INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

The organization of the Games offered the possibility to athletes
from all over the world to be together and experience themselves the
results of the different sport systems followed in their countries e.g
Americans performed better in athletics while Germans in gymnastics
etc.
Therefore in Greece the takeover of the organization of the Games
and the disagreement between the royal family and the Prime Minister
Charilaos Trikoupis were the profound and unseen cause of the
governmental crisis and the resignation of the latter. This opened the
way for the takeover of power by Deliyannis and the unimpeded
organization of the Games by the government.
At the time Coubertin was talking to Vikelas about Charilaos
Trikoupis’ “tricks” 37 , the opposition party, taking advantage of the
discontent of the middle class about the deposit of the tax-building bill
organized a demonstration at the Field of Mars 38 . In the conflicts with
Trikoupis’ opposites 39 , the successor of the throne Konstantinos
showed up and recommended to the chief constable not to disperse the
crowd in a violent way as this would be contrary to orders issued by
the Ministry of Internal Affairs 40 .
This action taken by the heir stirred up the enthusiasm Trikoupis’
opposites and questioned the confidence between the Palace and
Trikoupis government. In the light of new developments, Charilaos
Trikoupis, whom the Palace held in high esteem in the past, made
representations to king George 1 st the very next day blaming
Konstantinos for having exceeded the limits of his competence and
asked the king to punish the heir and take a position on the matter 41 .
King George, on the contrary, covered Konstantinos completely and
maintained that his presence in the demonstration was accidental and
it was his intervention that prevented bloodshed between the parties in
conflict 42 . Trikoupis considered the position of the sovereign a blatant
manifestation of trust crisis and, to his opponents’ surprise, submitted
his resignation the same day, on 9 th January 1895 43 .
A different but equally important parameter of the celebration of
the Olympic Games in Greece was the Greek-Turkish war in 1897.
The enthusiasm and the national pride that reached its culminating
point, did not only lead to Greeks’ unanimous request 44 for permanent
celebration of the Olympic Games in Greece. A few months later this
very enthusiasm would lead to an erroneous evaluation of the
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