Dimitrios Ioannides (right) toasting with George Papadopoulos (middle) and Phaedon Gizikis (left) Ioannides and Gizikis overthrew Papadopoulos in a later coup. Georgios Papadopoulos (Γεώργιος Παπαδόπουλος ( May 5, 1919 June 27, 1999) was the head of the military Coup d'état Karamanlismetapolitefsijpg|200px|thumb|right| Konstantinos Karamanlis taking the oath of office during Metapolitefsi as Phaedon Gizikis watches on 24th July 1974 at 415 a Picture, published in major Greek newspapers such as Vradini, shows them before the coup when they were in friendly terms. It establishes the warm relationship between Papadopoulos and the other two and provides an understanding of the measure of betrayal Papadopoulos felt when toppled by the other two.

Dimitrios Ioannides (also Dimitris Ioannidis, Greek Δημήτρης Ιωαννίδης) (born March 13, 1923) was a Greek military officer who was involved in the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group.

He was born in Athens to an upper middle-class business family with roots in Epirus. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Epirus (from Ionic Greek Ήπειρος - Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος - Apeiros, in Albanian

He participated on the government side in the Greek Civil War and later served in the Makronisos internment camp, which detained communists. The Greek Civil War (ο Eμφύλιος, "the Civil War" fought from 1946 to 1949 by the Governmental forces receiving logistical support by the United Kingdom Makronisos (Μακρόνησος long island) is an Island in the Aegean sea, in Greece and is located close to the coast of Attica In 1963, he served in Cyprus. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía

Ioannides took active part in the coup d'etat of April 21, 1967 but preferred to stay in the background during the first six years, allowing George Papadopoulos to take the limelight. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Georgios Papadopoulos (Γεώργιος Παπαδόπουλος ( May 5, 1919 June 27, 1999) was the head of the military Coup d'état Ioannides became chief of the Greek Military Police (ESA) which he developed into a feared force for military and civilians alike. The Greek Military Police ( Greek: Ελληνική Στρατιωτική Αστυνομία (ΕΣΑ generally known in English by the acronym ESA He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1970 and brigadier general in 1973. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar.

After the Athens Polytechnic uprising of November 1973, Ioannides organised a coup d'état and, on November 25, overthrew Papadopoulos and installed his friend and fellow Epirote, Phaedon Gizikis, as President of Greece. The Athens Polytechnic uprising in 1973 was a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the Karamanlismetapolitefsijpg|200px|thumb|right| Konstantinos Karamanlis taking the oath of office during Metapolitefsi as Phaedon Gizikis watches on 24th July 1974 at 415 a The President of the Republic (Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the elected Head of state

Ioannides also organised the July 15, 1974 coup d'état in Cyprus which overthrew the government of Archbishop Makarios III. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Makarios III (Μακάριος Γ born Mihail Christodoulou Mouskos (Greek Μιχαήλ Χριστοδούλου Μούσκος) on August 13, This led to the Turkish invasion of the island on July 20 which, in turn, led to the downfall of the Greek Junta and to metapolitefsi. The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on July 20 1974, was a Turkish Military operation against a coup which had been staged by the Cypriot Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold The Metapolitefsi ( Greek: Μεταπολίτευση, translated as Polity or Regime change) was a period in Greek

Ioannides was arrested and charged with rebellion and treason. He was given a death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment, which he is still serving at Korydallos Prison. Korydallos Prison Complex is the main prison of Greece, housing both maximum security men and women

In 2002, his name, along with other surviving members of the Junta leadership, was removed from the Greek register of electors.

External reference

• loannidis: Power in the Wings, TIME, 10 December 1973