arbouzis	Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff 14 September 1976 – 10 January 1980	Succeeded by General Agamemnon Gratsios

Chiefs of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff

Papagos
Grigoropoulos
Kitrilakis
Dovas
Frontistis
Pipilis
Tsolakas
Avgeris
Angelis^§
Zagorianakos^§
Bonanos^§
Arbouzis^§
Davos^§
Gratzios
Degiannis
Kouris
Vellidis
Veryvakis
Skarvelis
Lymberis
Tzoganis
Paragioudakis
Antonakopoulos
Chinofotis
Grapsas
Giangos
Kostarakos
Apostolakis
Floros^‡
Christodoulou
Floros
Choupis

^§ Under the title "Chief of the Armed Forces" ^‡ acting chief

v t e Chiefs of the Hellenic Army General Staff
Sapountzakis Danglis Nider^§ Kontogiannis^§ Dousmanis Metaxas^† Dousmanis Moschopoulos Stratigos^† Charalambis A. Vlachopoulos Gouvelis Dousmanis Exadaktylos^§ Makrykostas Dousmanis N. Vlachopoulos Klados Mazarakis-Ainian Sarigiannis Mazarakis-Ainian N. Vlachopoulos Merentitis^† Mazarakis-Ainian K. Manetas Th. Manetas Katheniotis Chasapidis Papagos Pallis Batas Maraveas Skoulas Bourdaras Laios^† Liosis^† Ventiris Liosis^† Dromazos Spiliotopoulos Ventiris Giatzis Kosmas Grigoropoulos Tsakalotos Tsingounis Gikas Nikolopoulos Seiradakis Kardamakis Sakellariou Gennimatas Spandidakis Angelis ^‡ Tsoumbas ^‡ Zagorianakos ^‡ Mastrantonis ^‡ Galatsanos ^‡ Davos ^‡ Gratzios Karagiannis Panagopoulos Kourkafas Pentheroudakis Vellidis Veryvakis Skarvelis Kapravelos K. Voulgaris Paragioudakis Panagiotakis Antonakopoulos Charvalas Douvas Grapsas D. Voulgaris Frangos Ziazias Ginis Tselios Manolas Tellidis Stefanis Kambas Lelousis
^§ Substitute Chiefs of the General Staff for the Rear Areas/Interior (as opposed to the Field Staff) ^† Deputy Chiefs substituting during vacancies ^‡ Under the title "Chief of the Army"