Voting Station

King Otto of Greece

Please vote to return to collections.

Monarch

The Resume

    (June 1, 1815-July 26, 1867)
    Born in Salzburg, Austria
    First king of modern Greece (1833-62)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was a Bavarian prince who was appointed King of Greece.
    His refusal to convert from Roman Catholicism to the Greek Orthodox religion alienated many Greeks.
    One historian described his attempts to rule as an absolute monarch with, 'He was neither ruthless enough to be feared, nor compassionate enough to be loved, nor competent enough to be respected.'
    He threatened to enter the Crimean War on the side of Russia against Turkey, prompting a blockade of Greece by Britain and France (1853).
    He and his father, King Ludwig I of Bavaria, shared a mistress, Jane Digby.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was descended from the Byzantine Greek noble families of the Komnenoi and Laskaris so he did have a connection to the country (if you went back about six centuries).
    He oversaw the modernization of Athens.
    He eventually granted a constitution and established a national assembly.
    Despite being forced into exile, he used much of his personal fortune to supply weapons to Greeks rebelling against Turkish rule in Crete (1866).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 94 Votes: 52.13% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 31 Votes: 51.61% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 32 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 28 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 180 Votes: 60.56% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 60 Votes: 73.33% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 74 Votes: 59.46% Annoying