He became chief of staff in the Greek army, but was exiled (1917) when Greece joined the Allies in World War I. He returned (1920), and, after leading a coup, was exiled again (1923–24). A strong monarchist, he held several ministerial posts from 1928 to 1936. With royal approval he dissolved Parliament and became dictator of Greece (1936–41). Under him a united country successfully repelled an Italian invasion in 1940, but in 1941 Hitler’s forces intervened and occupied Greece.