The German Invasion of Greece (1941)

The German invasion of Greece (Γερμανική εισβολή στην Ελλάδα) was part of the Balkan Campaign. Germany invaded both Yugoslavia and Greece on 6 April 1941. The Greek Army was already fighting in Albania against the Italians in the Greco-Italian War. Before the German attack Commonwealth troops arrived in Greece and took up positions. The Germans attacked via Yugoslavia but the Metaxas Line where Fort Rupel held out for several days. During the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of the Corinth Canal the Germans beat the Allies. Eventually the Germans took over mainland Greece as the Allies evacuated their remaining troops. In May 1941 the Battle of Crete followed. After this the Germans were in full control of Greece and the Axis occupation of Greece started.
History Hustle presents: The German Invasion of Greece (1941).
My video about the AXIS OCCUPATION of GREECE:
• Greece during World Wa...
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SOURCES
- The Defence and Fall of Greece 1940-41 (John Carr).
- War in the Balkans. The Battle for Greece and Crete 1940-1941 (Jeffrey Plowman).
- Greece. Biography of a Modern Nationa (Roderick Beaton).
- Inside Hitler’s Greece. The Experience of Occupation, 1941-44 (Mark Mazower).
IMAGES
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VIDEO
Video material from:
archive.org/details/19410430D...
1941-04-30 - Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 556 (24m 09s, 720x544)
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Want to ask me a question? Send me an email at: [e-mail]

[@HistoryHustle]

Greece under Metaxas: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqq6nJira7h9kJI Why Greece Didn't Join the Axis: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q520qmuBbsd4g5Y The Axis Occupation of Greece: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKnEd6aHorainaM

[@marcoskehl]

✅ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 🇧🇷

[@user-yz8pw9dv2n]

Thank God ! Greece was not like those axis satanic scum.Metaxas knew that he would never have the solid backing of Greeks in that kind of shot move.Also anti semitism was a poison in many Greek minds that was only in certain areas such some racist Greeks in Thessaloniki it was not a popular opinion in most of Greece then as say Romania Hungary Croatia.Italy did not begin its fascist filth against its jews.And Albania was never anti jewish.

[@jokodihaynes419]

Greece was like "if i going down i am taking many of you down with me i wont go quietly into the night"

[@HistoryHustle]

Pretty much.

[@tohellorbarbados7119]

My uncle's name is on one of the memorials behind the narrator. George Renwick Thomas, Royal Engineers. My dad's big brother. The last knowledge of his whereabouts was that he was being evacuated on the King of Greece's yacht, which had been converted to a hospital ship, when it was dive-bombed by a Stuka. He could not swim. His parents, my grandparents, held on to the hope that he was still alive until after the end of the war, when it became clear that he had not survived the attack. I have visited the Phaleron Cemetery twice. It is always a moving experience. There are pine trees to the narrator's left, providing a cooling shade where large tortoises patrol the calm woods. I recognised the location as soon as the video started.

[@theodorospadelidis6537]

hey i have greek discord server if interested to join send me your discord account with tag

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this.

[@AB-jz9ns]

Your uncle was a true hero. As a Greek I’m humbled by his sacrifice!

[@ft1367]

Great video! The brother of my grandmother's father fought in the greek-italian war. He was 20 years old. He never came back and his body was never found. The government gave the family every month money for their lost. My grandmother's grandpa cried every time he took the money and told "this are my sons bones" and he didn't spend the money. He hold it for all his life. Grandmas dad named one of his daughters after his brother "Fotis". This is a story which I cry everytime I am thinking of. Rest in peace. Thanks to them, we are leaving free now. Thanks for doing this videos! They are always really good!

[@HistoryHustle]

Tragic! Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@GrecoByzantine1821]

The brother of my grandfather also died in Albania during the Greco-Italian war, but the Greek government gave nothing!

[@user-sd2cz8fk2u]

We are very proud for your family. My grandfather Vasilios Ikonomithis from Nigrita Serron fight for Greek army for 7 years in Balkan and Asia Minor.

[@candlesinwoodenroom4888]

@@user-sd2cz8fk2u ded.

[@eleanorkett1129]

What a heart breaking story. The Greeks fought hard, which is why the Commonwealth felt obliged to assist them.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching.

[@aris9560]

Churchill did everything in his power to get Greeks into the war with the allies. Even by landing troops in the knowledge of Hitler to force the hand of Greece to enter the war. Ofcourse the commonwealth soldiers that fought and died in Greece are all heroes and we're hugely indebted to them.

[@deliriumbee4678]

1.3m axis power vs 450 k Greek troops and 50k Australians and new Zealand

[@leosword7142]

​@user-rs4bx3yx6mok peasant 😂😂😂😂

[@goro2867]

Thank you for the video! It is a great honor that my ancestors fought against Italian fascists and German Nazis.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@Artur_M.]

Great video, as always! My favorite story from the defense of Greece is that time when a Greek pilot Marinos Mitralexis successfully rammed an enemy plane, after running out of ammo. Admittedly, part of the appeal for me is that he was flying the Polish-made PZL P.24 fighter plane.

[@lefterisgeorgiou4424]

The enemy plane was an Italian bombardier. Using his propeller he rammed the Italian back wing He forced it to land and using his revolver captured the crew

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks Artur!

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Artur M. - The Greeks can’t even get “kamikaze” tactics right: Mitralexis survived the day. 🙂 Greetings to Poland The Brave, homeland of Jan Sobieski and his ‘Winged Hussars’, from Hellas! 🇲🇨🌿🇬🇷

[@Artur_M.]

@@dorianphilotheates3769 Thanks! I would say that this is the best way to perform the "kamikaze" tactics. PS. I think that's the flag of Indonesia (or Monaco). Polish has white on top and the red on the bottom. 😉

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

That soldier, who would rather jump with his flag than surrender.. Gives me food for thought. Great vid again Stefan! Greets 🌷, T.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@abandoneduniverses]

Yes.Konstantin Koukkidis..The Brave patriot guard of Greek flag..His name gaven to name public Roads ..we never forget his sacrifice

[@alexisleon3769]

We had no chance against the Germans, but it doesn't matter. Killing as many nazis as possible is a noble thing. We lost approximately 8% of our population in 4 years (600.000 souls), coming third in casualties after Russian s and Poles. A friend from Greece

[@HistoryHustle]

I understand. Soon more on this.

[@robertm.8653]

I really liked this video Stefan! It was wonderful. Great respect for that lone Greek guard, may he ( and all fallen soldiers ) rest in peace. 🕊️

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching.

