Charilaos Trikoupis and his arch-rival Theodoros Deligiannis…

Charilaos Trikoupis and his arch-rival Theodoros Deligiannis are Greece’s dominant political figures of the last quarter of the nineteenth century—Trikoupis the Westernizer and modernizer, Deligiannis the traditionalist and strong advocate of irredentism.

Trikoupis sees Greece as needing to develop economically, become more liberal socially, and develop its military strength in order to become a truly "modern" state.

During his terms as prime minister in the 1880s (altogether he will serve seven terms, interspersed with the first three of Deligiannis's five terms), Trikoupis has made major economic and social reforms that have pushed Greece significantly to develop in these ways.

The only engine to drive such reform programs is extensive foreign loans.

By 1887, some forty percent of government expenditures go to servicing the national debt.

Trikoupis has levied taxes and import tariffs on numerous commodities, increased the land tax, and established government monopolies on salt and matches.