The struggle between the Axis countries and the Anti-Hitler coalition for the Balkans has reached a new, more acute level. Rival states attached exceptional importance to establishing their superiority in this military theater.

The ruling circles of Britain viewed the Balkan Peninsula as a cover for British possessions in the Near and Middle East, as well as a valuable source of human resources and a springboard for opening one of the fronts of the war with Germany.

“Hitler always confronts me with a fait accompli. But this time I will repay him in kind: he will learn from the newspapers that I occupied Greece.”

State of the Greek Army

The small arms of the Greeks were mainly of British, French and American production: Lee-Enfield, Lebel, Mannlicher rifles, Thompson and EPK submachine guns (Greek version of Thomson), Hotchkiss, Schwarzlose, Shosha machine guns. The artillery consisted of a small number of French and British-made guns.

The Greek Air Force had about 160 combat-ready aircraft, many of which were obsolete types: Polish PZL P.24 and French Bloch MB.150 fighters, British Bristol Blenheim and Fairey Battle bombers, French Potez 630, three dozen French Breguet Br.19 biplanes , a dozen and a half German Henschel Hs 126 and others. The Greek fleet was represented by several destroyers British-made Beagle class, two cruisers, six submarines.

The Greeks were assisted from the air by 30 squadrons of the British Air Force, sent to the country six days before the Italian invasion.

Italo-Greek War 1940

Invasion

On October 28, 1940, Italian troops launched an invasion of Greece. In the first days they were opposed only by weak barriers in the form of border units. However, the Greek covering troops, reinforced by five infantry and one cavalry divisions, put up decisive resistance. On November 1, according to the order of the commander-in-chief of the Greek army A. Papagos, a counterattack was launched against the enemy’s open left flank. Over the next two days of fighting, Italian troops in the Korca area were pushed back into Albanian territory. In Epirus, in the valleys of the rivers Vjosa, Kalamas, resistance to the invasion intensified so much that already on November 6, Ciano was forced to write in his diary: “The fact that on the eighth day of the operation the initiative passed to the Greeks is a reality.”

Axis actions

Results of the invasion

At the same time, the Greek Resistance was formed, one of the most effective resistance movements in occupied Europe. Resistance groups launched guerrilla attacks against the occupying forces, fought against collaborationist "security battalions" and created a large intelligence network, and at the end of 1943 they began to fight among themselves. In September 1943 and September 1944, Italy and Bulgaria signed an armistice with the anti-Hitler coalition and declared war on Germany; after 1943 and 1944, Italian and Bulgarian troops fought alongside Greek partisans against the Germans.

When the country was liberated in October 1944 (largely due to the efforts of the local Resistance rather than the British troops landing during Operation Manna in September 1944), Greece was in a state of extreme political polarization, which soon led to the outbreak of civil war .

Terror and hunger

Jewish genocide

12,898 Greek Jews fought alongside the Greek army. One of the most famous representatives of the Jewish community was Lieutenant Colonel Mordechai Frizis (Μαρδοχαίος Φριζής), who successfully resisted the Italian invasion. 86% of Jews, especially in areas occupied by Germany and Bulgaria, were killed, despite the efforts of the Greek Orthodox Church and many Greeks to hide them. Even though large number Jews in the occupied territory were deported, many found shelter with their neighbors.

Resistance

Economy

As a result of the occupation in 1941-1944. the Greek economy lay in ruins, significant damage was caused to foreign trade relations and agriculture country - the two most important components of the Greek economic system. German demands to pay significant "costs of occupation" caused hyperinflation. Average inflation during the years of occupation was equal to 8.55⋅10 9%/month (prices doubling every 28 hours). The highest inflation rate in Greek history was reached in 1944. If in 1943 the banknote of 25,000 drachmas had the highest price value, then already in 1944 it was 100 billion drachmas. One of the consequences of hyperinflation was a general famine that began in the winter of 1942 and lasted until 1944. The stratification of monetary savings caused by hyperinflation and black markets significantly hampered post-war economic development.

According to the model proposed in October 1944 by the governor of the central bank of Greece, K. Zolotas (Ξενοφών Ζολώτας), when the Greek economy reaches a fifth of the pre-war level, the accumulated

Joined World War II October 28, 1940, when the Italian army launched an invasion from Albania. The Greek army won the first major victory among the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, defeating the aggressor and forcing Italian troops to retreat to Albania.

The war was preceded by the sinking of the cruiser Ellie on August 15, 1940 by an “unknown” submarine, during Orthodox celebration Day of the Virgin, on the roadstead of the island of Tinos, and other provocations of fascist Italy, after which Greece carried out a partial mobilization. The Italian ultimatum was presented to the Greek Prime Minister, General Metaxas, on October 28, 1940, at 3 am. The ultimatum was rejected. The Italian invasion began at 5:30.

The war was preceded by the sinking of the cruiser Ellie on August 15, 1940 by an “unknown” submarine, during the Orthodox celebration of the Day of the Virgin Mary, in the roadstead of the island of Tinos, and other provocations of fascist Italy, after which Greece carried out a partial mobilization. The Italian ultimatum was presented to the Greek Prime Minister, General Metaxas, on October 28, 1940, at 3 am. The ultimatum was rejected. The Italian invasion began at 5:30.

The Italian advance was in coastal zone Epirus and Western Macedonia. In front of the 3rd Italian Mountaineering Division " Julia(11,000 soldiers) were tasked with advancing south along the Pindus Ridge to cut off Greek forces in Epirus from the Greek region of Western Macedonia. The brigade of Colonel K. Davakis (2,000 soldiers) stood in its way. Holding back the onslaught " Julia"and having received reinforcements, Davakis launched a counter-offensive, after which the Greek army launched a counter-offensive on both the Epirus and Macedonian fronts and transferred military operations to the territory of Albania. In January 1941, the Greek army occupied the strategic mountain pass of Klisura (Occupation of the Klisura Gorge).

Greek artillerymen fire a mountain variant of the French 65 mm cannon (Canon de 65M Mle1906 L/18.5) in the mountains during the war with Italy in the winter of 1940/41. This photograph in Greece is one of the symbols of the struggle of the Greek people against the Italian invaders during World War II.

Greek artillerymen fire a mountain variant of the French 65 mm cannon (Canon de 65M Mle1906 L/18.5) in the mountains during the war with Italy in the winter of 1940/41. This photograph in Greece is one of the symbols of the struggle of the Greek people against the Italian invaders during the Second World War.

