George II (1890-1947) was king of Greece from 1922 to 1923 and from 1935 to 1947. George succeeded his father, King Constantine I, who was deposed in 1922 after a Greek invasion of the Ottoman Empire in 1921 was crushed. A military revolt forced George from the throne in 1923. In 1924, Greece became a republic. George was recalled to the throne in 1935 when the republic ended. In 1936, he permitted General John Metaxas to establish a military dictatorship. In 1941, during World War II, an invasion by Germany drove George and his government into exile. After his return to the throne in 1946, a civil war broke out between Greek Communists and people who supported the monarchy. George was born at Tatoi, near Athens, on July 20, 1890. He died on April 1, 1947. He was succeeded as king by his brother Paul I. See Greece (History) .