[@papertoyss]

Thank you for this video. I understand of course that it's impossible to cover all the details of this invasion, but a rather important detail is that in October 1940 on the side of the Italian fascists who invaded Greece, there was a large army of Albanian volunteers, who got enlisted by the thousands in the Italian army before the invasion to Greece. *IMPORTANT NOTE:* I would never mention this army of Albanians, if Albania had no borders with Greece and if this army didnt invaded Greece in order *exactly* serve the plans of the offical Albanian State (as explained below). On this basis it makes *no difference* if this army was official or not, given that it occupied large Greek regions *serving the will of both* the Albanian State and the Albanian people. Officially Albania surrendered to Italy in April 7 1939, but in reality the Italian army invaded Albania by simply lifting the bar. There was a small group of resistance, but they were insignificant. The Italians were welcomed as liberators. The Albanian PM in April 1939 upon an official visit to Italy referred to King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy as _"my Emperor"_ while handing him the crown of Georgios Kastriotis (curiously of Greek origins) or in Albanian "Skenderbeu", who is still being worshiped in this country as their most important national hero. The willingness of the Albanians to fight on the side of Italy against Greece was such, that is being mentioned with astonishment in the official Italian army correspondence. Just to get an idea of their numbers, the Italian army provided ...10,000 rifles for those who didnt yet owned one. Their ultimate goal was to (mainly) occupy the Greek regions of Epirus and Central Greece, which they previously occupied as Ottoman allies, and lost during the 1821 Greek War for Independence. During WW2 the regions of Epirus and parts of Central Greece were occupied not by the Nazis, but by their Albanian allies. This was a very brutal occupation of public executions and ethnic cleansing. Though not the official Albanian army, this was the *fourth concurrent* occupation of Greece, alongside the ones (well known) by the German Nazis, the Italian fascists and the Bulgarian Komitadjis. Of the above the ones who commited the less crimes were the Italians (I'm pretty sure all agree to this). The Germans invaved and conquered Greece for its geostrategic position, the Italians always saw Greece as a part of the Roman Empire, the Bulgarians (as well as the Yugoslavs) needed access to the Aegean Sea and the Albanians never overcame the fact that since the fall of the Ottoman Empire which till then kept them under her wings, they were a big nothing and recalled the good ol Ottoman era. After the fall of Mussolini, Italy fought on the side of the Allies. The Albanian army who invaded Greece on the side of the Italian fascists came to the same agreement with the Nazis and continued fighting on the side of the Axis on the term that these Greek regions will remain under Albanian control and later they would be incorporated to Albania.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[@Iamjustabirdinthesky]

Great video! Greece is not getting enough respect for ww2. Here in the Netherlands we never learn this in school

[@HistoryHustle]

Agree! Thanks for watching.

[@Irene-iu9sj]

not just you. there are very few European who know how hard and how long Greek soldiers fought. most of European kn ow ,is Mikonos,Santorini,.musak,a.,souvlaki,and syrtaki.......

[@Iamjustabirdinthesky]

@@Irene-iu9sj true but on Crete if people see the tradition and the people you see that the Cretans are not the souvlaki type of Greeks

[@HORMOVAS]

Compared to other countries that were immediately surrendered, Greeks fought for their God, their family, and their country. Regardless of the result of this battle, the delay of Germans in Greece was the first step towards the Nazi's defeat. Adolf Hitler said, "The Greek soldier, above all, fought with the most courage," and Winston Churchill said, "Hence, we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks." Imagine if Greece had all of its army for the Germans! Operation Barbarosa would never have happened!

[@HistoryHustle]

Credit were credit is due, Hitler held the Greeks in high regard because of their resistance against Italy. The claim that 'the delay of Germans in Greece was the first step towards the Nazi's defeat' I find a little too much credit.

[@HORMOVAS]

@@HistoryHustle Hitler held high regard because of the resistance against his army as well. For example, just see the Fort Rupel story. Regarding, the second part, well Sir, unfortunately Georgy Zhukov is not alive. If he was alive, we could ask him and he would tell us.

[@HistoryHustle]

I see. History would be so much more clear if we could speak to the dead people.

[@devesdeves2299]

I did a job at a house a few years ago, in the hallway was a framed certificate naming the house owner an an honorary Cretan for his service there. I am in New Zealand. Crazy that people went from here where we were relatively safe to fight for others, so much respect.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this.

[@papertoyss]

A friend is always welcomed no matter how far he came from, and the further he comes from in order to help, the strongest the friendship. I think that's the spirit.

[@pkavaleris1]

Thank you for doing this video for German invasion to Greece. My grandfather was a soldier in the Greco Italian war, wounded and finaly died on June of 1941. I would like to tell that every story for the contribution of commonwealth troops in the greek defense against Germans had never taken into consideration the situation in the Nort African front in the same period. In April of 1941 the British troops in Africa were pushed back from Romel's assault and this was limiting their ability to defend Greece in the beginning and Crete in the end.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply. He your grandfather rest in peace.

[@theodorospadelidis6537]

hey i have greek discord server if interested to join send me your discord account with tag

[@NickStrife]

Do a research about the Greek Sacred Squad which got formed after the fall of Crete.. You will be surprised at their record.. They liberated the Greek islands in the end..

[@HistoryHustle]

Perhaps one day in the future.

[@georgekaragiannakis6637]

Thanks you Stefan for your presentation on the continuation of the Greek campaign. General Georgios Tsolakoglou who surrendered the Epirus Army of 14 divisions, later became Prime Minister of the collaborationist Greek Government. He was sentenced to life imprisonment when Greece was liberated. You mentioned the Commonwealth forces, and an interesting fact that the Australian 6th division and the New Zealand 2nd division were formed into the 2nd ANZACs, under the command of Australian General Blamey. This is significant because the only other ANZAC formation was during WW1. You briefly touched on the Battle of Crete but that deserves its own video given the impact that battle had on the German Fallschirmjäger and the Cretan resistance.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply. Since I won't travel anytime soon to Crete the battle won't be covered by me. But there is plenty on KZbin to find about it!

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

he originally got the death sentence but it was turned to life imprisonment. oddly enough it wasn't for the collaboration with the Germans but for disobeying the orders he had for fighting " to the last man" although to be honest his decision to surrender was the right call since his forces was cut off and most importantly he got a deal that hardly anyone in his position would had refused ( not capturing his men as POWs )

[@georgekaragiannakis6637]

@@HistoryHustle that’s a shame as it’s a beautiful island with very filoxeni people!

[@nikosk3080]

@@Pavlos_Charalambous Ήταν λάθος η συνθηκολόγηση. Θα μπορούσε ο μισός στρατός της Ηπείρου να επιτεθεί στα πλευρά των Γερμανών και ο υπόλοιπος να κρατήσει άμυνα στην Αλβανία έστω και αν χρειαζόταν να υποχωρήσει ως τα σύνορα. Ο λαός το ήθελε, ο στρατός (όχι οι καριερίστες στρατηγοί) και οι Γερμανοί δεν είχαν κανενός είδους περιθώριο να κρατήσουν 20 με 30 μεραρχίες πρώτης γραμμής στην Ελλάδα και την Γιουγκοσλαβία. Η επιχείρηση Μπαρμπαρόσα θα πήγαινε τουλάχιστον ένα χρόνο πίσω και είναι πολύ πιθανό ότι η Σοβιετική Ένωση θα έκανε πρώτη την επίθεση. Ακόμα και μετά την κατάληψη της Κρήτης υπήρχαν βάσιμες ελπίδες για την αποκοπή των Γερμανών. Η όγδοη μεραρχία (Ηπείρου) μπορούσε να κρατήσει τους Ιταλούς έστω υποχωρώντας ως τα σύνορα και οι υπόλοιπες θα μπορούσαν να πλαγιοκοπήσουν τους Γερμανούς στα Τέμπη ή και νοτιότερα.

[@19petros86]

Battle of Hill 731... please check this epic battle that took place during the Greco-Italian war!!!

