Axis occupation of Greece
The early morning hours of the 28th of October 1940 marked the beginning of a catastrophic chain of events for Greece. Italian ambassador Emanuele Grazzi woke Greek premier Ioannis Metaxas and presented him an ultimatum that demanded free passage for Italian troops into Greek territory. Metaxas rejected the demand with a famous refusal, and Italian forces invaded from Albania less than three hours later. The Hellenic Army successfully exploited the mountainous terrain of Epirus to counterattack and force the Italians back into neighboring Albania. By mid-December, Greek forces had occupied nearly one-quarter of Albanian territory before harsh winter conditions halted their advance.
Germany intervened on behalf of its ally in April 1941 after facing major strategic difficulties in the Mediterranean theater. A rapid Blitzkrieg campaign swept through Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, overwhelming Greek defenses at the Metaxas Line near the border. On the 6th of April, German troops poured into northern Greece while British Commonwealth forces arrived from Libya under orders from Winston Churchill. The Greek capital Athens fell on the 27th of April, and by the 1st of June, following the capture of Crete, all of Greece was under Axis occupation. King George II fled first to Crete and then to Cairo, leaving behind a puppet government led by Lt. General Georgios Tsolakoglou.
The occupying powers requisitioned raw materials and food from Greece, creating severe shortages in urban centers during the winter of 1941, 42. Germany established the trading company DEGRIGES in October 1942 to manage these economic transfers. Two months later, the collaborationist government agreed to treat the resulting balance as an interest-free loan that would be repaid once the war ended. By the end of the conflict, this compulsory loan amounted to 476 million Reichsmarks.
In the greater Athens-Piraeus area alone, some 40,000 people died of starvation during the Great Famine. Estimates suggest the total population of Greece was 300,000 less than it should have been due to famine or malnutrition by the time the occupation ended. Foreign aid arrived from neutral countries like Sweden and Turkey, but most of the food ended up in the hands of government officials and black market traders who sold it at inflated prices. From summer 1942, Canadian wheat distributed by the International Red Cross reached about 2.5 million people, with half living in Athens. The countryside experienced its own period of famine in 1943, 44 when Axis anti-partisan campaigns burned villages and destroyed fields.
Greece's territory was divided into three distinct occupation zones run by Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria, each with different administrative strategies and levels of brutality. The German zone included Athens, Thessaloniki, and strategic Aegean islands under the command of Field Marshal Alexander Löhr. The Italian zone covered most of the mainland including Epirus, Thessaly, and the Peloponnese under Carlo Geloso's Eleventh Army. Bulgaria officially annexed northeastern territories on the 14th of May 1941, implementing a policy of ethnic cleansing that deported Greek mayors, landowners, teachers, and priests.
Relations between German and Italian forces were often hostile, with brawls breaking out between soldiers of both nations. German officers complained that Italians lacked the hardness to wage war against guerrillas because many had Greek girlfriends. When Italy surrendered in September 1943, German troops took over the Italian zone, often attacking former allies. In contrast, Bulgarian authorities pursued a systematic Bulgarisation campaign that banned the Greek language and changed town names to traditional Bulgarian forms. Over 100,000 Greeks were expelled from the Bulgarian zone by late 1942.
Active resistance began immediately as many Greeks fled to hills where partisan movements emerged. One early episode involved Evzone Konstandinos Koukidis who wrapped himself in the Greek flag and threw himself off the Acropolis plateau after being ordered to retire it. Two Athenian youngsters, Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Santas, later tore down the Reichskriegsflagge from the Acropolis. The first organized armed opposition occurred in September 1942 when the Panhellenic Union of Fighting Youths blew up the Greek Fascist Party Club in downtown Athens.
The National Liberation Front (EAM) was established on the 27th of September 1941 with its military wing called ELAS under Aris Velouchiotis. By September 1943, ELAS strength reached about 15,000 fighters with 20,000 reserves. Another major group, EDES led by Napoleon Zervas, operated primarily in Epirus with British logistical support. Internal conflicts erupted between these groups starting in October 1943 during what became known as the First Round of the Greek civil war. On the 12th of October 1943, elements of ELAS struck EDES units in Thessaly mountains, confining Zervas's forces to his birthplace until British intervention saved them.
Thessaloniki housed approximately 56,000 Sephardi Jews who had been the majority population for centuries before Ottoman collapse reduced their numbers significantly. When German occupation began on the 8th of April 1941, local anti-Semites posted warnings saying Jews were not welcome. The Jewish leadership was arrested on the 15th of April, and the Rosenburg Commando began confiscating cultural property including manuscripts and art in June.
In July 1942, Max Merten ordered all Jewish men aged 18 to 45 to report to Eleftherios Square at 8 in the morning. These 9,000 men endured a six-and-a-half-hour gymnastics drill under extreme heat while being whipped or shot if they moved their eyes. Several died from brain hemorrhages or meningitis following this ritual humiliation. By December 1942, Germans demolished the old Jewish cemetery dating back to the 15th century so tombstones could be used as building material for sidewalks and walls.
Mass deportations began in March 1943 sending Jews of Thessaloniki and Thrace in packed boxcars to Auschwitz and Treblinka death camps. At least 81% of Greece's total pre-war Jewish population perished, with death rates reaching 91% in Thessaloniki and over 90% in the Bulgarian zone. Only 1950 individuals survived from Thessaloniki's community, and one family returned intact from Auschwitz.
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Common questions
When did the Axis occupation of Greece begin?
The Axis occupation of Greece began on the 28th of October 1940 when Italian forces invaded after Greek premier Ioannis Metaxas rejected their ultimatum. German troops entered northern Greece on the 6th of April 1941, and by the 1st of June all of Greece was under Axis control following the capture of Crete.
How many people died during the Great Famine in Athens?
Some 40,000 people died of starvation in the greater Athens-Piraeus area alone during the winter of 1941-42. Estimates suggest the total population of Greece was 300,000 less than it should have been due to famine or malnutrition by the time the occupation ended.
Who led the National Liberation Front resistance movement in Greece?
The National Liberation Front (EAM) was established on the 27th of September 1941 with its military wing called ELAS under Aris Velouchiotis. By September 1943, ELAS strength reached about 15,000 fighters with 20,000 reserves while another group EDES operated primarily in Epirus under Napoleon Zervas.
What happened to the Jewish community in Thessaloniki during the war?
Mass deportations began in March 1943 sending Jews of Thessaloniki and Thrace in packed boxcars to Auschwitz and Treblinka death camps. At least 81% of Greece's total pre-war Jewish population perished, with only 1950 individuals surviving from Thessaloniki's community.
Which countries occupied different zones of Greece during World War II?
Greece's territory was divided into three distinct occupation zones run by Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria each with different administrative strategies. The German zone included Athens and Thessaloniki while the Italian zone covered most of the mainland including Epirus and the Peloponnese until Italy surrendered in September 1943.
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