The Military Coup in Greece and the Initial U.S. Response, April–September 1967


273. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Flash. Received at 6:33 a.m. and passed to the White House, DOD, CIA, USIA, and NSA at 6:55 a.m.


274. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Confidential. Received at 12:36 p.m.


275. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Flash; Limdis. Repeated to USCINCEUR, USDOCOSouth, the Secretary of Defense, and DIA. Received at 3:59 p.m. and passed to the White House, DOD, CIA, USIA, and NSA at 4:16 p.m. Rostow forwarded the substance of this telegram to the President at 6:30 p.m. in a memorandum. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Greece, Vol. 2)


276. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Flash. Repeated to the Secretary of Defense, DIA, USCINCEUR, and USDOCOSouth. Received at 7:07 p.m. and passed to the White House, CIA, DOD, USIA, and NSA at 7:10 p.m.


277. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Received at 7:38 p.m. on April 21 and passed to the White House, CIA, DOD, NSA, and USIA at 7:50 p.m.


278. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Flash. Drafted by Rockwell and approved by Battle.


279. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. The time of transmission on the source text is illegible; the telegram was received at 3:29 p.m. Repeated to CINCEUR, USDOCOSouth, the Secretary of Defense, JCS, and DIA. Passed to the White House, DOD, CIA, USIA, and NSA.


280. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 GREECE. Secret; Limdis; Noforn. Drafted by Rockwell, cleared by Katzenbach, and approved by Battle. Repeated to Bonn for Secretary Rusk as Tosec 26.


281. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Immediate; Limdis; Noforn. Repeated to Bonn for Secretary Rusk, USCINCEUR, USDOCOSouth, the Secretary of Defense, JCS, DIA, and London. Passed to the White House, DOD, USIA, CIA, and NSA.


282. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 GREECE. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Ankara, London, Nicosia, USCINCEUR, and the Secretary of Defense. Passed to the White House, CIA, DOD, NSA, and USIA.


283. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL GREECE. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Rockwell, cleared in NEA, and approved by Battle.


284. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL GREECE. Secret; Priority; Limdis.


285. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 29 GREECE. Secret; Limdis.


286. Telegram From the Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Regional Organizations to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL GREECE–US. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Athens, USCINCEUR, and EUCOM for POLAD.


287. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 CYP. Confidential. Received at 2:19 p.m. and repeated to the Secretary of Defense, DIA, JCS, USDOCOSouth, USCINCEUR, Ankara, London, Paris, and Thessaloniki. The meeting described in this telegram was the first between Talbot and Papadopoulos. The Ambassador reported on their discussions relating to the Greek internal situation in telegram 5191 from Athens, May 10. (Ibid., POL 15 GREECE)


288. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 GREECE. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Owens and Brewster and approved by Rockwell. Repeated to Ankara, London, Nicosia, Paris, USCINCEUR, and USDOCOSouth.


289. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 GREECE. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Passed to the White House and USIA.


290. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Greek Coup, 1967. Secret; Sensitive. A note on the memorandum reads: “rec’d 5–15–67, 3:30 p.m.” The memorandum is marked with an “L,” indicating that the President saw it.


291. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 GREECE. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to Ankara, Nicosia, Paris, and USUN.


292. Letter From the Ambassador to Greece (Talbot) to the Country Director for Greece (Brewster)

Source: Department of State, Greek Desk Files: Lot 69 D 553, POL 15–1. Secret; Exdis.


293. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–5 GREECE. Secret. Drafted by Owens, cleared by Brewster, and approved by Rockwell.


294. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 GREECE. Secret; Limdis. Drafted and approved by Rockwell and cleared in S/S. Repeated to Ankara, Nicosia, and Belgrade.


295. Circular Airgram From the Department of State to the NATO Capitals

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 CYP. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Horner and McCaskill, cleared by NEA and EUR, and approved by Rockwell. Also sent to Moscow and Belgrade and repeated to Nicosia and Istanbul.


296. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt Rostow, Vol. 35. Secret; Nodis.


297. Letter From the Ambassador to Greece (Talbot) to the Country Director for Greece (Brewster)

Source: Department of State, Greek Desk Files: Lot 71 D 6, Letters from Athens. Secret.


298. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 GREECE. Secret; Exdis.


299. Telegram From the Embassy in Turkey to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 CYP. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Repeated to Athens and Nicosia.


300. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: Department of State, Briefing Book Files: Lot 69 D 553, Visit of King Constantine. Secret. Talking points for the President’s meeting with the King were attached but are not printed.


301. Memorandum of Meeting Between President Johnson and King Constantine

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 GREECE. Secret; Nodis. The source text, which bears the handwritten dates “9/13” and “9/15/67,” bears no drafting information but, according to a September 25 covering memorandum by Benjamin Read, it was prepared on the basis of Walt Rostow’s recollections. According to the President’s Daily Diary, he met with King Constantine alone in the Oval Office from 12:37 to 1:30 p.m., when they joined Vice President Humphrey, Secretary Rusk, Secretary McNamara, Walt Rostow, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Lucius Battle, Greek Chargé Alcibiades C. Papadopoulos, and Grand Marshal of the Greek Court Leonidas Papagos for a luncheon. The King left the White House at 2:35 p.m. (Johnson Library)

During his Washington visit, the King also met with members of Congress. A memorandum of this conversation is in the Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Athens Post Files: FRC 72 A 5030, POL 7 Visits, King Constantine.