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

Whenever I see one of your presentations, I always check thumbs up even before I start playing because I know it'll be good. This is an interesting topic. Dankejewel for your work on this one.

[@HistoryHustle]

🥈Many thanks!!

[@julianshepherd2038]

I try to think of a comment but I can't think of anything today.

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

@@julianshepherd2038 Yeah, me neither.

[@marcoskehl]

👍

[@mammuchan8923]

Poor Greece, they stood no chance of preventing their country being overrun by the German war machine. Lots of grief still to come with the occupation. War is hell😭

[@HistoryHustle]

Indeed, thanks for your reaction 👍

[@rudywooders9602]

Metaxas Line had about the 1/3rd of arsenal and soldiers required but still Germans failed to breach it. When the German commander demanded to deliver the bunkers ,the Greek commander Douratsos replied ''bunkers are not delivered ,are occupied'' and after truce when all Greek soldiers were together outside, Germans asked to bring out the rest soldiers off the bunkers and Greek commander said its only us .Then Germans saluted with their weapons raised and let Greek soldiers leave while Greek officers kept their swords and pistols

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this additional information. I hope to travel one day to this location.

[@rudywooders9602]

@@HistoryHustle its worth ,you can enter at in a section of Roupel fort and there is also a military museum around

[@JGLeber]

When Greek surrendered to Germans they said Viva Germania , but Italians complained and Germans let Them take surrender.Greek soldiers Were allowed to take their rifles with them.Mussolini ,not Germans, brought misery to Greece by invading against wishes of Hitler. Greece today , unfortunately, is simply a sock puppet of US British CABAL . My ancestors came from Greece.The country today is corrupt 100 percent.

[@alexdrakopoulos8508]

Wow another informative video, glad i subscribed. Thanks for explaining the invasion in an understandable and interesting way

[@HistoryHustle]

Many thanks!

[@spikeyflo]

Great short history about a very interesting campaign. By the way, if anyone if visiting Athens the national military museum is fascinating and contains a lot of interesting stuff from that time. Great job Stephan.

[@HistoryHustle]

Great museum yes, thanks!

[@jean-francoisrousseau1108]

Brilliant video as as always thanks !

[@HistoryHustle]

👍👍👍

[@marykrueger6039]

Another great video as always. Extremely interesting and informative. Another thumbs up 👍. Keep them coming.

[@HistoryHustle]

👍👍

[@xvsj-s2x]

Stefan, excellent bit of history to remember 👍 Thank you ☺️

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks Jesse!!

[@MarcPagan]

Thanks for another bit of history, made interesting via an expert presentation.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thank you Marc!

[@gumdeo]

Another impressive presentation, thank you.

[@HistoryHustle]

👍👍👍

[@Arcangel77able]

Hello teacher !!. Great Video Stephan!! . At the Italian attack, British aid to Greece was limited (at the request of the Greeks themselves) to 5 RAF squadrons, which operated on the Albanian front. But, when it became clear that Germany would intervene, General Wavel, Antony Eden, they meet in the Tatoi Palace with George II Greek King in February 1941 and offer him new help, the numbers are interesting and the moved King accepts.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your comment.

[@Arcangel77able]

@@HistoryHustlethanks to you. Cheers

[@paulceglinski3087]

Stefan, I too press the like button before even watching the vid. Then through the week watch it a few times. Every one is excellent. Kudos. Cheers.

[@HistoryHustle]

Awesome Paul. Many thanks!

[@paulceglinski3087]

@@HistoryHustle Finished the vid just as I answered. Excellent video again. How ironic is it if the young man that suicided was a possible Greek neo-fascist? Even if he was, what a last great act of defiance and the way you put it was brilliant. Cheers.

[@Albert-Arthur-Wison225]

Thank you so very much , Stefan, for paying attention to the troops ( quite numerous ) of the British Commonwealth in the Greek campaign. My paternal Grandfather was a volunteer member of the AIF ( the only members of the Australian military who were, unlike the Militia, legally able to be despatched overseas at the time…although the Militia did end up getting rushed into New Guinea as the AIF was still being held in the Mediterranean at Churchill’s insistence, in spite of the blindingly obvious threat to both Australia and NZ ). Grandpa also fought in Crete after the evacuation from the mainland. The Germans burnt and shot Cretan civilians on the merest suspicion at all of resistance activity. Recaptured villages were scenes of atrocity and carnage that easily resembled German behaviour throughout Operation Barbarossa.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for taking the time to write this reply. Yes, the German conduct in Greece was brutal.

[@8000296]

Thanks Stefan!

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@andrewsarantakes639]

This is a little studied aspect of WW2. Thanks for this topic.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for replying!

[@coling3957]

1941 was a "busy" year .. for sure.

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

His actions do sound like those of a teenager He didn’t try to fight the Germans but he wouldn’t leave his post either, and in a fit of emotion he impulsively jumped to his death He likely was in EON

[@HistoryHustle]

Indeed. Think so too.

[@qwinegp2000]

Great video

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply.

[@keziahdelaney8174]

I dont believe my eyes😲! I never believed i ll see this cemetery in a YT video nor that it will be at your channel. I drove so many times outside of it, but never bothered to visit it. But 4 sure i ll do it now. I do hope u ll have a good time in my country my friend🙏🏻.

[@HistoryHustle]

Very nice to read. Thanks for your reaction.

[@johnfrederickson]

Nice video

[@HistoryHustle]

🥇

[@marcelgroen6256]

Dank je , Stefan. Mooie anekdote / verhaal over de Griekse soldaat en de vlag. Kende ik nog niet !

[@HistoryHustle]

👍👍

[@shrirang68]

Hi Stefan. Greetings from India. Wish to request you to tell us the story about the German general the SOE had kidnapped from Crete. Would love to hear it from you. Thanks in advance

[@lefterisgeorgiou4424]

You could search at internet: " I'll met by moonlight ",greetings from Greece!!

[@HistoryHustle]

Sounds interesting.

[@mathiaspoelman1493]

I really wonder how the Commonwealth soldiers from Australia and New Zeeland must have felt. Defending your country or being obliged to fight for it is one thing, but dying in a foreign field, in a war that barely effects your home country, is something different. Edit: you really should speak in documentaries, your voice is just perfect for it

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply. I believe their morale wasn't as bad as in Norway but once the retreating begun it was chaos.

[@jackavery7179]

thank you Prefssor Stefan for this very informative presentation. the mainstream media and traditional education system mostly focuses on the Fall of France to the Nazis, the Nazi attack on the USSR. The French resistance and Sabatoge of the Naizis occupation and the 1943 drastic turn of the tide were the USSR started to defeat the Nazis. thank you again. and thank you for that very personal if you will part of the last man standing to protect Greece to the very end. thank you again professor

[@HistoryHustle]

Love to cover the lesser covered WW2 chapters. Many thanks for your enthusiast reply!

[@jackavery7179]

@@HistoryHustle keep up the good work professor

[@Nick_G.]

I hope that you'l cover EAM-ELAS and Aris Velouchiotis in particular, in the Resistance's video

[@HistoryHustle]

One Day for sure

[@gibraltersteamboatco888]

Another great video, Thanks BZ. House of Commons on April 24 1941 Churchill said: “The word heroism I am afraid does not render the least of those acts of self-sacrifice of the Greeks, which were the defining factor in the victorious outcome of the common struggle of the nations, during WWII, for the human freedom and dignity. If it were not for the bravery of the Greeks and their courage, the outcome of WWII would be undetermined.”

