User:Eithersummer/Sandbox
Marshal Daviti Stephanidis | |
|---|---|
 Daviti Stephanidis in a 1967 propaganda poster | |
| Provisional Head of State | |
| In office 2 August 1949 – 9 December 1973 | |
| Prime Minister | Michail Argyris |
| Preceded by | Nicolaos Michel (As President of East Scobelo) |
| Succeeded by | Saba Michelakis |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office 9 February 1947 – 17 July 1949 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 April 1900 Krika, Borguun Khanate |
| Died | 9 December 1973 (age 73) Borovo, East Scobelo |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Nationality | Scobeloan |
| Political party | Independent Communist Party of Scobelo (1923-1949) |
| Other political affiliations | Maria Stephanidis |
| Alma mater | Borovo Military Academy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Federal Republic of Scobelo.png){kind=small} East Scobelo |
| Branch/service | Army |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | Second Scobeloan-Borgonian War Scobeloan Civil War 1949 East Scobeloan coup |
Daviti Stephanidis (26 April 1900 – 9 December 1973) was a Scobeloan general and politician who ruled East Scobelo from 1949 until his 1973 death as the leader of the Provisional Socialist Military Government of Scobelo.
Stephanidis was born in Krika to a poor farming family. He was drafted into the Scobeloan army as a child soldier during the Second Scobeloan-Borgonian War, and continued to remain in the armed forces after, ascending to the rank of General in 1938 amidst a civil war. A year later, he joined the Allied Democratic Forces that were instrumental in deposing dictator Pjetër Iordanou (Pjetër I). He was appointed Minister of Defense after the 1947 snap elections, but was dismissed in July 1949 due to his connections to radical communist movements.
Stephanidis assumed power in the 1949 East Scobeloan coup d'etat that overthrew the government of democratically elected President Nicolaos Michel. Following his rise to power, Stephanidis banned political parties and persecuted political opponents in the "Second Red Terror." His regime also put an end to the warlordism occurring in East Scobelo's outskirts. He was the subject of a pervasive personality cult; it was mandatory to place a portrait of Stephanidis in the entrances of buildings, and his name was bolded in official documentation and newspapers. His regime was characterized as harsh and totalitarian, and was marked by corruption and rampant human rights abuses. Stephanidis is estimated to have personally embezzeled a fortune of nearly 60 million dinars over the course of his reign.
Stephanidis implemented communist policies modeled after East Scobelo's southern neighbor, Mokrinia, including land collectivization and a series of six-year plans. These were very effective at rebuilding the war-torn country, but the economy began to stagnate beginning in the late 1960s. A series of production disruptions in 1970 caused the "Great Disaster," leading to a widespread famine and economic depression.
Stephanidis is a controversial figure in the history of Scobelo. Supporters credit him with rebuilding the economy and championing socialism and anti-imperialism, while detractors note his corruption, authoritarianism, and the worsening of foreign relations that occurred under his rule.