He was the third child of Corfiote Nikolaos Andreas Theotokis. After graduating from the Ionian High School, he enrolled at the Law School of the
Ionian University. In 1861 he received his law degree from the Ionian University with a scholarship and continued his studies at the
Sorbonne in
Paris. Upon his return to Corfu, he worked as a lawyer. In 1879 he took part in the municipal elections and was elected mayor with a percentage of 65%. In 1883 he was re-elected mayor only to leave in 1885 at the invitation of
Charilaos Trikoupis, to become a member of the
Hellenic Parliament for the Trikoupis party. In May 1886 Trikoupis appointed him
Minister for Naval Affairs. As a minister Theotokis ordered the
battleships
Spetsai,
Hydra and
Psara. He also improved drastically the condition of the
Navy by promoting better training and establishing many naval academies and schools. Later Trikoupis appointed him Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs and Public Education. With the aid of professor Papamarkos, Theotokis prepared and submitted to Parliament
progressive legislation for the improvement of education in Greece. However, the legislation was never passed due to the opposition of
Theodoros Deligiannis. From mid-1903 to 1909 Theotokis became three more times Prime Minister of Greece, the third time being the longest at the prime minister's post. Among his achievements are the organisation and strengthening of the army, including the adoption of modern
khaki uniforms. He provided assistance for the
Macedonian Struggle and is noted for his calm and deliberate foreign policy in the tense period just prior to the
Balkan Wars (1912–1913). His grandson
Georgios Rallis, who also became prime minister, has criticized him for two, in his opinion, important mistakes. Namely because in the days leading to the disastrous
Greco-Turkish War of 1897, Theotokis did not oppose sending the
Hellenic Army to
Crete, that led to the outbreak of the war. The second mistake was Theotokis's refusal to mediate between King
Constantine I of Greece and Prime Minister
Eleftherios Venizelos during 1915–1916, a disagreement that eventually grew to become the
National Schism. Georgios Theotokis, however, is considered by many to be a politician distinguished for his high ethics, calm demeanor and controlled temper, qualities not often found among politicians of his era. As a
mayor of Corfu, Georgios Theotokis approved construction for the
Municipal Theatre of Corfu in 1885. ==References==