Benito Mussolini, the Fascist Dictator of Italy had always had long-term plans for the establishment of a new Roman Empire, which was destined, in his mind, to include Greece. His reasons for a attacking Greece were numerous, including greater oppurtunity to strike at British bases in the Eastern Mediterranean as well as increased influence over the states on the Soviet border, namely Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. However, arguably it was the successes of his more powerful ally Hitler which drove to look for greatness of his own. After the critical defeats his troops had suffered in the Egyptian desert, he turned to the Balkan states for new conquest. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was perceived as too strong, Greece, with it's outdated armed forces and internal strife as well as the fact Italy had occupied the predominantly-Greek Dodecanese islands in the southeastern Aegean since 1911, made Greece the indisputable choice.
After the Greco-Turkish treaty of 1930 and the Balkan Pact of 1934, Greece's historic enemy Turkey was considered to be a more dormant threat. Albania was too weak to be a serious threat and was also a buffer dividing Greece from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia with which Greek relations were relatively cordial. The main threat, during the 1930's was perceived to be Bulgaria and her loud claim to Western Thrace. Thus, when, in 1936, Metaxas came to power in Greece , plans had been laid down for the reorganization of the country's armed forces and for a fortified defensive line along the Greco-Bulgarian frontier. The line was constructed under Metaxas' regime and named after the dictator: the "Grammi Metaxa". During the following years, the Army benefited from great investments aiming at its modernization: it was technologically upgraded, enlarged, largely re-equipped and as a whole dramatically improved from its previous deplorable state.
In early 1939, Italian troops occupied Albania, long under Italian influence, thereby gaining an immediate border with Greece. This new development cancelled all previous plans, and hasty preparations started for the event of an Italian attack. As war exploded in Central Europe, Metaxas, a private Germanophile, tried to keep Greece out of the conflict, but as the conflict progressed, Metaxas felt increasingly closer to Great Britain, encouraged by the ardent anglophile King George II, who provided the main support for the regime. This was ironic for Metaxas, who had always been a Germanophile and who had built strong ties with Hitler's Germany.
A mounting propaganda campaign against Greece was launched in mid-1940 in Italy, and the repeated acts of provocation, such as overflights of Greek territory, reached their peak with the torpedoing and sinking of the Greek light cruiser Elli in Tinos harbor on August 15, 1940 , by an Italian submarine. Despite undeniable evidence of Italian responsibility, the Greek government announced that the attack had been carried out by a submarine of "unknown nationality". Although the facade of neutrality and thus peace was momentarily preserved, the people were well aware of the real perpetrator.
On the eve of October 28, 1940, Italy's ambassador in Athens handed an ultimatum from Mussolini to Metaxas. By then Italy had concentrated a large part of the Italian Army in neighboring Albania, and the Duce demanded free passage for his troops to occupy unspecified "strategic points" inside Greek territory. Greece had been friendly towards National Socialist Germany, especially profiting from mutual trade relations, but now Germany's ally Italy was to invade Greece (without Hitler's awareness), partly to prove that Italians could match the military successes of the German Army in Poland and France. Metaxas rejected the ultimatum, echoing the will of the Greek people to resist, a will which was popularly expressed in one word: "Ohi" (Greek for "No"). Within hours Italy was attacking Greece from Albania.
Despite having been inadequately prepared for offensive in mountainous Greece, Italians initially achieved success. Before winter had even set in however, the Italians advance was stopped and they were forced onto the defensive. The Greeks launched a counter attack on November 14, 1940 which pushed the Italians back into Albania. This made good progress at first, but eventually ground to a halt with the fronts stalemated, due to Italian reinforcements, and exhaustion, lack of transport vehicles and inadequate supply on the Greek side. After the failure of a second Italian offensive in March 1941, intended by Mussolini to bring a success for Italian arms before the looming German intervention, the front was relatively quiet.
Although Italy was still a very large threat, Greek forces began to pull back to pull back to the Greek frontier. German intervention was becoming increasingly realistic and the decision was taken to adopt a defensive stance in the mountains so as to minimise German superiority. By late March the Greek units had withdrawn back into the mountainous terrain.