Greek soldiers resting in the mountains during the war with Italy

Greek soldiers resting in the mountains during the war with Italy

The victories of the Greek army in this war became the first victories of the armies of the anti-fascist coalition over the Axis countries. The famous Greek archaeologist and participant in that war, M. Andronikos writes that “ When Italy decided to invade Greece, the Axis forces dominated Europe, having previously defeated the French and British and concluded a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. Only insular England still resisted. Neither Mussolini nor any “reasonable” person expected Greek resistance under these conditions. Therefore, when the world learned that the Greeks were not going to surrender, the first reaction was surprise, which gave way to admiration when news began to arrive that the Greeks had not only accepted the battle, but were winning" In March 1941, having received reinforcements and under the direct supervision of Mussolini, the Italian army attempted to launch a counteroffensive (Italian Spring Offensive). The Greek army repelled the attack and was already 10 km from the strategic Albanian port of Vlora.

April 6, 1941 , saving the Italians, Nazi Germany was forced to intervene in the conflict, after which the conflict was called the Greek operation.

November 12, 1940 Hitler signed Directive No. 18 on the preparation of " if necessary» operations against Northern Greece from Bulgarian territory. According to the directive, it was envisaged to create a group in the Balkans (in particular, in Romania) German troops consisting of at least 10 divisions. The concept of the operation was refined during November and December and linked to the option “ Barbarossa" and by the end of the year was outlined in a plan code-named " Marita"(Latin marita - wife). According to Directive No. 20 of December 13, 1940, the forces involved in this operation increased sharply, to 24 divisions. The directive set the task of occupying Greece and required the timely release of these forces to carry out “ new plans", that is, participation in the attack on the USSR.

Thus, plans for the conquest of Greece were developed by Germany at the end of 1940, but Germany was in no hurry to implement them. The Hitlerite leadership sought to use the failures of the Italian troops in Greece to further subjugate Italy to German dictatorship. The still undecided position of Yugoslavia, which Berlin, as well as London, hoped to win over to its side, also forced us to wait.

On March 27, 1941, a coup d'état was carried out in Yugoslavia. The pro-fascist government of Dragisa Cvetkovic fell, and Dusan Simovic became the head of the new government. In connection with this event, the German government decided to generally accelerate the implementation of its plans in the Balkans and move from methods of political pressure to open aggression.

On March 27, immediately after the coup in Yugoslavia, in the Imperial Chancellery in Berlin, Hitler held a meeting with the commanders-in-chief of the ground and air forces and their chiefs of staff. It announced the decision " make all preparations to destroy Yugoslavia militarily and as a national entity" On the same day, Directive No. 25 on the attack on Yugoslavia was signed.

The German command decided to launch an attack on Greece simultaneously with the attack on Yugoslavia. Plan " Marita"was subjected to radical revision. Military operations against both Balkan states were considered as a single operation. After the attack plan was finalized, Hitler sent a letter to Mussolini, saying that he expected help from Italy.

The invasion was supposed to be carried out by delivering simultaneous attacks from the territory of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria in converging directions to Skopje, Belgrade and Zagreb with the aim of dismembering the Yugoslav army and destroying it piece by piece. The task was to capture first of all the southern part of Yugoslavia in order to prevent the establishment of interaction between the armies of Yugoslavia and Greece, to connect with Italian troops in Albania and to use the southern regions of Yugoslavia as a springboard for the subsequent German-Italian offensive on Greece.

Against Greece, it was planned to deliver the main blow in the direction of Thessaloniki with a subsequent advance to the Olympus region.

The 2nd, 12th armies and 1st tank group were involved in the operation. The 12th Army was concentrated in the territory of Bulgaria and Romania. It was significantly strengthened: its composition was increased to 19 divisions (including 5 tank divisions). The 2nd Army, consisting of 9 divisions (including 2 tank divisions), was concentrated in southeastern Austria and western Hungary. 4 divisions were allocated to the reserve (including 3 tank divisions). For air support, the 4th Air Fleet and the 8th Aviation Corps were involved, which together numbered about 1,200 combat and transport aircraft. Overall command of the group of German troops aimed at Yugoslavia and Greece was entrusted to Field Marshal W. List.

On March 30, 1941, the High Command of the Wehrmacht ground forces assigned tasks to the troops. The 12th Army was supposed to attack Strumica (Yugoslavia) and Thessaloniki with the forces of two corps, strike in the direction of Skopje, Veles (Yugoslavia) with one corps, and attack with the right flank in the Belgrade direction. The 2nd Army was tasked with capturing Zagreb and developing an offensive in the direction of Belgrade. Combat operations against Yugoslavia and Greece were planned to begin on April 6, 1941 with a massive air raid on Belgrade and an offensive by the troops of the left wing and center of the 12th Army.

The Greek army found itself in a difficult situation. Prolonged military operations have depleted the country's strategic reserves. The bulk of the Greek troops (15 infantry divisions, united in two armies - “ Epirus" And " Western Macedonia") was stationed on the Italo-Greek front in Albania. The entry of German troops into Bulgaria and their exit to the Greek border in March 1941 confronted the Greek command with the difficult task of organizing defense in a new direction, where no more than 6 divisions could be transferred.

The arrival of the expeditionary force, which began on March 5, 1941, from Egypt, which included two infantry divisions (the New Zealand 2nd Division, the Australian 6th Division), the British 1st Armored Brigade and nine aviation squadrons, could not significantly change the situation. The 7th Australian Division and the Polish Brigade, intended for landing in Greece, were abandoned by the British command in Egypt due to German actions in Libya.

To repel aggression, the Greek command hastily created two new armies: "Eastern Macedonia" (three infantry divisions and one infantry brigade), which relied on the fortifications of the Metaxas Line along the border with Bulgaria

AND " Central Macedonia "(three infantry divisions and an English expeditionary force), which, using the mountain range, took up defense from Olympus to Kaymakchalan. The armies had no operational-tactical communication and could easily be cut off both from each other and from the troops concentrated on the Albanian front. The Greek command had no strategic reserves. In deploying forces, it proceeded from the assumption that the enemy would operate only from Bulgarian territory and would not go through Yugoslavia.

Threat German attack strengthened defeatist sentiments among the Greek generals. At the beginning of March 1941, the army command "Epirus" brought to the attention of the government that it considered the war with the Germans futile, and demanded that diplomatic negotiations with Germany begin. In response to this, the government changed the leadership of the army "Epirus" , appointed a new army commander and new corps commanders. However, these measures failed to achieve a change in the mood of the senior command of the Greek army.

The situation created in the Balkans required joint action Great Britain, Greece and Yugoslavia. On March 31, the Chief of the British General Staff, General Dill, arrived in Belgrade, accompanied by Dixon, Eden's personal secretary. For two days, Dill negotiated with Prime Minister Simović, War Minister General B. Ilic and General Staff officers to coordinate the efforts of Yugoslavia and Greece and mobilize their military and economic capabilities to combat the impending aggression. The exchange of views showed that Great Britain was not going to provide significant assistance to Yugoslavia and Greece.

