Died By Monkey Bite

Alexander of Greece ruled briefly from 1917 until 1920. He became king during World War I because his father, Constantine I, “had German sympathies.” Constantine was married to Kaiser Wilhelm’s sister, and he figured Germany would win, but he wanted Greece to avoid any entanglements that could draw them into the war.

Ultimately, while officially neutral, Greece was under tremendous pressure to cooperate with the Allies, who possessed the military and economic power to pressure Greece significantly. Greece’s strategic location virtually ensured a political struggle would ensue inside of the nation, and the Allies forced Constantine I to abdicate.

Imagine becoming the King of Greece at 23 years old, right in the middle of the biggest war the world had ever seen—and the two biggest powers were playing tug-of-war over your country. Alexander could never shake the reputation that he was a puppet of the Allied powers.

Greece did expand under his controversial reign, but his marriage to (gasp!)…