For all countries, regardless of anniversaries, there is a year that stands as a landmark in their recent historical journey. In the 20th century, for the countries of Western Europe, that year was 1945, the end of World War II, the Liberation. It could be the same for Greece, if it hadn’t been followed by the Civil War. For the countries of Eastern Europe, that year in 1989. For Greece, it is without a doubt 1974. The Metapolitefsi of 1974 is a significant, joyous and founding event. If we move away from that fundamental premise, anything we say will be misguided and misleading. This shouldn’t cause us to forget that the summer of 1974 was, at the same time, tragic for the Greek people, as it was marked by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the occupation of 40% of the island. The Greeks of Cyprus paid the highest price for the dictatorship.

Let us repeat the undeniable: the unprecedented in Greek history period of untroubled democratic life spanning half a century was entrenched in those first few months of the Metapolitefsi. The Metapolitefsi is not merely the restoration of a pre-dictatorship Republic, but also the transition to a new period of a full democratic life. We all know its three most critical achievements: the army’s return to the barracks, the end of the Monarchy, and the abolishment of Emergency Law 509, i.e., the legalisation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). It was all carried out swiftly and dutifully by the first post-dictatorship national unity government and the first Prime Minister, Konstantinos Karamanlis, who undoubtedly played a pivotal role, as well as by dint of the forceful demand of mass democratic movements.

The exhibition Break ’74. From Dictatorship to Democracy is the result of a collaboration between the General State Archives, the Greek Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) and the National Library of Greece, in celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the Metapolitefsi. But no one can appreciate the significance of the Metapolitefsi without knowing about the dictatorship, its violence and its vulgarity. We want our exhibition to be one of memory and education, aiming to convey to its visitors, and especially to school pupils, both the horror of the Dictatorship and, most importantly, the belief that the Metapolitefsi of 1974 is a major political achievement. In a country with such high rates of self-pity, let us hold that fact in mind with a certain amount of pride.