Ask me anything about the Greek Presidential Guard

[Leman]

One simply has to have Austrian, Prussian and Bavarian units in pink facings.

[Zippee]

Do they have to have voted for the President?

And why is it appropriate to wear frilly knickers under your kilt in sunny Greece, and nuttin in wet n windy Scotland?

[KTravlos]

Sunjester

The 5 Evzones regiments were raised in areas of Greece with a history of producing klefts during the revolutionary (and brigands in the post-revolutionary) era. So the idea was that most of the troops serving in them would be mountaineers. Mountaineers tend to be a fiesty violent bunch, and quite brave. If you can discipline them, they are excellent soldiers. Obviously as times passed and population moved the units took from many different areas of life. But by then escript du corps had taken the role of mountain life.

Zippee: The President of the Hellenic Republic is voted by Parliament, not by the people. It is a ceremonial institution with about as much power as the Monarchy in Sweden.

Scotland has only one type of weather: wet and windy. In Greece, especially in Autumn and Spring you can get from hot and dry, to cold and rainy. :p or something like this.

[Zippee]

Zippee: The President of the Hellenic Republic is voted by Parliament, not by the people. It is a ceremonial institution with about as much power as the Monarchy in Sweden.

So far has the ideal of Athenian Democracy fallen, I blame Antipater 

[KTravlos]

everybody does forget that the Ancient Athenians used klerocracy a lot. Many things were decided by vote, but many positions were filled by random lot. A even more radically democratic thing than elections or direct voting (I am a klerocrat)

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Have the Guard ever been directly involved in ousting a President (ala Caligula)?

[KTravlos]

Nope, I am not fully privy to the role of the Guard in the 1967 coup. In all likelihood it was surrounded by heavy units when the 1967-1973 Dictators abolished the Monarchy in 1969. In general though if you want to do coups in Athens you are better off using the heavier units like the Unit for the Guarding of Athens (MOFAT), or bring in the armored units from Thebes. In general guard COs avoid politics as their main duty is seen the ceremonial one.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Fair enough. 

Does it annoy Athenians that Thebes still out hits them after 2500 years?

[fsn]

In the event of Greece going to war, do the Evzones have any distinguishing uniform features?

I'm thinking of the feathers of the Bersaglieri.

[KTravlos]

Thebes is kinda of a backwater in the eyes of Athenians :p

The only distinguishing marks on combat fatigues are the blue beret and shoulder insignia.



also this link

http://www.onalert.gr/files/Image/NewOnAlert/EIDIKES%20DINAMEIS/EVZONES/2013-12-10T101431Z_20986135_GM1E9CA0Z8T01_RTRMADP_3_GREECE.JPG

[fsn]

Thanks. But that arm does not belong to the soldier saluting. 


What's the story with the long plume on the beret?

[KTravlos]

He is not saluting, just adjusting the cap (fareo). Plume you mean of the fareo right, not the blue beret. Not sure if there is a story to be frank.

[barbarian]

everybody does forget that the Ancient Athenians used klerocracy a lot. Many things were decided by vote, but many positions were filled by random lot. A even more radically democratic thing than elections or direct voting (I am a klerocrat)

I've been trying to explain that to every single person I met.

I wish we use this system.

[FierceKitty]

Ailurocracy - clearly the only sensible system.

[Ithoriel]

I prefer Plutocracy .... rule by Disney Characters