On April 3, at a railway station south of the Greek border town of Kenali, new negotiations took place between military representatives of Great Britain, Greece and Yugoslavia. It was about establishing cooperation between the Yugoslav army, Greek and British troops. The negotiations were attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Greek Armed Forces, General Papagos, the Commander of the British Expeditionary Force, General Wilson, and the Chief of Operations of the Yugoslav General Staff, General Jankovic. However, due to the extremely limited amount of assistance from Great Britain and the fears of the Yugoslav and Greek authorities of aggravating relations with Germany, an agreement on the interaction of the Yugoslav army with the Greek-British forces could not be reached.

German troops launched the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece on the night of April 6 according to the scheme they used when unleashing hostilities in 1939 and 1940. The main forces of the 4th Air Fleet suddenly attacked airfields in the areas of Skopje, Kumanovo, Nis, Zagreb, and Ljubljana. Tank and infantry divisions of the 12th German Army simultaneously crossed the Bulgarian-Yugoslav border in three sectors, and 150 German aircraft raided Belgrade.

Simultaneously with the actions against Yugoslavia, the left wing of the 12th German Army from the territory of Bulgaria began an offensive against Greece in the Thessaloniki direction.

The group of German troops (six divisions, including one tank, united in the 18th and 30th corps) had a great superiority in manpower and equipment over the army. Eastern Macedonia " However, relying on the line of fortifications and the mountainous terrain favorable for defense, the Greek troops offered stubborn resistance to the enemy for three days. But at this time, the 2nd German Panzer Division, advancing through Yugoslav Macedonia along the valley of the Strumica River, bypassing Lake Dojran, reached the rear of the Greek army. Eastern Macedonia "and on April 9 captured the city of Thessaloniki. On the same day, this army capitulated.

The rapid advance of German divisions in Yugoslavia put the Greek-British army in an extremely difficult position. Central Macedonia " By entering the Bitola area, German troops created the threat of bypassing its positions from the rear and isolating it from the Greek troops fighting in Albania. On April 11, the Greek high command decided to withdraw forces from Albania to a new line of defense - from Mount Olympus in the east to Lake Butrint in the west. The withdrawal of Greek troops from Albania began on April 12.

Meanwhile, German divisions, moving from the Bitola area through Florina and further to the south, again created the threat of enveloping the Anglo-Greek forces and during April 11-13 forced them to hastily retreat to the city of Kozani. As a result, German troops reached the rear of the army " Western Macedonia ", isolating it from the troops located in the central part of the country.

The British command, considering resistance to the aggressor troops futile, began planning the withdrawal of its expeditionary force from Greece. General Wilson was convinced that the Greek army had lost its combat effectiveness and its command had lost control. After a conference between Wilson and General Papagos on April 13, it was decided to retreat to the Thermopylae-Delphi line and thus leave the enemy all northern part countries. From April 14, British units retreated to the coast for evacuation.

On April 13, Hitler signed Directive No. 27, in which he clarified the plan of action for German troops in Greece. The Nazi command envisioned launching two attacks in converging directions from the areas of Florina and Thessaloniki to Larissa in order to encircle the Anglo-Greek troops and thwart attempts to form a new defensive front. In the future, with the advance of motorized units, it was planned to capture Athens and the remaining territory of Greece, including the Peloponnese. Particular attention was paid to preventing the evacuation of British troops by sea.

In five days, the British Expeditionary Force retreated 150 km and by April 20 concentrated in the Thermopylae region. The main forces of the Greek army remained in the north-west of the country, in the mountains of Pindus and Epirus. Remnants of the army " Central Macedonia "and army troops" Western Macedonia ", who suffered heavy losses, were reassigned to the commander of the Epirus army. This army retreated, fighting holding battles with Italian troops and being subjected to fierce air attacks. With the exit of the Germans into Thessaly, there were opportunities for a retreat to the Peloponnese Army Epirus there was practically no more.

The order of the Greek government to withdraw troops from Albania and failures on the fronts caused a long-brewing crisis in the ruling circles of Greece. Generals Army Epirus demanded an end to hostilities with Germany and the conclusion of a truce with it. They put forward only one condition - to prevent the occupation of Greek territory by Italy.

On April 18, a military council met in Tati near Athens, at which General Papagos reported that from a military point of view, the situation in Greece was hopeless. A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on the same day revealed that some of its participants supported the removed generals of the Epirus army, while others were in favor of continuing the war, even if the government had to leave the country. Confusion arose in the ruling circles of Greece. It intensified even more when Prime Minister Korizis committed suicide on the evening of April 18th. However, at this time, supporters of continuing the war gained the upper hand. The new Prime Minister Tsouderos and General Papagos demanded that the army command "Epirus" continue resistance. But the newly appointed commanders of the formations refused to obey, removed the army commander Pitsikas and installed General Tsolakoglu in his place. He sent envoys to the German troops and on the evening of April 20 signed with the commander of the SS division "Adolf Hitler" General Dietrich agreed to an armistice between Greece and Germany. The next day, Field Marshal List replaced this agreement with a new one - on the surrender of the Greeks. armed forces, but Hitler did not approve it. Given Mussolini's persistent requests, he agreed that Italy would be among the signatories to the agreement on the surrender of the Greek army. This, the third agreement, was signed by General Tsolakoglu on April 23, 1941 in Thessaloniki. That same day, King George II and the government left Athens and flew to the island of Crete.

On the night of April 25, in the small ports of Attica and the Peloponnese, the first units of British troops began to be loaded onto ships under intense bombardment. At this time, other British units tried to hold back the advance of Nazi troops. The Germans' attempt to defeat the retreating English Expeditionary Force was unsuccessful. By destroying the roads behind them, the British units managed to avoid major battles with the enemy.

On April 25, German troops occupied Thebes, and the next day, with the help of an airborne assault, they captured Corinth, cutting off the path of retreat to the Peloponnese for the British troops remaining in Attica. On April 27, German troops entered Athens, and by the end of April 29 they reached the southern tip of the Peloponnese. By this time, the bulk of the British troops (more than 50 thousand out of 62 thousand people), having destroyed heavy weapons and means of transport, were forced to evacuate by sea.

At sea, the evacuation was led by Vice Admiral Pridham-Whippel ( en:Sir Henry Daniel Pridham-Wippell), and on the shore - Rear Admiral G. T. Bailey-Groman and army headquarters.

A total of 50,662 people were removed, including British Royal Air Force personnel and several thousand Cypriot, Palestinian, Greek and Yugoslav residents. This represented about 80 percent of the forces originally sent to Greece

The ships of the Greek fleet also went to Egypt.

