The tragic events of Athens, where so many of our comrades met a hideous death and were ruthlessly persecuted, opened an unbridgable gap between the blood-thirsty King and the nation.

In order to impose his tyranny he did not hesitate to sacrifice the supreme interests of the Greek people to our national competitors, with the intention to assist the German victory, on which alone he could found his kingship by divine right. And in order to prevent the rapid equipment of those patriots, who aligned with the traditional friends and protector Powers against the common enemies, he did not hesitate to turn the Greek arms against the soldiers, the fathers of whom had shed their blood for the cause of Greek independence. Taking advantage of the occasion he launched his royal army to slaughter those, who preserved their national spirit intact to the end. From this very moment King Constantine is deposed of his throne. We do not doubt that the people as a body will approve of this deposition, which concerns the tyrant King personally and not the dynasty.

The provisional government Venizelos, Koundouriotis, Danglis

(Text dispatched by the provisional government to its local representatives on 24 November 1916, in G.Th. Mavrogordatos, Meletes kai keimena gia tin periodo 1909-1940, Athens-Komotini, Sakkoulas edition, n.d., pp. 88-89)

Yesterday afternoon in the church of St Dionysios a prayer has been delivered in favour of the King, all parishioners being present. Amidst deadly silence and devoutness everybody kneeling along with the priest prayed for the salvation of the King and the crush of the hideous traitors and enemies of the fatherland, with the inspired priest Papafotis shouting "Long live the King and eternal anathema on the traitors". After the prayer, Mr Doufas, being present in the church, talked about the godly-inspired mission of our King and the immortal Greek race, admonishing loyalty and devotion to the King and his army, as well as composure and endurance in this crucial period of our national life.

(Excerpt from the newspaper Chronos, 5 December 1916, in G. Th. Mavrogordatos, Meletes kai keimena gia tin periodo 1909-1940, Athens-Komotini, Sakkoulas editions, n.d., p. 89.