Thread by @Athena_Alkis

1️⃣Thread: 28 October 1940 #Greece #Cyprus and Greek communities all over the world celebrate OXI Day (Ohi-NO day)the rejection by Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the Hellenic counterattack against the invading ..

2️⃣..Italian forces and the Greek Resistance during the Axis occupation.

This ultimatum was presented to Metaxas by the Italian ambassador to Greece, Emanuele Grazzi, shortly after 03:00 am which demanded Greece allow Axis forces to enter Greek territory and occupy..

3️⃣..certain "strategic locations" or otherwise face war. Metaxas reply was, “Alors, c’est la guerre!” (Then it is war!)
On the morning of 28 October, the Greek population took to the streets, irrespective of political affiliation, shouting 'ohi'. From 1942, it was celebrated ..

4️⃣..as Ohi Day, first mostly among the members of the resistance and after the war by all the Greeks.

The Italian army invaded Greece on 28 October, before the Italian ultimatum had expired. The invasion was a disaster,140,000 troops of the Italian Army..

5️⃣..in Albania encountering an entrenched and determined enemy. The Italians had to contend with the mountainous terrain on the Albanian–Greek border & unexpectedly tenacious resistance by the Greek Army. By mid-November, the Greeks had stopped the Italian invasion just inside..

6️⃣..Greek territory. After completing their mobilization, the Greeks counter-attacked with the bulk of their army & pushed the Italians back into Albania–an advance which culminated in the Capture of Klisura Pass in January 1941,a few dozen kilometers inside the Albanian border..

7️⃣..The defeat of the Italian invasion and the Greek counter-offensive of 1940 have been called the "first Axis setback of the entire war" by Mark Mazower, the Greeks "surprising everyone with the tenacity of their resistance".

8️⃣..Hitler blamed Mussolini's "Greek fiasco" for his failed campaign in Russia. "But for the difficulties created for us by the Italians and their idiotic campaign in Greece", he commented in mid-February 1945, "I should have attacked Russia a few weeks earlier," he later said..

9️⃣Hitler noted that, the "pointless campaign in Greece,Germany was not notified in advance of the impending attack, which "compelled us, contrary to all our plans, to intervene in the Balkans, & that in its turn led to a catastrophic delay in the launching of our attack on Russia

🔟We were compelled to expend some of our best divisions there. & as a net result we were then forced to occupy vast territories in which, but for this stupid show, the presence of our troops would have been quite unnecessary".Mussolini took advantage of Hitler's preoccupation..

1️⃣1️⃣with Spain and France "to set in motion his disastrous campaign against Greece".
There is also a story, I don't know if its true but it says that French people trolled the Italians by putting a sign in French-Italian borders that said ''Greeks stop advancing.This is France''

1️⃣2️⃣Fan Facts:
-Greece is the only country that celebrates the beginning of the war
-Greek victory against Mussolini was the first victory of WWII against the AXIS
-The Battle of Hill 731 has been described as the Verdun of the Greco-Italian War,

1️⃣3️⃣whereas others referred to it as the new Thermopylae. It was a bloody struggle, with soldiers often engaging in close quarters combat and fighting with whatever they had at hand. The ferocious ground and air bombardment transformed the hill's landscape, eliminating all trees

1️⃣4️⃣and reducing its height by 2 meters: its present day altitude is 729 meters.
-Greek resistance holded for 219 days before the German Invasion in Athens. It continued until the end of the war

1️⃣5️⃣-Greek women also helped carrying equipment, amo boxes, food&other materials carrying them on their backs,climbing mountains through winter to reach🇬🇷army. They returned carrying injured soldiers.Many of them died.They also participate in the resistance during Axis occupation

1️⃣6️⃣-Children, women & elderly also fought in the battle of Crete
-🇬🇷 lost 10%of its population
-Germany looted gold, money and art treasures from Greek Banks, When they lost the war the destroyed everything the could while retreating from Greece, fields, railroads, bridges etc

1️⃣7️⃣-Greeks didn't had hard feelings for the Italians even after the war. They consider them brothers ''Una faccia, una racca''

Videos:

Battle of Greece 1940. Mussolini attacks. World War II. Documentary. Part I

1️⃣8️⃣Greece strikes back. World War II. Documentary part II


World World II. Epic Battles
Greco-Italian War. The Invasion. Part I


World World II. Epic Battles
Greco-Italian War. Counteroffensive. Part II

1️⃣9️⃣Why the sheer ferocity of the defending Greeks in WWII stunned the world

How did Italy failed to invade Greece
Animated History

Music Video about Greece in WWII Sabbaton, Coat of Arms

End of thread.Thanks