Armored cruiser "Averoff". The crew managed to avoid bombing and minefields and take the ship to Alexandria. There, Averof was tasked with protecting allied convoys in the Indian Ocean. Returned to Greek waters after the liberation of Greece in 1944.

Armored cruiser "Averoff". The crew managed to avoid bombing and minefields and take the ship to Alexandria. There, Averof was tasked with protecting allied convoys in the Indian Ocean. Returned to Greek waters after the liberation of Greece in 1944.

Destroyers:

"Vasilissa Olga"

"Vasilissa Olga"

After the German invasion, the destroyer, along with other ships in the fleet, left for Alexandria, Egypt in May 1941, where she received the British number H 84. After a modernization carried out in Calcutta, India in November-December 1941, the destroyer returned to the Mediterranean. In February 1942, as part of the British squadron, the destroyer took part in the Tobruk operation. On March 26, 1942, the destroyer picked up 20 sailors from a British tanker RFA Slavol, sunk by the German submarine U-205 near Sidi Barrani(Egypt). June 10, 1942 "Olga" picked up 53 sailors from a British tanker RFA Brambleleaf, torpedoed by the German submarine U-559, near Ras Alem(Egypt).

The destroyers Spetsai and Kountouriotis, which left Piraeus on April 22, safely reached Alexandria, where until August 1941 they were involved in convoy operations together with the British fleet. Later, Spetsai (which received the English tactical number H 38) went to Bombay, where its repair and rearmament began. Completed on March 27, 1942, the modernization deprived the ship of a stern 120-mm gun and a stern torpedo tube. In place of the latter, a 76.2 mm anti-aircraft gun was installed. Air defense was also reinforced with a pair of 20-mm machine guns, and anti-aircraft defense with six bomb launchers. "Kountouriotis" (H 07) left for India in December 1941. Its repairs and modernization continued until April 18, 1942.

The destroyers Spetsai and Kountouriotis, which left Piraeus on April 22, safely reached Alexandria, where until August 1941 they were involved in convoy operations together with the British fleet. Later, Spetsai (which received the English tactical number H 38) went to Bombay, where its repair and rearmament began. Completed on March 27, 1942, the modernization deprived the ship of a stern 120-mm gun and a stern torpedo tube. In place of the latter, a 76.2 mm anti-aircraft gun was installed. Air defense was also reinforced with a pair of 20-mm machine guns, and anti-aircraft defense with six bomb launchers. "Kountouriotis" (H 07) left for India in December 1941. Its repairs and modernization continued until April 18, 1942.

In May, both destroyers began service (usually escort duty) in the eastern Mediterranean and off the coast of North Africa. In September 1942 "Kuntouriotis" was used to transport troops to the island of Kastellorizo, where the Italian garrison surrendered to the Allies.

"Katsonis" and "Papanikolis" Greece in World War II

GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

FEDERAL STATE AUTONOMOUS

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

HIGHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

"NATIONAL RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

"HIGH SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS"

Faculty of History

Department of Social History

"Greece in World War II:
from the war with Italy to the Civil War"

Essay by a 1st year undergraduate student of group No.

for a university-wide elective

"Russia and America: the Balkan Knot"

Moscow 2013

The Second World War is considered the worst war in human history. It radically changed the course of humanity and the path of its development, giving rise to new trends in politics, culture and other spheres of society. It brought with it colossal destruction that the world could only remove in our time. The war, which lasted 6 long years and took millions of lives, engulfed the whole world. Each state of that time felt the blow of the war to a greater or lesser extent.

Among these states is Greece, which experienced many of the horrors of that war. This and how she lived and fought in those years will be discussed in my essay.

The state of Greece gained its independence in 1830 after the long Greek revolution against the Ottoman yoke from 1821 to 1830. At the same time, the first president and prime minister were elected. Later, Greece was turned into a monarchy. But even after this, the Greeks continued to fight against their former enslavers in other wars for the remaining territories that were in the territory of Hellas. This was one of the points of the policy for the creation of Greater Hellas, developed by prominent Greek nationalists. The Balkan War, in which Greece was victorious along with Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro, brought these plans closer to completion than ever before (the island of Crete was annexed). But the First World War was ahead, where the Greeks would enter into battle with the Bulgarians, who were in the Triple Alliance...

After the First World War, Greece, as an ally of the Entente, was among the victors. She entered it quite late, in 1917, having suffered small losses by war standards (about 5,000 people during the entire war), fighting on the Balkan and Thessaloniki fronts. According to the Peace of Neuilly, Greece received almost the entire part of the province of Thrace, i.e. now the territorial composition of Greece included its modern borders. But Greece, as the winner, also received part of Izmir in the Treaty of Sèvres with Turkey. This event could not but cause a flurry of indignation in Turkey. In addition, a difficult political situation has developed in both countries. In Greece, King Alexander dies in 1919; in Turkey, power changes under the leadership of Kemal Pasha. The Greco-Turkish war is coming, where only the peoples who had recovered from the horrors of the world war again took up the barrels of weapons.

In this war, the Greeks counted on combat support from their former allies, but they never received it. Due to the unsuccessful tactics of the Greek commanders and skillful leadership Turkish troops The Greeks suffered a significant defeat under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Carrying out weak attacks, the Greek command abandoned Greek soldiers to certain death. As a result, in 1921, Ataturk’s army took the Greek city of Smyrna and carried out a terrible massacre in which about 60,000 people died.

As a result, the Greeks were forced to make peace with the Turks due to the depletion of the resources of the Greek army and the inability to continue military operations. In October 1922, the Peace of Mudan was signed, according to which Eastern Thrace and Adrianople, lost to Turkey in 1918, were returned to Turkey. This caused a revolt in the Greek army, during which King Constantine of Greece was removed from the throne, and Prime Minister Gounaris and former commander-in-chief Hadzimanestis were declared responsible for the defeat and were executed. The monarchy was soon abolished in 1924 after the accession of George II to the throne and the Republic of Greece was proclaimed. Only 10 years later, when fascist monarchists led by General Metaxas came to power in elections in 1935, the monarchy was restored and George returned from emigration from London.

Greece tried to behave calmly in world politics, tried to build relationships with former enemies. This was done in order to avoid new military conflicts with states stronger than it. Exhausted by previous wars, she tried to increase her well-being through the competent management of the economy of abstinence in solving global problems.

But gradually the world situation became more and more turbulent... In 1933, with A. Hitler coming to power in Germany, the Third Reich was formed, which gradually began to pursue an imperial policy. Not long ago, the fascist regime of Mussolini was formed in Italy. It was also not known for being a friendly neighborhood. The Duce sought to revive the spirit of the Roman Empire. To do this, he intended to subjugate the territories of the Mediterranean coast, thereby controlling the Mediterranean Sea - “Nostra Mare”, as Benito saw it. To this end, he formed a military alliance with Germany, counting on assistance in his actions.