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks once else for sharing your thoughts.

[@aleksk4151]

i doubt Churchil said that. If Greeks were so Epic and Legendary and Brave they wouldn't have lost the Greco Turkish war of 1919-1922, they had help from Britan,France,Armenia,Italy still lost while Ottomans came out of WW1 as defeated

[@user-vo5mf3ly9s]

@@aleksk4151 Bravery had also and the army how lost, and to the centuries we prove it how we fight for our country, families and believes.Yes me meaby we lost this war at 1919-1922 but this army fight until 1912 ten years and they doubled the Size of county victorious so many times against Turks, Bulgarians, Albanians, Germans alies... so get serious!

[@rafaelgustavo7786]

Italy is the ultimate proof that its soldiers can be brave, but if their logistics are bad, if your technology lags behind your enemies, if your leaders do not know how to recognize your limitations in the war effort: your nation will be an eternal joke in military historiography

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

i would say that technically wise Italy was above the average, at least at the beginning of ww2 their greatest problem was bad leadership and not enough industrial output to sustain an pronged war like ww2

[@HistoryHustle]

More on the Italian WW2 army: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGSQgmWOYsemY7M

[@mariosathens1]

i think Italy's problem was its ill preparation to fight in mountains during the winter.. Mountains that the Greeks knew very well and had made defensive preparations after an Italian submarine torpedo a Greek warship in the Aegean Sea few months before.. The Greeks knew that the Italians torpedo it but they didn't announce it, they started defensive preparations.

[@giorgiodifrancesco4590]

@@Pavlos_Charalambous Italy had fought two other wars a few years earlier (Spain; East Africa). It could not face a third one at that time. The Duce had not wanted to listen to the advice of anyone who was not his flatterer. He overestimated himself and surrounded himself with careerists. Above all, he hated Italians. He said the more the weak died, the better off the future race would be. Your dictator was no better, only that he knew he was playing at home and had the British Empire on his side.

[@ephilippos]

Great Video thx! Think the Greeks would (and this would be true even today) face any enemy threatening the sovereignty of their land, irrespective of the strength of the opposing force....every time in history, they were always less in numbers as compared to attacking opponents.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply.

[@nickpapagiorgio5056]

Another fantastic video professor! I wanted to ask, do you know if Metaxes is remembered honorably in Greece today? And also since there are hundreds of inhabited Greek isles to the south of the mainland were any of them invaded as well?

[@rudywooders9602]

yes yes

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

the legacy of Metaxas in Greece is pretty much shaped by his refusal to surrender. the islands was invaded as well put it was more like changing garrisons or something

[@nickpapagiorgio5056]

@@Pavlos_Charalambous thank you for helping me understand better. It seems from an outsiders standpoint that with him being an authoritarian ruler but also not so much and for his courage to not align with the axis powers that his remembrance would be somewhat confusing. Good and bad.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

@@nickpapagiorgio5056 the general public almost ignores that he was a dictator, with everything coming with it because of the " ochi" that makes Greeks very proud about their country/ countrymen achievements during the greco Italian war . By the way your name almost should Greek 😉

[@nickpapagiorgio5056]

@@Pavlos_Charalambous I am Greek on my fathers side and Italian on my mothers side so I always joke that I am the best of both worlds lol I am close with both families and I love both cultures but I will say I love the Greek isles more than any place in earth including Italy.

[@daveanderson3805]

Excellent video as always. If the germans hadn't gotten involved, the Greek army would have pushed the Italians into the Mediterranean, and they would have had to swim home.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks! I wonder how the Greco-Italian War would've turned out otherwise. Most likely Italy would've collapsed yes.

[@robertomeneghetti6215]

For sure with boats, not swimming! You have got a big sense of humour, congratulations!

[@minot.8931]

I doubt it.. the Greek army had success because they were on the defensive and the Italian army was chaotic.. but turned around, the Italian army would have been defensive and the Greeks would have become equally chaotic. It would have been like WW1 in the Alps.. just a stalemate.

Very interesting to learn about the suicide incident with the Greek flag. Many sources now make the point that the time lost by the Germans to cover their southern flank (Yugoslavia and Greece) did not really affect the result of Barbarossa in 1941 although there is still much debate. Thanks Stefan!

[@HistoryHustle]

Believe so too. Thanks for watching 👍

[@aris9560]

@@HistoryHustle can you make a scenario analysis on this topic please? It's very very important for Greeks and information is very hard to get.

[@vasileiostsialtas4772]

debate ? Seriously ? By who exactly? Greece’s victory over Mussolini forced Germany to invade Greece. This delayed Hitler’s invasion of Russia by three plus months. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel quote “The unbelievable strong resistance of the Greeks delayed by two or more vital months the attack against Russia; if we did not have this long delay, the outcome of the war would have been different.” . Stalin said, “We thank the Greek People, whose resistance decided WWII…you fought unarmed and won, small against big. You gave us time to defend ourselves.” and Winston Churchill said, “If there had not been the virtue and courage of the Greeks, we do not know which the outcome of World War II would have been. So i guess these three historical figures, two of which had access to all information and data available by the time, do not leave space for ANY kind of debate.

[@aris9560]

@@vasileiostsialtas4772 Vasili i haven't found any sources of the people you mention I'm afraid. I;ve also heard that Rommel concludes in a similar way in his autobiography but haven't found anything to prove this. Britannica argues that the start of Barbarossa was delayed for a month because of the attacks in Yugoslavia and GR. Internet historians argue that it didn't make sense for 2.5M germans to wait for the 0.5M that was in the Balkans and support the view that logistical supply (from Germany) and the weather (flooded rivers + muddy roads due to heavy rains in spring) was the reason to delay the operation. It's even more difficult due to the many variables to argue about the change of course in the war in case Barbarossa had started mid-May 1945. So... I'm just of the opinion that our ancestors fought their asses off and GR played it's part in the resistance to nazi expansionism. that;s all for me right now....

[@viciouslady1340]

Just like in Soulis in 1803 during the ottoman invasion the women jumped to their death with their children while singing instead of surrendering to the invaders.

[@analogGigabyte]

Fantastic video and visiting the actual places gives it all a trully authentic vibe. Thanks! Many interesting stories about the defense of Greece from the German invasion. The Greek army was heartbroken seeing the Germans coming in from the north east, because they had to surrender the lands they successfully defended against the Italians all across the north west, to now go and fight the Germans. The Greeks had no tanks, were outgunned and outmatched by the German army powerhouse. In the aftermath, the famine was caused in great part due to the seize of Greek trains, trucks and food supplies by the German army, which led to the deaths of a quarter million people. Lastly, something to tingle the mind: Greece took the mighty German army a whole month to fall, which spent precious time the Germans couldn't afford against the Russian winter down the line. Maybe, the Greeks took long enough to be beat that even though the allies consider the defense of Greece a loss, it could be argued that this ultimately forced Hitler to face harsher conditions nearing Stalingrad. Bonus fact, during the battle of Crete, the losses of the German paratroopers were high enough to change Hitler's mind about their utility through the rest of the war.

