"I swear (in the name of the Holy, Consubstantial, and Indivisible Trinity) to protect the Constitution and laws, ensure their faithful observance, defend the national independence and territorial integrity of the country, protect the rights and freedoms of Greeks, and serve the common interests and progress of the Greek people."

 

Currently, it is often heard that the Serbian uprising delayed the start of the German invasion of the USSR in 1941 by two months, which allowed for the defense of Moscow. However, it was the Greek resistance that truly delayed the Germans for those two months, which enabled the defense of Moscow in severe cold (-42 degrees). Perhaps that’s why Frau Merkel had such a disdain for the Greeks.

The victory of the Greeks over the Italians in 1940 inspired Winston Churchill to utter his famous words that echoed around the world: "We are not saying that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks," referring to the great heroes of Ancient Greece, such as Heracles, Achilles, Patroclus, Odysseus, Leonidas, and many others.

On December 7, 1940, the Japanese newspaper "DAY" wrote: "Our country, where courage is highly valued, watches with admiration the struggle of the Greeks in Albania. It touches us so deeply that we shout — Long live HELLAS!"

Honoring this, as well as all previous historical victories of the Hellenes, the well-known Greek writer Manolis Louderis beautifully expressed the essence of his people: "Perhaps the Greeks never filled their bellies, but their heads were never empty. This people has always been full of curiosity and contradictions, flexible in thought, combative, with a bright mind, and yet often boastful, power-hungry, and vengeful, with a sharp and cunning intellect. Their soul is eternally searching, full of captivating dreams and evil — a butterfly and a snake at the same time. In one hand, they held a trowel for creation, and in the other — a spade for destruction. But as soon as this people faced external danger, they immediately became one. Then they suppressed all trivialities and fearlessly made sacrifices, full of audacity and greatness..."

I would only add to Louderis. The code of the nation, of any people, can be found in the epic of that people. For the Greeks, it lies in the epic of the Great Homer — "Iliad and Odyssey." Explore this immortal work and if you are Greek, you will discover much that is interesting within yourself.

The Chief of the German General Staff, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, stated in May 1941: "In the name of historical justice, it must be acknowledged that among all our opponents, only the Greek people fought with such courage and contempt for death."

After World War II, the same field marshal would write: "The incredible resistance of the Greeks deprived Germany of two months, so necessary for the attack on Russia; had we not been delayed here, the outcome of battles on the Eastern Front, as well as the entire war, would have been different."

In Western military literature, there is often a correct opinion that the failures of the Italian army in Greece, followed by the "Battle for Crete," forced Hitler to postpone the date of the attack on the USSR, first from April 6 to May 15, and then by another five weeks — to June 22, 1941, which meant that the Germans failed to take Moscow before the winter cold and ultimately lost the war.

The contribution of the Greeks to the victory over fascism in World War II is clearly more significant than that of other Western European nations. By delaying the beginning of the German invasion of the USSR, the Greeks also made an important contribution to the victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War. Indeed, the two-month delay in Greece helped save Moscow when, in December 1941, the temperature fell to -42 degrees for the first time in a century — and God was against the dark force of fascism.

In a message to the Greek people, the "Moscow" radio station (April 27, 1942) expressed words of gratitude: "You were few, but you, fighting against superior enemy forces, emerged victorious. It could be no other way, because you are Greeks. We Russians, thanks to your selflessness, gained time for defense. We thank you."

The heroic resistance of the Greek people and their army, thwarting the Italian plan for the occupation of Greece, led to German intervention, causing a ten-week delay in their attack on the Soviet Union, which played a significant role in the defense of Moscow in the winter of 1941. On October 28, 1941, British Field Marshal Harold Alexander stated: "The Greeks changed all the Germans' plans — they had to postpone the start of the war with Russia by a month and a half."

I. Ehrenburg, a Russian writer, poet, publicist, journalist, and war correspondent, said: "Before everyone's eyes, the ancient legend came to life — the Greeks died, but did not surrender."

I would like to emphasize that all the historical great victories of the Greeks greatly strengthened their proud national consciousness, which has not been exhibited by any other nation with such force: they represent something distinct from other inhabitants of the earth. The greatness of a nation is determined not by its population, but by the amount of blood shed. Yes, Greece resisted for 219 days, while Norway did so for 61 days, mighty France for 43 days, Poland for 30, Belgium for 18 days, Yugoslavia for 3, and Czechoslovakia and Denmark for no days at all. The latter surrendered to a single German motorcyclist, to whom the king of the country handed over his crown to be delivered to Hitler. It should be noted that all these countries were much better armed than Greece.

THUS, THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE GREEKS TO THE VICTORY OVER FASCISM in World War II is clearly more significant than that of other Western European nations. By delaying the start of the German invasion of the USSR, the Greeks also made an important contribution to the victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War. Later, Victory Marshal Georgy Zhukov would say: "If the Russians managed to resist under Moscow to stop and drive back the Germans, we owe this to the Greeks, who delayed the Germans when they could have put us on our knees" (from a speech on "Moscow Radio" on September 24, 1942).

Earlier, in the spring of 1941, in his speech at the Reichstag, Field Marshal Keitel said: "In the name of historical justice, it must be acknowledged that among all our opponents, only the Greek nation fought with such courage and contempt for death."

