He came from an old Cephalonian family and was born in Ithaca when his father was a prefect. The family faced financial problems when the father lost his position. He finished school in Kefalonia and then entered the Evelpidon School in 1885, after 5 years of study he graduated with the rank of Lieutenant of Engineer. He continued his studies at the School of Engineering and then transferred to Nafplio.
In 1897, while serving in the Ministry of Military Affairs as a confidential records officer, he met the heir to the throne, Constantine. He fought in the Greek-Turkish war of 1897. He then completed his studies at the Berlin War Academy on a scholarship from the King and graduated with distinction in 1902. He was influenced by Prussian militarism. He returned and was appointed to the newly created Army General Staff.
He met Victor Doussmanis and Prince Andreas. In 1906 he was promoted to Captain. He then taught Prince George, military history and tactics. With the revolution of Goudi in 1909 he was transferred to Larissa. But in 1910 El. Venizelos, recognizing his qualifications, invited him as his aide-de-camp and as his representative in negotiations with the palace. Before the Balkan wars he represented Greece in agreements with the Bulgarians and Serbs. He participated in all Balkan conflicts and gained great power and staff knowledge. Together with Dusmanis they took over Thessaloniki from Taksin Hassan Pasha.
He continued to lead large units in Epirus and in the capture of Bizani and Ioannina. In 1913 he was promoted to Major and commander of the staff. In the 2nd Balkan War against the Bulgarians he will distinguish himself again, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and awarded the Golden Cross of the Saviour. In 1915 he would disagree with Venizelos about Greece’s involvement on the side of the Entente, he was in favour of Germany along with King Constantine. Metaxas will be retired with the rank of Colonel.
The intense and destructive division (Venizelos – King Constantine) begins. Many ex-Royal officers are organized into groups and called Epistratos, they will persecute the Venizelists in a period between 1917-20. With the deposition of King Constantine and his exile, many officers and politicians will be exiled to Corsica. Dragoumis, Metaxas, Pezmatzoglou etc. After the restoration of the Monarchy, they will return to Greece again (1920).
In 1921 Metaxas was recalled to the army, awarded the rank of Lieutenant General and retired. In the government we have Prime Minister Rallis, Military Gounaris, Xenof. General and others, who call Metaxas to help them in the planned Asia Minor campaign. But he dissociates his position and does not participate in a doomed action as he told them. The disaster was tragic. The events that followed were shocking, Trial of the Six, Refugee, Revolution, Abolition of the Kingdom, Revolution of the pro-monarchist Leonardopoulos – Gargalides – Metaxas (1923), Papanastasiou’s referendum (1924); Pangalos’ dictatorship (1924).
Metaxas founded the Party of Freethinkers, with which and in collaboration with the Zaimi government (1926) he was appointed Minister of Transport and later (1928) Minister of the Interior. Years of isolation would follow but in 1935 he would return to politics and due to instability and a relative tie vote he would be appointed by King George II, Minister of the Military. Thus begins the march to August 4 and the assumption of the Prime Minister’s office due to the sudden death of Prime Minister K. Demertzis. Metaxas’ government followed the ideological current of National Socialism and the formation of the like-minded people of his time (Mussolini, Hitler, Franco). Many deportations, imprisonments, censorship, censorship, ban on the circulation of publications, and police democracy were the result of this policy.
Foreign policy was divided but oriented towards the Anglo-German axis, for different reasons (ideological and economic). In the end a policy of neutrality was chosen. But the Italian provocations, sinking of Elli and threats from Italy, marked the break of friendly relations with the Axis powers. Thus, on the evening of 28 October 1940, his response to the invaders was both patriotic and brave. C. Seferis would write a year later after Metaxas’ sudden death, “When the 28th came, he could not see that only then, and not on the celebrations of the Stadium, the whole people were with him, together with the answer he gave to Grazzi at dawn. He could not understand that that day did not ratify but abolished the 4th of August.”