[@HistoryHustle]

Many thanks for your reply!

[@ericvonmanstein2112]

Many thought that Germans were defeated on eastern front In reality ,given massive casualties and destruction,Stalin was forced to halt his ambitious ideas to spread communism in western Europe and when allies were already mobilised by 1945

[@zaynevanday142]

My Great Grandfather Col Charles Darcy Blackburn MiD was Battalion Commander of 19th Battalion of the 2ndNZEF commanded the battalion on the Retreat from Greece and the Defence of Crete my Grandfather Richard Ensor was a Private in that same Battalion but was captured in the Defence of Crete Escaped POW camps 3 times recaptured twice got shot in the ass in his successful 3rd attempt then he fought with the Italian Partizans then liberated by the yanks in 1945 the fought with them for a month until arrested by British MPs-and escorted back to London

[@HistoryHustle]

Interesting to read. Thanks for sharing!

[@theodorospadelidis6537]

hey i have greek discord server if interested to join send me your discord account with tag

[@sarantissporidis391]

My grandfather on my mother's side fought in the war in Albania. He was one of the Evzonoi, Greece's kilted infantry. He almost lost his legs due to frost bites. My father's uncle who was a member of the Greek community of Constantinople,volunteered to fight along with thousands other Greek people who were living abroad. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand l am so proud that we gave hell to the Axis, when other European states had surrendered within a few days. On the other hand, l can't stop thinking that the Nazis caused more harm to my people in less than 4 years than the Ottomans had caused in 4 centuries...

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this. Did you ever speak to your grandfather and did he share more of his experiences to you?

[@sarantissporidis391]

@@HistoryHustle As a matter of fact l did. My grandfather was found unconscious in the deep snow. He was taken to the hospital at the city of Ioannina where he went under surgery on his abdomen. The former queen of Greece, Fredericka (who had previously been a member of Hitler's youth) was pretending to be a nurse or something, so she ordered for my grandfather to be amputated on both legs. He escaoed at night, his stiches broke at the escape, and he had to walk all the way down to his island, some 500 klms or more, on paralyzed legs and an infected surgery. His condition was such, that when he finally met my grandmother, she passed out because of the shock. Luckily he escaoed both death and amputation. As far as l know most of his kills were done by the use of bayonet. Those were some hard cut people those days.

[@HistoryHustle]

Incredible to read, thanks for sharing.

[@HK-pp9ig]

Not to forget that Greek army committed reprisals against the Albanian people during Greek offensive in South Albania - the Greek offensive was aimed against the Italian army which had already invaded Albania. The Greek army did not retaliate against Yugoslavia from where the Germans invaded Greece, but they did retaliate against Albanians for the Italian offensive. The border between Greece and Albania is a hot topic between the two countries. The border was set largely along population majority for each ethnicity by the Great Powers after WW1; Epirus region from antiquity was split in two; the north region was given to Albania and the south Epirus region was given to Greece. However there was a Greek minority within Albania, and a sizable Albanian minority within Greece - the majority of the Albanians that were left within Greece were expelled by the Greek government after WW2, many lives were lost, and the survivors are still demanding that the Greek government returns their properties that were seized after the war. Regardless of some improvements in recent years between Albania and Greece, the Greek government still has not abrogated the "Law of War with Albania" that was enacted during the time of Italian invasion of Greece in 1940. Wars are not fun; Greece was supported by the western allies, while Albania aligned with Yugoslavia and Soviet Union. History of the Balkans is one of the most complicated ones, and all people there have grievances against others. I liked the video.

[@sarantissporidis391]

@@HK-pp9ig Thank you, nice third world propaganda.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Thanks Sir Stefan for this introducing of this episode what were surprised me that 1-Tyrannical (Adolf Hitler) confessed of Greek Bravery against Italian invaders &their Bravery behavior 2- That Brave Soldier committed Suicide & his country flag inside his embraces for ever

[@HistoryHustle]

Many thanks for your reply!

[@HK-pp9ig]

M S Rashid; Germans liked Greeks even before H!tler, it was Germany and other western countries that helped ignite Greek War of Independence against Ottoman Turks in 1821; and when the revolution ended in victory for Greece, Germany gave Greece its first King, Otto, in 1832.

[@hellascommentor]

Enjoy your stay in Greece! I guess that you checked the War Museum and that you got hints on fortifications around Athens

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks! I did enjoy my stay and will return this summer. the war museum was very interesting.

[@amacon]

About one month after the fall of Athens (27/4/1941) and the events of Koukidis suicide , at 30/5/1941 took place the 1st action of the Greek Resistance where 2 teenage boys , named Manolis Glezos(19 yrs) and Lakis Santas (19 yrs), took down the swastika flag by climbing through a cave in the hill of Acropolis as the german troops there were drunk and sleeping. They took notice about it only when the sun came up and saw that the huge flag (4m*2m) was missing. The 2 friends were captured for this event about 1 year afterwards. General De Gaulle had named them "the 1st partisan group of Europe"

[@srfrg9707]

Manolis Glezos died in 2020 aged 98. Apostolos (Lakis) Santas died in 2011 aged 89. RIP

[@HistoryHustle]

True, he got very old!

[@amacon]

@@HistoryHustle and despite of his age he still was in "combat" as he was active at the Greek political scene as his last public act was for the "prespe aggreement" at 2018 in which he was opposed.

[@akkiaddizone6889]

A Sad Period for the Hellenic Republic.... Excellent video covering the topic!

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply.

[@Gayalert69]

Greece was not a republic in 1941.

[@Kreatorisbackyt]

Great

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@johnm2197]

For the Gemans a Pyrrhic Victory. The two months from April to June delayed Barbarossa by the same time. This proved critical. The Italians and Germans faced a new Greek Army also. ELAS. The fighting did not stop until the Germans left.

[@DaredeviIGR]

Also an important thing to take note of is that the German onslaught in Yugoslavia and Greece was the first 'real' case where they applied their doctrine of bewegungskrieg. What I mean by that is that the Wehrmacht had the doctrine in place, but not the motorization level achieved yet during Fall Weiss and the battle of France. After all the booty they got from their initial conquests, the German Wehrmacht was able to motorize much better (before de-motorizing some years later after the loss in Stalingrad especially). Although yes, the terrain is mountainous and thus not the ideal place to launch such an assault, keep in mind the already depleted Greek forces had to face complete enemy air superiority while also they themselves were hindered by the terrain. The Germans probably had one of their best cases of out-maneuvering the enemy, thus the hasty withdraw of the Brits and the last stand in thermopylae by a couple battalions.

[@DaredeviIGR]

Fun fact: Our side surrendered about 3 times, because Mussolini was initially left out (completely) from the capitulation negotiations and absolutely wanted in, then he didn't want the Greeks to be honorary dismissed, then he ordered an Italian attack on the (virtually) surrendered Greek troops to set his case but got his ass handed off to him again by out of supply troops that knew surrender was incoming, then finally relented and agreed to let the officers keep their equipment. Subsequently he insisted, despite the Germans not wanting to, to parade in Athens in full military style, but the population (for the first time in a surrendered capital) gave him the middle-finger and closed shut the windows and remained in their homes. The Germans actually felt embarrassed as depicted by their Generals.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

the moment Yugoslavia collapsed it was over, since there was a gap between the forces in Albania and the fortifications on the Greco Bulgarian borders by the way the koukidis casw it's probably an urban legend since it's possible that the newspapers messed up two different cases due to a wave of suicides that took place upon the arrival of the German troops..

