On this day in 1925, General Theodoros Pangalos passes law on length of women’s skirts

On November 30, 1925, General Theodoros Pangalos introduced a new law in Greece, dictating the length of women’s skirts be no more than 30 cm above the ground when they are in public.

The new law applied to all females aged 12 and over. Those who did not comply with the new law were prosecuted.

According to urban legend, Pangalos imposed the law because his wife became furious after seeing a female staff member in his office wear a skirt reaching her knee.

The first recorded offence against the new skirt rule was by 22-year-old Katina Vogiatzi. She was imprisoned for 24 hours because her skirt was 38cm from the ground.

Lieutenant General Theodoros Pangalos

Pangalos was a Greek soldier, politician and dictator. A staff officer, an ardent Venizelist and anti-royalist, he played a leading role in the September 1922 revolt that deposed King Constantine I and in the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic.

In June 1925, he staged a bloodless coup, and the National Assembly recognised his assumption of power and named him Prime Minister.

As a “constitutional dictator”, Pangalos ruled the country until his overthrow in August 1926.

From April 1926 until his deposition, he also occupied the office of President of the Republic.

He withdrew from public life but remained active in the Venizelist military circles. During the Axis Occupation of Greece, Pangalos and military officers close to him played a role in establishing the Security Battalions and were widely suspected of collaboration with the Germans. Cleared by a postwar court, he ran unsuccessfully for political office and died in 1952.

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