Greece In World War Ii To April 1941

Swastika over the Acropolis is a new, multi-national account which provides a new and compelling interpretation of the Greek campaign of 1941, and its place in the history of World War II. It overturns many previously accepted English-language assumptions about the fighting in Greece in April 1941 – including, for example, the impact usually ascribed to the Luftwaffe, German armour and the conduct of the Greek Army Further, Swastika over the Acropolis demonstrates that this last complete strategic victory by Nazi Germany in World War II is set against a British-Dominion campaign mounted as a withdrawal, not an attempt to ‘save’ Greece from invasion and occupation. At the same time, on the German side, the campaign revealed serious and systemic weaknesses in the planning and the conduct of large-scale operations that would play a significant role in the regime’s later defeats.

This book examines in detail how British policy towards Greece was formulated and implemented from 1941 to 1944. The defeat of Greece and the fall of the dictatorial regime of General Metaxas confronted the British with new problems, the most important being the reconciliation of military and political objectives. The main political objective was to ensure the continuation of Britain's political influence in Greece after the war. This policy would be greatly facilitated by the restoration of King George, a firm advocate of the British connection, though the King's popularity in Greece had been seriously eroded by his close association with the Metaxas dictatorship in the years before the war. However, a policy of support for the King ran counter to the support offered by the War Office and SOE to the National Liberation Front (EAM), a communist-dominated left-wing organization and by far the strongest resistance movement in Greece.

Designed with the more visual needs of today's student in mind, this landmark encyclopedia covers the entire scope of the Second World War, from its earliest roots to its continuing impact on global politics and human society. Over 1,000 illustrations, maps, and primary source materials enhance the text and make history come alive for students and faculty alike. ABC-CLIO's World War II: A Student Encyclopedia captures the monumental sweep of the "Big One" with accessible scholarship, a student-friendly, image-rich design, and a variety of tools specifically crafted for the novice researcher. For teachers and curriculum specialists, it is a thoroughly contemporary and authoritative work with everything they need to enrich their syllabi and meet state and national standards. Ranging from the conflict's historic origins to VJ Day and beyond, it brings all aspects of the war vividly to life—its origins in the rubble of World War I, its inevitable outbreak, its succession of tumultuous battles and unforgettable personalities. Students will understand what the war meant to the leaders, the soldiers, and everyday families on home fronts around the world. Featured essays look at Pearl Harbor, the Holocaust, the atomic bomb, and other crucial events, as well as fascinating topics such as signals intelligence and the role of women in war. A separate primary source volume provides essential source material for homework, test preparation or special projects. With a wealth of new information and new ideas about the war's causes, course, and consequences, World War II will be the first place students turn for the who, what, when, where, and—more importantly—the why, behind this historic conflict.

Woodhouse's prime position as commander of the Allied Military Mission to the Greek guerillas in German-occupied Greece enabled him to write the definitive history of the Greek civil war--an account of the turning point in Communist fortunes in Europe that has achieved the status of a classic. He analyzes the characters, ideologies, and events behind one of the longest and most bitter civil wars of modern times. With an Introduction by Richard Clogg.

This book analyses why the Italian army failed to defeat its Greek opponent between October 1940 and April 1941. It thoroughly examines the multiple forms of ineffectiveness that plagued the political leadership as well as the military organisation. Mussolini’s aggression of Greece ranks among the most neglected campaigns of the Second World War. Initiated on 28 October 1940, the offensive came to a halt less than ten days later; by mid-November, the Greek counter-offensive put the Italian armies on the defensive, and back in Albania. From then on, the fatal interaction between failing command structures, inadequate weapons and equipment, unprepared and unmotivated combatants, and terrible logistics lowered to a dangerous level the fighting power of Italian combatants. This essay proposes that compared to the North African and Russian campaigns where the Regio Esercito achieved a decent level of military effectiveness, the operation against Greece was a military fiasco. Only the courage of its soldiers and the German intervention saved the dictator’s army from complete disaster. This book would appeal to anyone interested in the history of the world war, and to those involved in the study of military effectiveness and intrigued by why armies fail.

"This volume looks at the role Greece played in the war during the years 1940-1941. Based primarily on original material, the text examines the efforts of Britain and Germany to win the support of the Balkan countries. Also studied are Hitler's campaign to preserve peace in the Balkans and Mussolini's blunder in attacking Greece in 1940"--Publisher.