[@HistoryHustle]

This could very well be the case yes! According to the writer of one of my sources it was a real story, but perhaps we'll never know for sure.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

@@HistoryHustle there was a reporter working for a newspaper also named koukidis that commited suicide as well, that's why some historians believe that the news agencies might messed up the name of the person that jumped over the hill 😉

[@mikedimarco3008]

I would like to add the following information; First off Britain was bound to assist Greece by the declaration of 1939, which stated that in the event of a threat to Greek or Romanian independence, "His Majesty's Government would feel themselves bound at once to lend the Greek or Romanian Government […] all the support in their power. Secondly to cover The Italian invasion of Greece Oct. 1940 Metaxis/General Alexandros Papagos, Commander-in-Chief of the Hellenic Army, asked Britain for nine fully-equipped divisions and corresponding air support. Whether this was given to the Greeks IDK. The Commonwealth force/RAF force provided wasn't powerful enough to defend Greece from combined both Italian/German invasion of Greece

[@mikedimarco3008]

I believe the British/Commonwealth force sent Oct.1940 was RAF squadrons led by John d'Albiac. I believe Force W followed Comprised of British/Commonwealth troops. To cover the Italian army

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for the additional information.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

I wonder just how well Barbarossa would have gone if the men, materiel and fuel sent to Yugoslavia and Greece hadn't been sent there. I know Barbarossa wasn't delayed by the attack on the Balkans.

[@HistoryHustle]

Anyone any thoughts?

[@JoyMadrugada]

When you have time read the last Metaxas quotes after the victory in Albania and before the German invasion. Its worth it!

[@HistoryHustle]

Feel free to share.

[@KiNGGAMESgr]

The line surrender after Thessaloniki fell . A panzer division from lake Doiran attacked the 19th division that had only a few capturred italian tankettes . The 20th and 12th division , along with 13th that arrived to assist bought some time for the commonwealth troops , keeping the resistance alive until the germans captured Kastoria and the Greek army surrendered . The 20th , 13th and 12th divisions had no guns to fight off against aircrafts , tanks and armored cars , but still did their dude. I should also mention the forts of Echinos and Nymfea in Thrace that were heavily outnumbered did fell but dis a heck of a resistance , especially in Echinos the battalion repelled the gemrans , left their position to avoid getting encircled , but when they arrived near Xanthi they saw that the city had already fall and the gemrans had broke through in Thrace so they finally surrendered.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this information with us.

[@KiNGGAMESgr]

@@HistoryHustle My pleasure

[@CalebNorthNorman]

👍 Its got to be hard on smaller countries. So many stories and actions go unnoticed. The story of the guard and the groups who fought to preserve their nation despite being occupied by no less than 3 countries who all have their own plans. The Greeks and also the Hungarians from the other videos probably felt like their voices and interests were not going to be taken seriously by the larger more powerful invaders that swept through on their way to somewhere else.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching Caleb.

[@CalebNorthNorman]

@@HistoryHustle You betcha👍

[@bockijo8256]

And the Germans didn't fight alone with Greece! The Bulgarian army and Italian Army was also involved!

[@HistoryHustle]

Bulgaria moved in after Germany and only did occupation which is beyond the scope of this episode. Italy was still in Albania at that time, driven back during the previous Greco Italian War.

[@Catiecatiecatiecaful]

My grandmother has so much to add to this story

[@HistoryHustle]

Feel free to share.

[@sirdarklust]

Very well told. And, as we know, the two spring 1941 invasions of Greece and Yugoslavia cost the Germans the time where they may have succeeded in the Soviet Union. History can really be a ding dong. Take care.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks!!

[@TheUnknownNumber9]

Why not make a movie about it? The battle of Crete!

[@HistoryHustle]

Won't go there anytime soon.

[@agpaok0704]

I am Greek and knowing what happened after ww2 and the treatment we got by "allies", I would really prefer if we just surrendered to Italy. World didn 't deserve any sacrifice.

[@HistoryHustle]

Please explain.

[@agpaok0704]

@@HistoryHustle Britain promised to help Greece, and they did not send even one airplane from the 100 they promised. During occupation Bulgarians were killing unarmed people in Macedonia and Thrace. Romanians were doing crimes against vlach people and forced them to change their Greek ideology. Turkey killed or arrested any Greek left in Constantinople. 800.000 people died and most of them because of starvation. After war, Britain evolved in Athens and that action was main reason for the civil war. Greece did a lot more than other countries (like France) and still didn't even take our own lands that are still occupied (northern epirus, eastern romilia and South part of Italy). Germany and the rest, have paid almost nothing for the damage they caused. And at the end, seeing what happens to my country today and globalization issues, I doubt if we actually fought with the right side.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing.

[@MMerlyn91]

There was a movement of Aromanians who had long fought for independence in the Pindus mountains and the Epirus region. Though there was no formal recognition of it and it didn't have a proper name, it was subsequently named as the Principality of the Pindus. There was a similar attempt in 1917 for a Aromanian state but the powers that be didn't care about it. Just a tiny bit of detail I'm sure most people don't care about.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this.

[@geo46]

From my knowledge, it was the British that bombed Piraeus harbour killing thousands of unarmed Greeks. This was a crime against humanity that went unpunished. There is no justification for it.

[@HistoryHustle]

Lemme know your source. I would find that strange. Why bomb your escape route?

[@voltekka9815]

Hey. I can see my house in the video. You came so close, who knew.

[@HistoryHustle]

Cool! Nice area to live in I think.

[@mrgreek7221]

Huge countries they falling from German superior army as France , England without USA help too.. Greece hold Italy and fighting Germans in rupel fort as long can

[@HistoryHustle]

As long as they could yes. Resistance during the occupation remained.

[@Arcangel77able]

Thus, less than a year after Dunkirk another British Expeditionary Force BEF is formed. with 1 Armored Brigade (Armored Group 1) with cruiser-type battle tanks (English), the New Zealand Division of Freyberg and the 6th Australian Div. In second stage: the Australian 7th Div and two medium artillery regiments 1 armored brigade, 3 infantry divisions and 2 field artillery regiments. 100,000 men (including service, auxiliary and security personnel), 240 field artillery pieces, 32 medium-caliber guns, 192 anti-aircraft guns and 142 tanks. It was a considerable effort for the British, although insufficient to stop the Wermacht. In 1941, faced with the German threat, only three more RAF squadrons could be dispatched: the 111th Bleheim MK I light bombers, the 112th Gloster Gladiator MK III fighters and the 33rd Hurricane MK II fighters.80 planes in all. Regards.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this additional information with us.

[@Arcangel77able]

@@HistoryHustle To the order. Fanatic of the detailed, of the military and the weapons Greetings. PS: I will try to put the detail whenever I can to be up to your work and Channel.

[@sergeipohkerova7211]

A movie about this invasion can be called Acropolis Now or Full Feta Jacket or My Big Fat Greek/Hun Thing.

[@HistoryHustle]

Write that script!

[@julianshepherd2038]

Stuffed Greek Olive Greens

[@odysseasntalias5950]

Lack of respect is a sign of a poor character....A lot of good men died for the freedom you now enjoy and you fullishly ridicule ...

