I recently played a HoI3 campaign (I know, I know - but hear me out) as Greece, wherein I elected to attempt neutrality during dub-dub-two, and instead exploit global instability for the gain of the Hellenes. However, I became bogged-down in a horrifically costly war in Turkey, and was spared only by the offer of Axis membership, and swift intervention by papa Germany. Obviously, that's all me, the player, mucking about, and reacting to mostly random events with very little historical bearing (as the PoD for Paradox games is the moment you hit 'play'!).
However, it did get me thinking about both what kind of circumstances would see Greece propelled onto the opposite side to OTL.
I actually know shamefully little about Greece around the time of WW2. However - and correct me if I'm wrong - wasn't it (ostensibly) a 'fascist' dictatorship, with a big anti-communist mindset among its politicians?
Perhaps the Greco-Turkish wars ended with a peace treaty, but without the population exchange we saw in OTL (allowing for the continuing tension of a 'threatened' Greek minority in Istanbul/Constantinople). Perhaps a floundering Greek dictatorship beefs-out its armed-forces, and stumbles its way into a war with Turkey in an attempt to create some semblance of national unity (a-la Argentina invading the Falklands).
Germany realises that this fascist nation, invading Turkey, has the potential to create a friendly land-bridge to the delicious oil reserves in the Middle East, and signs a defensive pact with Greece - joining the war on their side with the intention of occupying the whole of Turkey, and not just the sections with a Hellenic population.
Butterflies-upon-butterflies, of course, but perhaps this even delays the invasion of the Soviet Union, as German/Italian/Greek troops are fighting their way towards/through the Middle East. I also envisage a lot of inter-Axis tension, with Italy seeing Greece as a Mediterranean rival, which it has been expressly forbidden from fighting.
In my mind, regardless of how the war goes, Axis Greece collapses into civil war, with Communist rebels (probably backed by the Soviets, if the invasion of Russia has begun).
Anyway - I was just musing on this whilst at work, today, and thought it was interesting. What are your thoughts? What set of circumstances could result in an Axis Greece (and perhaps a contiguous Greater Hellenic Empire consisting of Greece+Occupied Turkey)? What might a postwar Europe/Middle East look like, ITTL?
(First thread - please be gentle with me!)
Edit: If I've done anything wrong, here, please let me know, and I shall amend my behaviour!