Anyone help identify this fellow? Could be a politician.

[Shaun Springer]

Would anyone be able to help me identify this chap. I've a feeling he may have been at the Versailles peace conference. Thanks in advance.

[apwright]

It's the Greek statesman Eleftherios Venizelos, supporter of the Allies in WW1 and opponent of the Greek king's sympathies with the Germans.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleftherios_Venizelos

The signature is in Greek letters with his first name abbreviated to Elefth.

Can I ask where you got his autograph?

[liverpool annie]

I had JUST found the same thing !! came back to post and apwright beat me to it !!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleftherios_Venizelos

Eleftherios Venizelos was born in Chania, Crete in 1864. After studying law in Athens Venizelos became leader of the Liberal Party in Crete. In 1896 he took a prominent role in the Cretan rising against Turkish rule. In 1905 Venizelos becoming the island's first independent prime minister.

In 1910 Venizelos became prime minister of Greece and supported the Balkan League against Turkey (1912) and Bulgaria (1913). As a result of these conflicts Greece gained territory from its defeated rivals.

On the outbreak of the First World War Venizelos favoured an alliance with Britain, France and Russia against the Central Powers. Venizelos wanted Greece to give military aid to the Allies during the Dardanelles campaign, and when King Constantine I refused to agree, he resigned from office.

When Venizelos was re-elected after a landslide victory in March 1915, he ordered mobilization of the Greek Army. When Venizelos invited the Allied forces to Salonika he was dismissed by the king. Venizelos returned to Crete where he formed a provisional revolutionary government.

With the support of Allied forces, Venizelos made plans to march on Athens. In June 1917 King Constantine I was deposed and Venizelos was able to regain power without resorting to force.

Venizelos led the Greek war effort until the Armistice in November 1918. At the Versailles Peace Conference, Venizelos won substantial territorial gains from Bulgaria and Turkey.

Despite his achievements Venizelos was defeated in the 1920 General Election. The new pro-royalist government invited King Constantine I back to power.

Venizelos was prime minister again in 1924, 1928-32 and 1933. In 1935 Venizelos came out of retirement to support another revolt in Crete. When this failed Eleftherios Venizelos was forced to flee to France where he died in 1936.

Annie

EDIT .............. Thought this may give you some extra information !

http://www.venizelos-foundation.gr/endocs/biografia.jsp

[Shaun Springer]

Many thanks. I'm astonished to have a response at all, and then two! My apologies for the tardiness of my response -I forgot to click some button...still can't find it. It was one of five signed photos I couldn't identify from a fellow who collected autographs of politicians and commanders from around 1900 to 1919. It would seem the collector gained most of them at Versailles. Once again, many thanks