[@sergeipohkerova7211]

@@odysseasntalias5950 I live in the Ukraine and am not that free, sir. And there's a difference between ridiculing a historic event and just tongue in cheek satire, ie Jojo Rabbit. Now kindly return to Heaven, Saint Sanctimonious.

[@odysseasntalias5950]

@@sergeipohkerova7211 you live in troubled times in a troubled place. I wish you and your country the best . I hope that this nonsense will soon stop. I hate to see brothers (russians and Ukrainians) killing eachother. I know that it is difficult for you to accept brotherhood to the Russian in these sad times , but your bonds extend for centuries and your differences were skillfully cultivated by the westerners in order to devide you and weaken both nations and orthodox faith in your area.... Peace,pease , peace SOON!!!!

[@JoyMadrugada]

Sesrch about Rupel Fortress and Dimitrios Itsios without exeggeration

[@HistoryHustle]

Please explain.

[@JoyMadrugada]

@@HistoryHustle also the Galery benith the article is from those fortresses and p advisor Sg Itsios is laying in the last one pic

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@fanisandroulakis2653]

Syncharitiria kerel!! Dwz. gefeliciteerd. Alles wat je zei is waar, echter omdat je de held Koukidis met de vlag noemde, zou ik ook de naam van Glezos (die 1 maand later de nazi vlag neerhaalde) en vooral sergeant Intsios willen toevoegen.

[@HistoryHustle]

Dank voor de reactie. Een van die personen die de vlag neerhaalde is erg oud geworden en recentelijk overleden.

[@nerozero8266]

👍

[@HistoryHustle]

🥉

[@coling3957]

Greece made similar mistake as Belgium has before - left it too late to allow the Allies to send troops to aid them. Belgium knew Germans were going to attack but would not allow the BEF and French in until AFTER Germany attacked - and the Allies then found hardly any preparations had been made for defences! .. in Greece it was similar story and Greece tried to hold its entire frontier. impossible given the assault came all along the northern border .. the Allies had given up the opportunity to defeat the Axis in North Africa to send forces to Greece.. they did the best they could against the massed Wehrmacht and SS Divisions. but with little chance really as Greeks were over extended .. it simply became another retreat before superior Axis forces.

[@mariosathens1]

the only allies that period of time were the British. The French had been defeated and the Americans were out. Actually Greece was following a neutral policy until the Italian invasion.. Bringing British troops in the country before the Italian invasion was meaning that Greece is not neutral anymore. Greece had close relations with Britain but neutrality was a must, especially after the fall of France. Anyway, when the invasion started the British sent troops but since we speak about 1940s they needed time to deploy.

[@Kimmerios-l5u]

Αctually the Germans were stationned in Romania.They entered Bulgaria ONLY when the British started to land in Greece.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

things was more complicated than that. both the Greek high command, and the British north African command believed that the British forces should be sent to Greece in great numbers or not be sent at all. after the death of Metaxas the Greek king had become the regime's strong man and he accepted the British prime minister's proposed despite what the military leadership in both countries believed

[@HistoryHustle]

Interesting insights to read.

[@coling3957]

@@HistoryHustle thankyou

[@davemehelas5053]

“They say Greeks fought like heros Hero’s fought like Greeks” - Winston Churchill

[@HistoryHustle]

Interesting quote.

[@georgiosathanasiou1002]

The say that the British assassinated both metaxas and the PM metaxas from poisoning and the PM from two guns shoots in the head

[@HistoryHustle]

I've heard the rumors but never saw any sources to back these up.

[@docnoc66]

Believe it or not, I actually have the American Consouls diplomatic passport for Greece in Athens in 1941 and he was evacuated diplomats after this attack that you’re describing in the video.

[@HistoryHustle]

Interesting!

[@bigsarge2085]

👍👍

[@HistoryHustle]

👌

[@tassiek2450]

What really happened .during a meeting with the king ,Metaxas was asked if his government was about to resist the Germans.his answer was ambiguous to say the least.shortly after that ,Metaxas was about to have a routine throat examination .instead of the doctors ,the execunationers from the British Intelligence service walked in and cuted his larynx from the inside.no wound from outside.after this most high officers who were in friendly terms with the Germans ,were unwilling to fight and sampotaged the effort.the machine guns in the Metaxas line ,were distributed one day before the invasion to the troops.no seasoned troops were in the border with Yougoslavia .and the Italian offensive was terminated a month before that ,so they could transferred seasoned troops to the border.my father was in a train full of officers going to Athens after the capitulation and hearing the conversations.and the main topic was that could have stopped the Germans for month and maybe three or fours months with British help.also for the British side ,despite the insistence of Churchill, the foreign office and some military top brass ,were against it.most likely they didn't wanted to fight and all ,perhaps they wanted a separate peace with Nazi Germany.

[@HistoryHustle]

Your tot confirm this?

[@tassiek2450]

@@HistoryHustle for the Metaxas death I have no proof.but is a widespread belief in Greece.it was circulated during the war and also my father heard that in the front lines.i believe maybe in twenty years when a hundred years after the war ,we will have some declassified documents from British Intelligence.as for the other facts is historical fact.as for the officers ,traitors went forward and became collaborators with the security battalions and when the Germans left ,went to the British side ,against the men of the resistance and the British and later the Americans welcomed with open arms.

[@Irene-iu9sj]

I'm 80 years old, I was born during the German occupation, I've heard many stories from adults all .y younger years.........never heard a out that horrendous operation you speak of......a d of course it's too late for me to ask information from my elders.......as there's hardly any left.......but my doubts are VERY strong....

[@tassiek2450]

@@Irene-iu9sj Metaxas was killed by the British intelligence service.he wanted a negotiated settlement with the Germans.the king ,the people didn't wanted that solution. Check what happened to the Yugoslav government, was overthrown by order of Churchil.and that a historical fact.and the British don't denied, that they did orchestrated the coup.in our case ,things are more complicated

[@kajamix]

Koukidis is a mystery. Maybe he was EON and therefore cannot be traced, because EON membership books are lost. But did he not have a family ? Relatives ? Distant relatives ? Even if the name is not exactly correct (could have been something like say Korkidis) where are they ? Many believe it was a propaganda story made up by the Daily Mail correspondent in Cairo. He made it up or someone else made it up and related it to the correspondent. It's likely that the Greeks took the flag before the Germans arrived and left Akropolis, but again did they know that the Gemans wanted to put up their flag ? It was a last minute order issued by Hitler (put up our flag in the Akropolis). So there are doubts. However the story of the German flag taken down by Greek saboteurs on the 28th of May 1941 is true. The Germans published it in their newspapers, blamed "British agents" and threatened with reprisals.

[@kostasmakris1090]

"Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks " Winston Churchill

[@HistoryHustle]

Powerful quote.

[@1Eagler]

In WWI, Metaksas made an error, believing land forces will won the war - he even surrendered forts to Bulgarians. In WWII he didn't make the same mistake.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this.

[@georgebourlos1430]

long story short Papagos (despite being a brilliant commander) did not expect Yugoslavia to fall so rapidly and Germans using the Yugo railroad system so efficiently for transporting their units

[@HistoryHustle]

Thats where it came down to.