After this there was the Italo-Ethiopian War, where Italy was able to avenge the defeat in the first Italo-Abyssinian War (gg.) and subjugate the territory of Abyssinia, Eritrea and part of Somalia. Then came the Anschluss of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938 and the occupation of the Sudetenland in the same year, which seriously frightened the world community. And the following year, 1939, World War II began with the invasion of Poland. But before that, on April 7, fascist Italy carried out an anemic operation to occupy the territory of Albania, when, as a result, King Zogu I of Albania fled to Greece, and King Emmanuel III of Italy became the supreme ruler. Thus, Greece stood in the way of the Italians in implementing the “Nostra Mare” plan in Europe. But Greece did not yet realize this. However, Italy's annexation of Albania in 1939 was one of the factors that led France and Britain to provide guarantees of assistance to Greece in the event of violations of their sovereignty.

Meanwhile, a great war was being waged between Germany and the Allies in Western Europe. Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg fell, France also fell under the “German boot”, Denmark and Norway were also captured. In total, almost all were captured European states who did not have a neutrality pact. Italy, with its Albania, and nothing more, had nothing to boast of, so the Duce undertook as soon as possible launch an offensive from Albania into Greek territories.

The Third Reich also had its eyes on Greece, and the Balkans in general, so that it intended to begin the upcoming offensive against the Soviet Union with them. The main forces were to be located in Yugoslavia, from where an attack on Ukraine and the Caucasus would be launched through Romania. So Hitler supported Mussolini's future aggression against the Greeks. The final decision on the invasion was made on October 15, 1940.

On October 28, 1940, Italian troops in the region of Epirus and Western Macedonia crossed the Greek border. The Italian command had large manpower numbers of more than 550 thousand against the Greek 300; By military equipment there was a big advantage for the Italians. However, the Greeks barely managed to hold off the Italian attack with small forces. The Greeks' excellent knowledge of the area, the carelessness of the Italian military leaders and the praiseworthy Greek courage played a role in this. The division of Colonel Konstantinos Davakis especially distinguished itself by holding back the 11,000-strong Julia mountaineering division with a force of 2,000 men in November 1941 near the city of Pindus in northern Greece.

In January, Greek troops went on the offensive in the region of Northern Epirus, in the Permeti district. From January 6 to 11, the so-called “occupation of the Klisura gorge” lasted, when the Greeks began to advance to the Albanian border, and success was ultimately achieved. In addition, promised assistance from Great Britain began to arrive, bringing cargo in the form of aircraft and weapons. Mussolini was beside himself with rage at the current situation at the front. He appointed a new commander of the Italian forces (instead of Ubaldo Soddu, Duce's favorite Hugo Cavaliero was appointed. But this reshuffle did not change things.

Having launched a spring offensive in March to drive out the Greeks who had occupied the southern part of Albania, the Italians suffered a great defeat from the Greek units of General Alexandros Papagos, considered the main military leader of the Greek troops at that time. Personal observation of the progress of Benito Mussolini’s offensive did not help either. One failed attack on Hill 731 cost Italy 3,000 lives. In the end, Cavaliero suggested that the Duce stop the offensive. The Duce was forced to agree. Realizing that he could no longer break the high fighting spirit of the Greeks on his own, Mussolini was forced to resort to asking Germany for help.

The Third Reich was just preparing for the invasion of the USSR, but was forced to help its allies in the current situation, as the Greeks advanced to the strategically important airfield in Vleri.

The German offensive, together with the Italians, began on April 6, 1941. At the same time, Romanian and Bulgarian units moved to Yugoslavia. The operation to conquer the Balkans was called "Marita".

An English expedition arrived to help the Greeks, exhausted by the long war. corps from Egypt, which had with it two infantry divisions and 9 aviation squadrons. Greece also created two divisions to repel the Nazi invaders: “Eastern Macedonia” and “Central Macedonia”. On April 3, a meeting of the allied forces of Great Britain, Greece, and Yugoslavia was called to develop a plan for future resistance. But, unfortunately, behind the estate various points The commands were unable to reach an agreement. This played a fatal role in the Greek operation.

German troops, encountering weak resistance, marched rapidly from north to south of Greece and in just over a month they were able to reach Athens and capture mainland Greece and its islands. The Italian army, as before, met fierce resistance from the Greeks and British. On April 12, the Greeks were driven out of the territory of southern Albania, and on April 23, German troops took Athens. King George II and his family were evacuated to Crete, the only Greek territory not occupied by the Axis countries. On April 30, Parliamentary power passed into the hands of the Axis protégé General Tsolakoglu, and the country was headed by authorized representative Reich Gunther Alterbung. Greece was divided into three occupation zones: German (northeastern Greece), Italian (islands on the west coast) and Bulgarian (territory of Thrace).

The Greeks and the British had no choice but to defend Crete, where the royal family of Greece was located. A limited contingent of the British fleet, sent to help the Greeks, was based on it. Therefore, the allies had to hold him at all costs. The Germans pursued the goal of completing the capture of Greece and establishing control over it.

May 20, 1941 began Cretan operation, called “Mercury”. This was the very first and largest operation airborne troops Wehrmacht in the war. It was led by Colonel General Karl Student, and the Allied forces were commanded by New Zealand Lieutenant General Bernard Freyberg.

The German paratroopers, thanks to a well-coordinated strategy and numbers, were able to initially turn the result in their favor. British troops could do virtually nothing against the oncoming enemy force, and eventually, after 11 days of resistance, Great Britain was forced to surrender Crete to Germany. She suffered heavy losses from the troops provided to Greece. The Greek army, which remained after the attack of Italy and Germany on the mainland, simply ceased to exist after Operation Mercury. Thus, the German army completely broke the strong Greek spirit that helped the Greeks in the fight against the Italians. And Greece itself plunged into three years of “German order.”

But the fight was not completely over. Many Greeks joined the partisans and continued to fight guerrilla warfare with the occupiers. In September 1941, the underground organization “People's Republican Greek Force” was created. It was led by former Greek army officer Napoleon Zervas. She pursued pro-Western and monarchist ideas, considered the British her main ally and advocated for the restoration of the monarchical system. Later, in December, the Greek People's Liberation Army was created, the core of which was Communist Party Greece. The two organizations hated each other primarily because of their different political opinions. The result was a similar situation to the NOLA made by the communists and Chetnik-monarchists. They had different political views and great hatred for each other, but they had one common enemy. However, the communists in both places accused “right-wing” organizations of collaboration. Be that as it may, they carried out successful operations together against the invaders.

It is also worth mentioning the 13th Light Bomber Squadron, which consisted of Greek pilots who served british crown and fought in the Middle East, Italy and Greece. These pilots flew British Avro Anson aircraft and served the Royal Air Force well during the war.

