Human rights and foreign policy: Wilson and the greek dictators, 1967-1970

Pedaliu, Effie G.H.

Abstract

The military coup of 21 April 1967 brought to power a repressive dictatorship in Greece. It proceeded to deprive Greeks of their human rights and civil liberties, outraged international public opinion and strained transatlantic relations during the Cold War. The “Greek case” culminated in the withdrawal of Greece from the Council of Europe and calls for its expulsion from NATO. This article will analyse the foreign policy considerations that determined British policy towards the Greek junta during 1967—such as Cold War realities, alliance dynamics, economic and commercial imperatives, regional instability in the Mediterranean and domestic pressures. It will look at how these factors coalesced into shaping British policy towards the Greek junta into one in which human rights had little bearing. The article will also consider the impact of the “Greek case” on the image and credibility of the Labour government of 1966-1970 and explain why vociferous anti-junta activities in London were to create such policy difficulties for the British government. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2007
• Journal: International Journal of Phytoremediation
• Print ISSN: 1522-6514
• Electronic ISSN: 1549-7879
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 185-214
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09592290601163118
• Keywords: human rights, foreign policy, Wilson, Greek dictators, 1967-1970
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1027310
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09592290601163118