ABSTRACT
Despite his protestations to the contrary and notwithstanding his contrived and apparent serenity, in actual fact Metaxas was quite agitated and restless. He was really deeply hurt by the election defeat, but his decision to leave politics was not irreversible. He conceded he needed to be active, especially as he found inactivity soul-destroying. This allowed him to conclude in plain demotic, ‘I have the right to offer myself whole, with my own ideals and aspirations, without retreats or compromises. I must be whole and real, without nepotism for the incompetent’ [Diary, 27 and 31 August 1929].