Shortly afterwards, Metaxas sent an official request for British assistance. With the arrival of British troops in Greece, Hitler finally took the opp8urtunity to rescue his flailing ally. After crushing Yugoslavia within 3 weeks along with other Axis forces, Hitler began his offensive into Greece...
After the Greco-Turkish treaty of 1930 and the Balkan Pact of 1934, Greece's historic enemy Turkey was considered to be a more dormant threat. Albania was too weak to be a serious threat and was also a buffer dividing Greece from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia with which Greek relations were relatively cordial. The main threat, during the 1930's was perceived to be Bulgaria and her loud claim to Western Thrace. Thus, when, in 1936, Metaxas came to power in Greece , plans had been laid down for the reorganization of the country's armed forces and for a fortified defensive line along the Greco-Bulgarian frontier. The line was constructed under Metaxas' regime and named after the dictator: the "Grammi Metaxa". During the following years, the Army benefited from great investments aiming at its modernization: it was technologically upgraded, enlarged, largely re-equipped and as a whole dramatically improved from its previous deplorable state.
In early 1939, Italian troops occupied Albania, long under Italian influence, thereby gaining an immediate border with Greece. This new development cancelled all previous plans, and hasty preparations started for the event of an Italian attack. As war exploded in Central Europe, Metaxas, a private Germanophile, tried to keep Greece out of the conflict, but as the conflict progressed, Metaxas felt increasingly closer to Great Britain, encouraged by the ardent anglophile King George II, who provided the main support for the regime. This was ironic for Metaxas, who had always been a Germanophile and who had built strong ties with Hitler's Germany.
A mounting propaganda campaign against Greece was launched in mid-1940 in Italy, and the repeated acts of provocation, such as overflights of Greek territory, reached their peak with the torpedoing and sinking of the Greek light cruiser Elli in Tinos harbor on August 15, 1940 , by an Italian submarine. Despite undeniable evidence of Italian responsibility, the Greek government announced that the attack had been carried out by a submarine of "unknown nationality". Although the facade of neutrality and thus peace was momentarily preserved, the people were well aware of the real perpetrator.
On the eve of October 28, 1940, Italy's ambassador in Athens handed an ultimatum from Mussolini to Metaxas. By then Italy had concentrated a large part of the Italian Army in neighboring Albania, and the Duce demanded free passage for his troops to occupy unspecified "strategic points" inside Greek territory. Greece had been friendly towards National Socialist Germany, especially profiting from mutual trade relations, but now Germany's ally Italy was to invade Greece (without Hitler's awareness), partly to prove that Italians could match the military successes of the German Army in Poland and France. Metaxas rejected the ultimatum, echoing the will of the Greek people to resist, a will which was popularly expressed in one word: "Ohi" (Greek for "No"). Within hours Italy was attacking Greece from Albania.
Despite having been inadequately prepared for offensive in mountainous Greece, Italians initially achieved success. Before winter had even set in however, the Italians advance was stopped and they were forced onto the defensive. The Greeks launched a counter attack on November 14, 1940 which pushed the Italians back into Albania. This made good progress at first, but eventually ground to a halt with the fronts stalemated, due to Italian reinforcements, and exhaustion, lack of transport vehicles and inadequate supply on the Greek side. After the failure of a second Italian offensive in March 1941, intended by Mussolini to bring a success for Italian arms before the looming German intervention, the front was relatively quiet.
Although Italy was still a very large threat, Greek forces began to pull back to pull back to the Greek frontier. German intervention was becoming increasingly realistic and the decision was taken to adopt a defensive stance in the mountains so as to minimise German superiority. By late March the Greek units had withdrawn back into the mountainous terrain.
Shortly afterwards, Metaxas sent an official request for British assistance. With the arrival of British troops in Greece, Hitler finally took the opp8urtunity to rescue his flailing ally. After crushing Yugoslavia within 3 weeks along with other Axis forces, Hitler began his offensive into Greece...