The history of Greek resistance to fascism has many bright pages, but the Battle for Crete, in which the Germans first suffered serious losses in World War II, stands out particularly. The best German paratroopers who landed on the island were fought not only by Greek and English soldiers, but also by enraged ordinary Cretan peasants with their long knives. The Germans eventually managed to capture the area defended by the English and then occupy the entire island. The losses in Crete shocked Hitler — thousands of elite paratroopers from his only parachute division were destroyed. The prominent British military theorist B. Liddell wrote: "Metaphorically speaking, in Crete, Hitler strained the ligaments of the arm with which he struck." And Winston Churchill would say: "The victory that Göring achieved in Crete is most accurately described as Pyrrhic. With the troops he lost on the island, it would have been easy to conquer Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, and perhaps even Persia." The famous words of Byron about "two-legged leopards" are very fitting for the Cretans.

It is no coincidence that the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent said of Crete back in the 16th century: "If it were not for this cursed island, we would have swallowed the whole world."

British conservative politician and Foreign Minister Sir Anthony Eden wrote: "The Greeks thwarted all the Germans' plans, forcing them to postpone the start of the war with Russia by ten weeks. I ask, what would have been the outcome of this war without Greece?"

Charles de Gaulle: "I find no words to express my admiration for the heroic resistance of the Greek people." Franklin Roosevelt: "On October 28, 1940, the Greeks were given an ultimatum to decide on war or peace in three hours. But even if they had been given three days, three weeks, three months, or three years — the answer would have been the same. The Greeks taught a lesson in courage for all ages. When the whole world had lost hope, the Greeks decided to resist the German monster, raising the proud spirit of freedom against it. The heroism of the Greeks against the Germans after they had so loudly defeated the Italians in their desire to conquer Greek land filled the hearts of Americans with admiration and great sympathy" (from a radio speech delivered on October 6, 1943). Elsewhere, he said: "Greece set an example that each of us must follow, as long as the usurpers of freedom, wherever they may be on earth, receive their just punishment." Maurice Schumann, France's Foreign Minister from 1969-1973, a member of the French Academy in 1974: "Greece is the symbol of a enslaved, bloodied, but living Europe — a martyr. Never before has a defeat been so honorable for those who suffered it" (from his message sent to the BBC in London to the enslaved peoples of Europe on April 28, 1941, the day Hitler occupied Athens after the Greek war — 6 months against Mussolini and 6 weeks against Hitler).

The immortal epic of the Resistance is a great treasure of the Greek nation, as are its other great historical feats — it is a bright guiding star that will always emit its unquenchable light to every Greek, wherever they may be. King George VI of England, addressing the Parliament of his country in May 1945, said: "The brave struggle of Greece was the first most important turning point of World War II."

And it should be noted that the Greek people thwarted the German mobilization, preventing the dispatch of a single Greek to fight against the Allies — on the Eastern Front, the German army included military units from almost all the peoples of Europe, except the Greeks — not a single Greek soldier fought against the Soviet Union. According to the USSR Ministry of Defense, all the peoples of Europe fought against the Soviet troops in national military units, except for the Greeks and Serbs — including the most persecuted peoples — Gypsies and Jews (205 thousand). Moreover, Greece was the only one of all the countries occupied by the Germans that did not allow the dispatch of workers to Germany.

"I deeply regret that due to my old age, I have little time left to live to thank the Greeks, whose resistance played a decisive role in World War II," said Joseph Stalin (Moscow radio, January 31, 1943). And Joseph Stalin "rewarded" the Greek people in his own way through the Soviet Greeks — in 1949, most of them were deported in cattle cars to the endless steppes of Kazakhstan, and before that, in 1944, the Crimean Greeks were sent to Siberia, resulting in many perishing from hunger on the way. A refined "gratitude."

On March 30, 1944, Hitler stated: "Italy's entry into the war turned into a catastrophe for us. If the Italians had not attacked Greece (which the Führer himself had no intention of attacking — ed.), and they had not needed our assistance, the war would have taken another turn. We could have captured Leningrad and Moscow before the Russian cold set in. There would have been no Stalingrad."

 

It is a historical fact that the heroic struggle of the Greeks postponed the attack of Germany and its allies on the USSR by two much-needed months.

Winston Churchill said: "We in England know that the struggle for which Lord Byron died is sacred, and we will continue it. If it were not for the courage and bravery of the Greeks, it is unknown what the outcome of World War II would have been. After the final victory, Greece will receive all that it deserves and will be proud to live among the victors." As a result of the courageous struggle of the Greeks, by the end of October 1944, Greece was completely liberated from the occupiers by its own forces (by the way, the only country in occupied fascist Europe) without the involvement of Soviet troops and Anglo-American allies. Throughout the years of Greek resistance in World War II, the war claimed the lives of 700,000 Greeks.

And what happened next? Then, to my deep regret, a civil war began that I do not like to talk about. This is another topic.

The fact remains, Greece, as a victorious country after the end of the war, was deprived of receiving reparations from the defeated Germany.

 

Leader of the Greek community of Armenia "Patrida"

 

Ed. Polatidis

October 28, 2024

 

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