It is not surprising that, knowing this, the occupiers undertook acts of intimidation of the local population. During the three years of “Axis rule,” many terrible events occurred in Greece.

One can recall the incident in Doksato in September 1942, when, after communist activities and an attack on a police station where 7 Bulgarian soldiers were killed, the Bulgarian command took out the entire male population over 14 years of age to be shot.

Also indicative are the executions of civilians by the Germans in Kerdilia in October 1941 after a local partisan detachment"Odysseus Androutsos" attacked the local police station. Then the Germans shot about 230 people.

There are also known bloody cases in Kalavriata, Distomo and Paramitya, where the Wehrmacht ordered the execution of the local population for aiding the partisans. In total, about 2,000 people died. Thus, the German command suppressed the desire of the local population to help the partisans.

The Holocaust in Greece deserves a separate topic. During the war with Italy, 13 thousand Jews fought on the Greek side. Lieutenant Colonel Mordechai Frizis received special honors. He commanded a Greek platoon and died on the battlefield in December 1940. After the Axis occupation of Greece, Jews were subjected to mass deportation. About 45,000 Jews went to Auschwitz during the years of occupation. Most of them died there. During the release of Fr. Corfu, the German command undertook the mass deportation of Jews from the island. But out of 1900, two hundred managed to escape, where they were sheltered by the local population. The Greek Holocaust is one of the terrible events in Greek history.

One thing is also known war crime over former allies who rebelled against the German commandant. On September 23, 1943, the Acqui regiment, consisting of 3,000 Italian soldiers who rose up against their partners in arms and killed several German soldiers, was destroyed. Their commander, Garobbio, planned to defect to the Allied side and wage war against the Germans. For this they were all arrested, and then the decision to shoot them followed. It was destroyed in the province of Kefalonia.

It is unknown how long this nightmare would have continued if not for the development of the war on other fronts. The Germans were defeated in the Stalingrad Cauldron, and Soviet troops went on the offensive. Later, Allied troops landed in Italy and the fascist regime was overthrown. Thus, Italy, which entered into an alliance with the allies, lost its possessions in Greece in the west and the Dodecanese Islands. The British command decided to take advantage of this situation, thereby seizing a springboard for a future invasion of the Balkans. On September 8, the Dodecanese operation began, during which British troops took one island after another. Unfortunately, the matter stalled at Fr. Rhodes, where large forces of German infantry and landing forces were able to recapture the island, and then reconquered the islands for themselves in two months. On November 23, 1943, the British command admitted defeat.

But the partisan movement in Greece did not sleep... It was so massive that the German commandants could not cope with it with any force. Even the fate of being shot did not frighten the Greek population, who went into the partisan underground. In 1944, the number of NOAG reached 120 thousand people, which was great strength. The activities of the "People's Republican Greek League" were also extensive - about 14 thousand people. There is no doubt that their actions could not but lead to the final defeat of the Nazi invaders. Abundantly supported by the British command in terms of weapons, they fought a successful fight. In the end she was successful. In November, German troops were expelled from Greek territory, and the collaborationist government led by Ioannis Rallis () was overthrown, he himself was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Thus, the Nazi yoke that weighed on Greece lasted three terrible years. The Greek economy, which was already weak, was completely destroyed over these years. The drachma exchange rate “fell into a great abyss” of cheapness (if before the war the largest banknote was in denomination 25,000 drachmas, then during the war it was equal to a colossal figure of 100 billion drachmas). Greece lost 200,000 people during the war. These include: civilian population, and military personnel. The monarchy was returned again, but subsequently a civil war broke out between the communists and the National United Hellenic League, where the latter won.

Until now, Greece's participation in World War II has been underestimated in terms of the scale of that war. But it is worth remembering that if Greece had not taken the blow of the German troops in April, or had it held out for two months under their blows, Germany could have invaded the USSR much earlier, and it would have been great whether we would have been able to hold out and defeat it in the end. ..

Literature.

1. “One Hundred Great Wars”, “Veche”, 2001, 470 pp., M. - Ch. "The Greco-Turkish War(". Page 398-401.

2. Winston Churchill. “The Second World War.” (In 3 books).Book 1 .T.1-2 , M,: Military Publishing House, 1991- 592 pp. pp. 528-530, 535.

3. Galleazo Ciano. “Diaries of a Fascist”; M.: “Plats”, 2010- 688 pages

4. Hanson Baldwin. Chapter 3: Crete - invasion on wings. // Battles Lost and Won = Battles Lost and Won/ ed. Yu. Bem. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2002. - P. 78-148. - 624 s.

5. W. Churchill . Second world war , translation from English, vol. 2, p. 117.

6. Solon Neokosmou Grigoriadis (S. N. Grigoriadis) Ιστορία της σύγχρονης Ελλάδας 1941-1974. - Athens: Polaris, 2009. - T. 1.

To ensure the advancement of ground forces, Italian aviation had to paralyze Greek communications with air strikes, cause panic among the population and thus disrupt the mobilization and concentration of the Greek army.

The directive stated that as a result of the offensive of Italian troops in Greece, this was causing a severe internal political crisis, which would contribute to achieving success with small forces and in the shortest possible time.

To capture Greece, the Italian command allocated two army corps, which included eight divisions (six infantry, one tank and one mountain rifle), a separate operational group (three regiments) - a total of 87 thousand soldiers, 163 tanks, 686 guns, 380 combat aircraft. To support the offensive from the sea, the landing of amphibious assault forces in Greece and the transportation of troops and cargo from Italy to Albania, 54 large surface ships (4 battleships, 8 cruisers, 42 destroyers and destroyers) and 34 submarines based in Taranto (Adriatic Sea) were involved ) and to the island of Leros.

The offensive was supposed to take place in coastal strip 80 km wide by the forces of one Italian corps, numbering three infantry and one tank divisions, and a mobile task force. The main blow was delivered in the direction of Ioannina, Metsovon. Another Italian corps, consisting of four divisions, was deployed to conduct active defense on the left wing of the Italo-Greek front. An infantry division stationed in Italy was allocated for the landing of troops on the island of Corfu and its occupation. Before the start of the aggression, the Greek armed forces in Epirus and Macedonia numbered 120 thousand people. In total, the mobilization plan of the Greek General Staff was supposed to deploy to full strength 15 infantry and 1 cavalry divisions, 4 infantry brigades and the reserve of the main command.

The Greek covering troops, permanently stationed on the Greek-Albanian border, included 2 infantry divisions, 2 infantry brigades, 13 separate infantry battalions and 6 mountain batteries. Their total number was 27 thousand people. There was very little military equipment in this area - only 20 tanks, 36 combat aircraft, 220 guns.

