Discussion
The report is prepared to demonstrate the attitude of Greece towards the Germany during World War II. World War II also has another name of Second World War that lasted from the period of 1939-1945. Such war bought the world to warfare and killed many people. It led to most destructive war in human history due to use of western technological advances during the war. Great Britain, United States, Imperial Japan, fascist Italy, allied nations and axis nations of Nazi Germany were some of the primary combatants in World War II. Attack of Germany on Greece was much anticipated and the battle against country was ended with the decline of Peloponnese and Kalamata that led to the complete occupation of mainland of Greece by Axis. One of the greatest conflicts in the history is World War II and the scale on which it was carried out was not possible to grapple (Baylis et al. 2017). The occupation of Europe by German in year 1940 was utmost brutal as it brought devastation of Europe.
Europe was in turmoil during the official start of World War II and it was on October 28, 1940 when Greece participated in the war. Originally, battle plan of Germany did not incorporated invasion of Greece. The capturing of Greece was is one such example of brutality of Germany. Victory of Greece against fascism was the first victory in history against Germany. The initial attack of Germany against Greece was launched from territory of Bulgaria that was supported by bomber aircraft and artillery. Fort resistance was determined and audacious under general Konstantinos Bakopoulos, however, it went in vain. Greeks defeated the Italian armies of Germany as they kept on fighting and defending themselves from the attack of Germans throughout the period of 1940-1944 (Knutsen 2016). Germans rewarded the bravery of Greek people with hostility that was implacable. After the occupation, Greece was divided between the avenging Italians, Bulgarians and themselves. Wiping out of Greeks was the unspoken strategies of Greece through bombing, starvation and mass murdering. All the previous occupiers of Greece were surpassed by barbarism of Germany. Occupying of Greece by Germany converted from such a well to do country and brink it on brink of death resulting from violence.
The reason why Russia was forcefully invaded by Germany was its fight with Greece for which army of Germany was ill equipped. Battle of Greece also known as the German invasion initiated on 6th April, 1941 and it ended on 30th April, 1941. However, Greek army was unsuccessful in keeping Germans for occupying the country, although Greek army resisted and tried their hardest. Greece invasion by Germany was almost complete when latter army managed to enter Athens on 27th April 1941. The mainland Greece was occupied by Germany once the former surrendered to latter. The time German entered Athens made elite Greek soldiers to fly over acropolis to remove flags. Wrapping of soldiers in blue and White flag and leaping to death from walls of ancient fortress marked first public act of resistance in the city. Another act of resistance and courage that inspired all subjected people due to oppression of Nazi was tearing down of Nazi flags from the acropolis by Apostolis Santas and Manoliz Glezos. This made occupiers having hard time in Greece. Resistance to capturing also emerged by way of forming communist that led to formation of national liberation front in September 1941 (Bell 2014). Formation of National people liberation’s army in December 1941 is one of the important offshoots of this group. Liberating Greece from Germany is one of the primary causes of formation of National people liberation’s army. Germany was forced to keep large number of troops in the country by resisting supply convoys and attacking bridges. British soldiers and Greek fighters destructed the Gorgopotamos Viaduct railroad bridge on the railway lines of Thessaloniki-Athens. This destruction was the first organized attack by occupied Greece and this had set up most extravagant sabotage act in captured Europe (Lyons 2016).
Greek German war and German invasion by Greece
Greece was plundered and the cost of occupying was made to be paid by Germany. During that time, the installation of corrupt and incompetent government and due to German occupations made 100000 Greeks die of starvation. A serious rift was created in axis of raising question of actually who is in charge and meanwhile across Mediterranean, air force and navy of Greek continued to fight on side of allies such as North Africa. Island was officially attracted by Germany on 20th May, 1941 by targeting airfield. There was a fair chance of Greece control over island of the airports could be controlled by Germany. Things were nor promising for Germany after one day of battle. Some of the allies were helped by Crete and they eventually fell to the Germans. Three of airfields of Greece came under the control of Germany on the second day of battle (Jackson and Sørensen 2016.). Eventually, control of island was not gained by Germany and Greece was withdrawn from Germany once the World War ended. