Ernest J. King vs Ioannis Metaxas

King was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the US Fleet (COMINCH) in December 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was given authority over all naval operations in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

Under King's strategic direction, the US Navy decisively defeated the Japanese fleet at the Battle of Midway. The victory turned the tide in the Pacific War, destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers and shifting the strategic initiative to the Allies.

King was appointed Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in March 1942, combining the roles of COMINCH and CNO. He became the single most powerful naval officer in US history, directing all aspects of the Navy's war effort.

King was promoted to the newly created rank of Fleet Admiral (five-star rank) in December 1944. He was one of only four US naval officers to hold this rank during World War II.

King George II appointed Metaxas as Prime Minister after a period of political instability. Metaxas soon suspended parliament and established the 4th of August Regime, a dictatorship modeled on Italian Fascism, with himself as dictator.

Metaxas declared martial law, dissolved political parties, and established a fascist-style regime. He implemented censorship, secret police, and youth organizations, while promoting traditional values and anti-communism. The regime lasted until his death in 1941.

Metaxas rejected an Italian ultimatum demanding occupation of Greek territory, famously responding with 'Oxi' (No). This led to the Greco-Italian War, where Greek forces successfully repelled the Italian invasion and advanced into Albania.

Metaxas died of a streptococcal infection in Athens on January 29, 1941. His death occurred during the Greco-Italian War, leaving Greece without its dictator during the critical period leading up to the German invasion in April 1941.