The 4th of August Regime (Greek: Καθεστώς της 4ης Αυγούστου, Kathestós tis tetártis Avgoústou), commonly also known as the Metaxas Regime (Greek: Καθεστώς Μεταξά, Kathestós Metaxá), was an authoritarian regime under the leadership of General Ioannis Metaxas that ruled the Kingdom of Greece from 1936 to 1941. It took its name from a self-coup carried out by Metaxas, with the support of King George II, on 4 August 1936. Metaxas presided over a conservative authoritarian and staunchly anti-communist government, the regime took inspiration in its symbolism and rhetoric from Fascist Italy, but never developed into a fully-fledged fascist dictatorship, and retained close links to Britain and France, rather than the Axis powers. Lacking a popular base, after Metaxas' death in January 1941 the reg