Sofoklis Venizelos

Sofoklis Venizelos (Greek: Σοφοκλής Βενιζέλος; 3 November 1894 – 7 February 1964) was a prominent Greek politician who three times served as Prime Minister of Greece (once in exile).

He was born in Chania. The second-born son of Eleftherios Venizelos, Sofoklis served with distinction in the Greek Army during the First World War and the initial phases of the Asia Minor campaign, reaching the rank of Captain of Artillery. He resigned from the Army and was elected as a MP with his father's Liberal Party in the 1920 elections. In 1941, after Greece was occupied by German troops, he became ambassador to the United States, representing the Greek government in exile based in Cairo. He became a minister of that government in 1943, and its Prime Minister in 1944.

After the end of the war, he returned to Greece where he became Vice President of the Liberal Party (led by Themistoklis Sofoulis) and a minister in the first post-war government led by Georgios Papandreou. In 1948, he assumed the leadership of the party and became a minister in a number of short-lived liberal governments led by Papandreou and Nikolaos Plastiras; he was also the Prime Minister of two such governments.

In 1954, his longtime friendship with Georgios Papandreou was shaken, and he formed the rival Liberal Democratic Union coalition. The rift was bridged in 1958, and in 1961 he became a founding member of Papandreou's Center Union party, which he served until his death in 1964.

He died on the passenger ship "Hellas" heading for Piraeus from Chania. His grave lies next to his father's on the island of Crete.