Alexandros Karapanos

Who was Alexandros Karapanos?

Alexandros Karapanos was a Greek politician and diplomat. He was born in Arta and died in Athens.

Karapanos was the son of politician and archeologist Konstantinos Karapanos. He studied law and political science in Paris. In 1899 he joined the Greek diplomatic corps and became the country’s ambassador in several European capitals during the following years. At the outbreak of the Balkan Wars he was appointed political-diplomatic advisor to the Army of Epirus.

In February 1914, when the Great Powers awarded the region of Northern Epirus, which had been under the control of the Greek army, to the Principality of Albania, he moved to Gjirokastër and became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the provisional autonomous government formed by the local Greek population. His relative, Georgios Christakis-Zografos, was the head of this government. After successful negotiations with the representatives of the Great Powers and William of Wied of Albania, in May the Protocol of Corfu was signed which granted full autonomy to Northern Epirus.