The Regime Of The Colonels

Although the 1967 coup in Greece differed from other fascist movements on this list because it lacked traditional fascist characteristics, such as imperialism and one-man rule, academic sources from the era categorically identify it as a fascist dictatorship due to its overall characteristics. It was the focal point of the long-running political conflict between the right and left that had been developing in Greece at the time. It was organized by a group of—you guessed it—colonels from the Greek military who intended to thwart the democratic process in the impending general elections.

The military installations were strategically placed across Athens to facilitate the quick takeover, which included the quick detention of all political opponents, primarily anarchists, communists, and other left-leaning figures, but also democratic socialists and centrists. The "Regime of the Colonels," as it is known informally in Greece and elsewhere, governed until 1974 with an iron grip and was widely accused of torturing and killing political opponents.

The administration's hostility for student movements, which it frequently crushed in campuses across the nation during elections and other democratic movements, was one of the many unsettling aspects of the system. One especially horrific instance involved the protests at the Athens Polytechnic College, where the military used a tank and other military-grade weapons to storm the campus, killing at least 34 demonstrators and students (even though unofficial casualty numbers are far higher).