2. Italo-Greek War 1940

2.1. Invasion

On October 28, 1940, Italian troops launched an invasion of Greek territory. In the first days they were opposed only by weak barriers in the form of border units. However, the Greek covering troops, reinforced by five infantry and one cavalry divisions, put up decisive resistance. On November 1, by order of the commander-in-chief of the Greek army, A. Papagos, a counterattack was launched against the enemy’s open left flank. Over the next two days of fighting, Italian troops in the Korçe area were pushed back into Albanian territory. In Epirus, in the valleys of the rivers Vjosa and Kalamas, resistance to the invasion intensified so much that already on November 6, Ciano was forced to write in his diary: "The fact that on the eighth day of the operation the initiative passed to the Greeks is a reality."

On November 6, the Italian General Staff, as part of the urgent replenishment and reorganization of troops in Albania, issued an order to form a new army group "Albania" consisting of the 9th and 11th armies, led by Deputy Chief of the General Staff V. Soddi. On November 7, Italian troops stopped conducting active operations, and preparations began for a new offensive. There was a temporary period of calm on the Italo-Greek front.

With the attack by Italy, Great Britain was forced to fulfill its obligations under the guarantees given to Greece in April. Despite the fact that the creation of a bridgehead in the Balkans was one of the priorities of the British ruling circles, the request of the Greek government to send naval and air units to protect the island of Corfu and Athens was initially rejected, since, in the opinion of the British command, their troops were outnumbered. needed for the Middle East than in Greece. However, 4 squadrons of aircraft were still sent to Greece, and on November 1, British units landed on the island of Crete, which had important strategic importance in the Mediterranean Sea J. Butler. Big strategy. September 1939 - June 1941, p. 553; M. Cervi. Storia della guerra di Grecia, p. 193.

2.2. Greek counter-offensive

On November 14, Greek troops launched a counteroffensive in Western Macedonia, in which troops from the entire front soon took part. On November 21, General Soddi gave the order to the Italian troops to begin a general withdrawal. The situation of individual formations was so difficult that the commander of the Italian Army Group asked the German government for “mediation.” However, the Italian ruling circles still sought to maintain independence in actions in the Balkans. At negotiations with Hitler and Ribbentrop on November 20 in Salzburg, Italian Foreign Minister Ciano pointed out the undesirability of German military intervention in the conflict. The same was mentioned in Mussolini’s letter to Hitler dated November 22. At the same time, the Italian government readily accepted material assistance from Germany.

Having rejected direct German intervention in the Italo-Greek War, Mussolini made an attempt to save the prestige of his army in Albania. He gave the order to create a fortified line of defense at the line of Rponi, Librazhdi, north of Shkumbi in Beijing and along the Shkumbini River to the sea and at any cost to prevent the enemy from breaking through it.

But neither the engineering equipment of the positions nor the increase in the number of troops on the Albanian front could improve the position of the Italian armies. General V. Cavalieri, appointed chief of the general staff in early December instead of Marshal P. Badoglio, was soon forced to conclude: "... the troops are demoralized and tired. Since October 28, they have been continuously participating in battles and during this time they were forced to retreat about 60 km. There is not enough uniform, especially shoes. The morale of the troops is low" V. Cavalieri. Notes about the war. Diary of the Chief of the Italian General Staff. M., 1968, p. 37.

2.3. Second invasion attempt

But Mussolini only needed victory. He demanded that Cavalieri urgently prepare an offensive on the Italo-Greek front. Duce wanted to warn Nazi Germany, contrary to his wishes, was preparing the invasion of German troops in Greece. "... The Fuhrer intends to strike Greece in March with large forces from Bulgarian territory,- Mussolini wrote to his chief of staff. - I hope that your efforts will make direct assistance to us from Germany on the Albanian front unnecessary."

The offensive, planned by the Italian General Staff for mid-January 1941, began, but did not develop: the forces were still insufficient. Greek troops continued to attack the enemy along the entire front. Only at the beginning of March, when the Italian troops achieved some superiority in strength (they numbered 26 divisions against 15 Greek), the command was able to begin preparing a “general” offensive. The main blow was delivered to Klisury by 12 divisions. The offensive began on March 9, but bloody battles that lasted for several days did not bring success to the aggressor army. On March 16, the offensive stopped.

3. Political situation in 1940-1941.

3.1. Allied actions

As soon as the Italo-Greek War began, England made attempts to attract Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia before joining the anti-Hitler coalition. However, the implementation of this plan encountered great difficulties. Turechina was considered not only for the entry into the anti-Hitler bloc, but also for the suppression of the crops" due to the Anglo-French-Turkish treaty of October 19th. Anglo-Turkish staff negotiations took place in Ankara - 25th September 1941 and appeared in England's attempt to gain Turechina before the real date help Greece. The ruling stake of Yugoslavia, although they wanted to accede to the Third Pact, did not actively oppose it.

England also hoped that it would be able to gain a foothold in the Balkans, taking advantage of the clash of Soviet and German interests in this area. The British government made plans for the fact that this clash could escalate into an armed conflict between the USSR and the Third Reich and thereby divert the attention of the Nazi leadership from the Balkan Peninsula.

England's policy in the Balkans met with increasing support from the United States. In the second half of January, Roosevelt’s personal representative, one of the leaders of American intelligence, Colonel V. Donov (en: William Joseph Donovan), went to the Balkans on a special mission. He visited Athens, Istanbul, Sofia and Belgrade, urging the governments of the Balkan states to pursue policies beneficial to the United States and England. The Bulgarian people in the struggle against fascism (on the eve and in the initial period of the Second World War). In February and March, American diplomacy maintained pressure on the Balkan countries, especially Turkey and Yugoslavia, trying to achieve its goal. main goal- prevent the strengthening of the positions of Germany and its allies. Notes, memorandums, personal messages from the president, etc. were sent to the governments of the Balkan states. All these actions were coordinated with the British government.

In February 1941, British Foreign Minister E. Eden and Chief of the Imperial General Staff D. Dill (en: John Dill) left on a special mission to the Middle East and Greece. After consultations with the British command in the Eastern Mediterranean region, they arrived in Athens, where on February 22 they agreed with the Greek government on the upcoming landing of a British expeditionary force there. This agreement was in accordance with the plans of the British Defense Committee, according to which the Balkans were acquiring decisive importance at that time. September 1939 - June 1941, pp. 408-410. However, attempts by British diplomacy to win Yugoslavia over to their side were still unsuccessful.

3.2. Axis actions

Italian aggression against Greece, and then its unsuccessful outcome for Italy, created a new situation in the Balkans. It served as a reason for Germany to intensify its policy in this area. In addition, Hitler hastened to take advantage of the emerging situation in order, under the guise of helping a defeated ally, to quickly gain a foothold in the Balkan bridgehead.

