From the arrival of the King in Athens on Dec. 20, 1920, until his final abdication and second departure on Sept. 3o, 1922, Veni zelos took no official part in Greek affairs, though he continued to use his international influence to endeavour to mitigate the results of the Asiatic disaster, the seeds of which he had sown by his own policy. After the revolution (Sept. 1922), however, Veni zelos for a tithe represented Greece in Western Europe, inter alia at the Conference of Lausanne which culminated in the peace signed with Turkey on J,aly 24, 1923. In the following December, when the publication of that document and various other events had aggravated the existing internal dissension and when the elec tion (Dec. 16) had again given his party a majority, Venizelos was persuaded to return to Athens, where he arrived on Jan. 4, 1924. King George was already then on leave of absence, Venizelos was Prime Minister from Jan. Ir till Feb. 4, when he resigned on the advice of his physician. He left Athens on March Io, just before the country adopted his policy of a republic. He now spent several years of leisure, living mostly in France. In 1928, however, he began to prepare a return to politics. M. Kaptrandair
resigned from the leadership of his section of the Liberals, and Venizelos took his place, declaring this to be the best guarantee against a dictatorship. He brought about the fall of the Govern ment, formed a new government with himself as premier on July 4, and secured a large majority in the election held on Aug. 19. During the autumn he visited Rome, Paris, London and Belgrade on diplomatic missions. In Rome he negotiated with Mussolini a treaty of friendship and arbitration which was signed in October. A treaty of commerce with Yugoslavia was signed in November and followed by a treaty of friendship in March, 1929. He also carried on negotiations for treaties with Bulgaria and Turkey. These activities greatly improved the diplomatic position of Greece and Venizelos turned his attention again toward internal problems.
Venizelos resigned in May 1932, but was again premier from June to November 1932, and from January to March 1933. In March 1935 he put himself at the head of the republican revolt in Crete, and was sentenced to exile. He died March 18, 1936.