 As the evacuation of the Greek government to Crete was being prepared, Tsouderos, as a Venizelist and Cretan, as well as a known Anglophile, emerged as a prominent choice for the post during the 20th.On the next day, after attending a séance in which the spirit of Venizelos urged him to accept, Tsouderos accepted and was sworn in as Prime Minister.On the 20th, the Greek army in Epirus unilaterally surrendered to the Germans, and on the morning of the 23rd, the Greek government left Athens.