The August 1910 Elections

The August 1910 elections, for a doubled sized revisionary assembly, was the basis for change, provided the leader could resolve differences among the 'new men' and channel new ideas into practical politics. The contest was between the old political world, palaiokommatismos, built around old and powerful families (Theotokis, Rallis, etc) sometimes labelled oligarchy, and new men, independents standing for some version of revival (anorthosis). The old parties won a clear majority of seats, but the independents, new men, with about one third of the seats, had made a compelling entry to parliamentary politics and could not be ignored. They were themselves divided into groups of liberals, socialists, agrarians, republicans etc. They needed someone to bring them together and lead them, i.e. Venizelos, and a structure and organization, i.e. a political party. The aim must be to channel their energy and ideas into practical politics. Venizelos wound up his affairs in Crete and moved to the Athenian stage.