On November 12, 1940, Hitler signed Directive No. 18 on the preparation “if necessary, of an operation against Northern Greece from the territory of Bulgaria. According to the directive, it was envisaged that a group of German troops consisting of at least 10 divisions would be created in the Balkans (in particular, in Romania). The plan of the operation was clarified during November and December, contacted the "Barbarossa" option and before the end of the year was outlined in a plan codenamed "Marita" (lat. marita- Wife). According to Directive No. 20 of December 13, 1940, the forces involved in this operation increased sharply, to 24 divisions. The directive set the task of occupying Greece and demanded the timely release of these forces to carry out “new plans,” that is, participation in an attack on the USSR.

Thus, plans for the conquest of Greece were developed by Germany at the end of 1940, but Germany was in no hurry to implement them.

Notes

1. "Military Historical Journal", 1971, No. 4, pp. 101-103.
2. M. Cervi. Storia della guerra di Grecia. Milano, 1965, p. 133-134; G. Santoro. L "Aeronautica Italiana nella II a guerra mondiale. Pt. 1. Roma, 1950, p. 169-171.
3. S. Roskilde. Fleet and War, vol. 1, pp. 529-531.
4. M. Cervi. Storia dylla guerra di Grecia, p. 131, 133-134, 162, 432, 437.
5. S. Baudino. Una guerra assurda. Milano, 1965, p. 136.
6. Drugi svetski rat (Preregled ratnih operacija). Knj. I. Beograd, 1957, s. 73.
7. Ibid., S. 74.
8. Ibid., S. 73.
9. A. Papagos. La Grecia in guerra 1940-1941. Milano, 1950, p. 21.
10. V. Sekistov. War and politics. M., 1970, p. 166.

Some fought with numbers, and some with skill. The monstrous truth about the losses of the USSR in World War II Sokolov Boris Vadimovich

Greek losses

Greek losses

According to official Greek figures from the National Reparations Board, the losses of the Greek armed forces were 13,327 dead, 62,663 wounded and 1,290 missing during the Italo-Greek War of 1940–1941, 1,100 died in Greek units fighting alongside British forces in the Middle East. East and 20,650 dead partisans. Losses among the civilian population amounted to 56,225 shot by the German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation authorities, 105 thousand who died in German concentration camps, 7120 people who became victims of German and Anglo-American bombings, 3.5 thousand merchant marine sailors who died in sunk by German aircraft and submarines, as well as 600 thousand died of starvation. The number of deaths from famine, in our opinion, has been greatly inflated, in order to increase the amount of reparations due to the country. The number of victims of the Holocaust in Greece is estimated at 69.5 thousand dead Jews. G. Frumkin doubted the official Greek figures, considering them significantly overestimated in terms of civilian losses and estimated Greek losses at 20 thousand military deaths during the Italo-Greek War, 60 thousand repressed non-Jewish civilians (probably this includes losses partisans), 20 thousand non-Jewish deportees (in all likelihood, also killed), 60 thousand Jews exterminated by the Nazis and 140 thousand victims of famine. The basis for Frumkin's assessment is as unclear as the basis for the official assessment. It seems to us that official data on the losses of the armed forces and partisans may be close to reality. But they must be increased by a number of categories of losses not taken into account by the National Reparations Council. They do not include, in particular, losses during the fighting in Crete in May 1941. During the unsuccessful repulsion of the German landing on the island, the Greek troops located there lost 426 dead (including those who died from wounds), up to 850 wounded and 5255 captured. In addition, up to 3 thousand civilians died during the fighting in Crete. Large number wounded compared to the number killed during the war in continental Greece, in a ratio of 4.7:1, suggests that the death toll here does not include those who died from wounds. If we take the proportion of those who died from wounds to be 10% of the total number of wounded, then the number of deaths from wounds can be estimated at 6.3 thousand people, and total number We estimate the regular Greek army soldiers who died during the Second World War at 22.4 thousand, including all those missing in the number of those killed. We estimate the total losses of the military, taking into account the losses of the partisans, according to official data, at 43 thousand people, believing that the official figure of 20,650 dead partisans also includes victims of the struggle of the communist guerrillas of ELAS (Greek National Liberation Army) against British troops in Athens in December 1944. It should be noted that most of the partisans were former soldiers of the Greek army, disbanded by the Germans to their homes. The total number of Greeks captured by Germans and Italians in continental Greece was estimated by Hitler at 210 thousand soldiers and 8 thousand officers, and taking into account prisoners taken in Crete - at 223 thousand people. All of them were soon released to their homes. Hitler stated in the Reichstag on May 4, 1941 that "all Greek prisoners were released immediately after the surrender, taking into account their heroic struggle."

We are also inclined to accept the number of victims of the Holocaust given by Martin Gilbert. Famine did occur in Greece in the winter of 1941/42, greatly facilitated by the British naval blockade. Before the war, Greece did not starve because it had the opportunity to import required quantity food. Therefore, all victims of the famine should be attributed to the military losses of Greece, but it is very difficult to determine their number. The autumn of 1940 was unusually dry in Greece, the summer of 1940 was extremely hot, and the winter of 1941/42 was unusually cold. All this has significantly reduced the yields of basic food crops. Under pressure from the Greek government in exile, England eased the blockade in the spring of 1942, allowing food supplies to Greece. Türkiye and Sweden also provided assistance to Greece. Since the summer of 1942, the International Red Cross was able to establish significant food supplies to Greece, including thanks to the supply of Canadian and Argentine grain. But even earlier he had provided significant assistance to Greece with the assistance of the Axis powers. In the winter of 1941, at the height of the famine, the ICC distributed 800 thousand bowls of free soup and created 450 nutrition centers for 100 thousand children over seven years of age and 130 care centers for younger children. According to the Red Cross, about 250 thousand people died from hunger and lack of warm clothing. This figure seems to us closest to the truth, as given by a neutral institute, whose representatives actually worked in Greece during the famine. It should also be taken into account that at the time of publication of the report, the IWC was not interested in either exaggerating or belittling the scale of the famine and did not intend to blame either the Axis states or the countries of the Anti-Hitler coalition for its occurrence. Of course, we do not know what primary statistics the ICC had at its disposal or what the estimation method was. Probably the accuracy of the number of 250 thousand dead lies within plus or minus 50 thousand people.

We estimate the total number of losses of the armed forces and partisans of Greece, taking the figures of the National Reparations Council, at 43 thousand people, the number of victims of repression and deportations to concentration camps by the occupation authorities, taking the total figure of G. Frumkin, but subtracting the losses of the partisans from it , 100 thousand people, and the number of famine victims, taking the IWC estimate, is 250 thousand people. In total, this gives Greece losses of 393 thousand people.