[@tryphonkorm]

Did the Greeks and allied troops had any chance?Slim but good ones. First they would have to have taken seriously the possibility of the Nazis attacking Yugoslavia. Greece mainland is rugged. Steep mountains alternate with deep valleys. A meticulous organisation of a series of defense lines could have made the trick . First line: Olympus Mt. - Pindus Mt. - Corfu. Second line: Thermopylae all the way westwards to the gulf of Ambracia Third line: Isthmus of Corinth - Northerncoast of Peloponnese. As far as the islands are concerned the fact that they were captured in the first place shows the degree of collapse of the Greek armed forces and that the British were eager to draw back to Egypt. The germans had no serious chances of capturing most of the Greek islands if those were adequately manned and defended . But in the end, Blitzkrieg was Blitzkrieg.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[@theodorossarafis7370]

Actually it wssimpossible from the greek army in albania to return and fight in macedonia. In aliakmnon the greek 1st cavalry brigade fought gallandly but the british left their possition. Plus the british forces were very ill equipped especially without armored vehicles. Koukidis was a member of the royal guard evzons who guarded the akropolis. However in 1944 when the german left greece alot of documents were destroyed.

[@julianshepherd2038]

Those British, grrrr!

[@theodorossarafis7370]

@@julianshepherd2038 to the british defence they fought in a foreign country with no armor with inferior air force and ill equipped and trained forces

[@HistoryHustle]

Perhaps that's the case. We'll never know for sure I guess.

[@theodorossarafis7370]

@@HistoryHustle for the military actions we do have documents and testimonies that were recorded after the war. Many details were lost but the general idea exists

[@issith7340]

Greeks fought Italians alone and actually won, kicking them back to albania. British, helped only when Germany attacked Greece. With all respects.

[@HistoryHustle]

I wouldn't call the ensuing stalemate 'winning'.

[@issith7340]

@@HistoryHustle they not only kicked out , italians, out of Greece, but also conquered south albania, established there until next year, when germans were called by Italians, to do the job, as italy failed and did not try again. What exactly is your definition of the term: “victory”? In a case of an attack of a country by another country, when that attack is successfully resisted, what do you call the result? I call it victory, and I consider myself sufficiently littered.

[@HistoryHustle]

I understand.

[@jankusthegreat9233]

My favorite dutchman

[@HistoryHustle]

🇳🇱👍

[@spudskie3907]

Everyone wonders if the time spent by the Germans in Greece/Crete affected the Russian campaign. Many seem to forget the smashing success the Germans had in the opening months of Barbarossa. Military experts were predicting a complete Russian collapse. What saved Russia was its backwardness. They simply did not have good roads for the Germans to use. Thus when the rains came, the dirt they were rolling over in the summer became fathomless mud…and we all know how that affected them.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[@thomasfoley8316]

In been station on Crete Greece .no walk across the laland

[@HistoryHustle]

Ok 👍🏻

[@apostolisnatsios7953]

My very sympathetic Historian, at the time that nazis invaded Greece, we had a very active 5th column in Athens, among the political class, high echelons of military and the bourgeoisie, let alone that the utter incompetent British Army got in the way to " Help " us, and it turned out for us to cover their " Evacuation " To Krete, where they distinguished themselves, once more, as the total military failure they are. On the other hand, our troops gave hell to the elite waffen ss divisions, over there at the Metaxas line of fortifications. In only one instance, a conscript sergeant, Dimitrios Itsios, and two fellow soldiers, destroyed over 250 German soldiers. When they surrendered due to lack of ammo, the German commander saluted the sergeant, who humiliated and depleted his troops, and after that had him shot, the other two were let go. Kurt Panzer Mayer, was asked after the war if there was a time that the ss soldiers have shown low moral during combat, he replied : just once in Greece, we were stack, taking fire from every direction, and when my troops didn't foolfil the order to attack, for the third time, being so furious, I threw to them a hand grenade, never saw after that, a leap forward so synchronized, he concluded smiling. PS the whole jugoslav army, during operation Marita, destroyed 159 German soldiers...

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this additional information.

[@apostolisnatsios7953]

@@HistoryHustle the topic is huge, and it covers 86 years of modern Greek history. I just highlighted it. Thank you for the response. Keep up the good work !!

[@gikaradi8793]

the Germans came down to Greece for two reasons 1.because the British/Commonwealth sent troops to Greece and 2.because of the losing Italians .But many say that the British sent the understrengthened and underequipped troops to provoke the invasion of the Germans which they did eventually successfully

[@HistoryHustle]

Not sure if that's the case. It is sure the Allied forces had no chance.

[@gikaradi8793]

@@HistoryHustle Possible that the British wanted to provoke an invasion deep down to Greece to trim and wear the Axis (and it also delayed the invasion to Russia by something (btw do you think the operation Barbarossa was a preventive action before the Russians invade Germany?).Something like that is indirect said to Mannerheim by Hitler if i can recall well.TOP vid nevertheless thank you bery much!!!!

[@mdmet7]

The Germans committed many war crimes during the occupation. The soldiers that were captured and let return to their homes were very few and only in the very early stages of the war. Characteristic example of one of the firsts that was captured, Dimitris Itsios, was killed in cold blood. I would suggest you search his story online. Thousands of people were executed between 1941 and 1945 that were citizens and not soldiers . Commonwealth forces fled to Egypt but the resistance kept fighting the nazis. Thousands of innocent people were killed as retaliation to the sabotages and other acts of the resistance. Villages were wiped out. On the 3rd of June 1941 Kandanos was burnt to the the ground as retaliation for participating in the battle of Crete a few days earlier. All 180 citizens were killed and all the animals were slaughtered. (You should have mentioned that and you should also have visited both the commonwealt and the german cemetary in Chania.) On 10th of June 1944 in Distomo 223 people were slaughtered including women, children and infants.Many thousands of people especially in Athens died of starvation. Anogeia on 13th August 1944 were also burnt to the ground. Every village took heavy losses and every family lost people. Even today there are memorials in every village with a list of those who were killed. Also many people died of starvation, especially in Athens. Properties and belongings of value were confiscated. The end of the war found Greece heavily injured. Clearly Greece didn't stand a chance against the german forces but still did its duty and didn't remain a "cunning neutral".

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this additional information. Greece indeed suffered a lot during WW2.

[@Megapano1]

Adolf Hitler said, “The Greek soldier, above all, fought with the most courage,” and Winston Churchill said, “Hence, we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks.”

[@HistoryHustle]

Interesting quotes.

[@Skyfather567]

Meddiaterian chads

[@katman8805]

Greek armed forces and people (not the communists)fought for the democracy and civilization but after the war allies powers(England, USA,ussr)did not paid their debth to Greece by giving these should give and promised:northern epirus, Cyprus, east romilia).Greek people NEVER forget this.

[@HistoryHustle]

I see.

[@kajamix]

Greece was victimized more than any other nation involved in world war II. The number of military and civilian casualties is proportionately the biggest, bigger than that of the USSR. First German - Italian invasion, occupation, Jewish holocaust. Then communist attack - from 1944 till 1949. The icing on the cake was the British-Turkish love affair after the wars. The British colonialists wanted to give Cyprus to Turkey, causing a rebellion and a lasting destabilization of the region, the rebirth of communism as well.