The military dictatorship that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974 represents one of the darkest periods in modern Greek history. It began on April 21, 1967, when a group of military officers, known as the "Regime of the Colonels," seized power in a coup, claiming to prevent a “communist threat” and restore order in the country. Led by Georgios Papadopoulos, Stylianos Pattakos, and Nikolaos Makarezos, the dictatorship sought to impose an authoritarian regime, suppressing all forms of opposition and curtailing political freedoms.
The rise of the junta was tied to the intense political climate of the time, as Greece was experiencing social unrest and political tensions. The junta abolished democratic rights, suspended the Constitution, and placed the country under military rule. It established a regime of censorship, surveillance, and persecution, with the aim of fully subjugating society. Anyone who dared to resist—politicians, journalists, academics, and citizens—faced arrests, torture, and exile.
The resistance against the military dictatorship in Greece (1967-1974) manifested in various forms and is a significant part of modern Greek history, despite the extremely oppressive conditions. From the start, the regime sought to control society through widespread persecution, censorship, imprisonment, and torture; however, resistance emerged both within Greece and from the Greek diaspora abroad.
Domestically, resistance was initially fragmented, as heavy policing and strict controls made organized action difficult. Nevertheless, certain groups of citizens—such as students, workers, and intellectuals—found ways to push back. Underground political organizations, such as the Patriotic Anti-Dictatorship Front (PAM) and Democratic Defense, also played an important role by working in secrecy and often using the media to spread information and reinforce the spirit of opposition. The involvement of young people was crucial, as universities became centers of resistance, especially with the student protest at the Law School in Athens and, later, with the historic occupation of the Polytechnic University in November 1973.
The Polytechnic uprising was a pivotal moment in the resistance, with students rallying under the slogan “Bread – Education – Freedom,” demanding that the military withdraw from power. The occupation ended in violent repression by the army, with tragic consequences, yet it sparked a wave of solidarity and widespread opposition to the junta.
Abroad, the Greek diaspora, particularly in cities such as Paris, Rome, and New York, organized demonstrations and awareness campaigns about human rights abuses in Greece, drawing international support. Meanwhile, artists and intellectuals such as Mikis Theodorakis and Melina Mercouri became vocal proponents of the anti-dictatorship struggle, pressuring foreign governments to withdraw their support for the junta.
This pressure, both internal and external, shook the regime and helped spread the resistance, which, combined with the junta’s failure in Cyprus, ultimately led to the collapse of the regime and the restoration of democracy.
In this Thematic Exhibition you can explore thousands of records from the Anti-dictatorship struggle in Greece and abroad- such as magazines and press from Greece and abroad, political posters, reports, letters, interviews, zines and photographs - mainly from solidarity events abroad, and a plethora of primary sources documenting the vast range of activities of support, solidarity and resistance against the dictatorship.
The exhibition contains items from the following institutions:
