Could have Hitler persuaded Musolini not to attack Greece in 1940?

In October 1940 Italy attacked Greece as Musolini believed that this would be an easy victory for him (needed that after a serie of defeats in Ethiopia and N. Africa) plus it will be one step further for the rebirth of Roman Empire as he envisioned it... However he faced heavy resistance and combined with Italy's strategic mistakes he waw defeated thus forcing Germany to intervene in order to save them from embarassment plus to secure their flanks frm the mess Musolini created...

Is it possible that Hitler could have persuaded Musolini not to attack Greece and thus use the forces originally pinned on Greece elsewhere? Given the fact that Greece had decided to stay neutral and that Metaxas had forbidden British troops to enter Greece (in OTL British entered Greece after Metaxas death in 1941) what impact on WWII has the elimination of Greco-Italian war and the subsequent German invasion?

If I remember correctly Hitler wasn't even informed that an invasion was planned so it would be difficult. Maybe if they find out they could try.

Samm said:

If I remember correctly Hitler wasn't even informed that an invasion was planned so it would be difficult. Maybe if they find out they could try.

Click to expand...

In 15 august 1940 Italians torpedoed the Greek destroyer "Elli" outside Tinos while the ship was participating in the festivities of the Dormition of Virgin Mary... Despite the efforts of Greek Government to hide the identity of the one behind this act it soon leaked that Musolini was behind this and surely embassies in Athens were informed or found it out the next days if not hours after the act... Hitler could have intervene then and told Musolini to stop acting stupidly...

Much of the motivation for attacking Greece was due to jealousy of the German military mission moving into Romania on October 8th 1940 (where the Italians had interests). Greece invasion was an Italian counter move designed to protect her dominant position in the Balkans. The Italians wouldn't have tried it unless they thought it was going to be easy.

Perhaps better communication with Mussolini over this Romania move or a joint Italian-German military mission and the Italians then decide to not do Greece.

In the end though Greece/No Greece might not change things much. There is much thought that the German Greece campaign of April 1941 didn't hurt Barbarossa because the German weren't ready anyway before June 22nd due to rainy weather, the need to complete airfield contruction in the east, and that strategic suprise was achieved because the Soviets didn't expect an attack that late (which wouldn't happen in May when the Soviets were expecting an attack).

The British, without a Greece diversion might be tempted to push on to Tripoli in Febuary 1941 which might help the British strategic situation enough in combination with the seas around Greece being open that the British could send much non lethal aid via the Turkish straits (aviation fuel, locomotives, packaged rations, civilian goods, agricultural machinery etc.).

The reality is the German were very lucky to be in a OTL position September/October 1941 that they were close to collapsing the Soviet regime and most things that could have changed help the Allies.

As i said above Italians torpedoed destroyer Elli 3.5 months before invasion so their intentions were perfectly clear... They wanted to draw Greece to war... However Hitler did not intervened then... Perhaps he thought that Greece was easy prey for Italy and let Musolini go nuts in Greece?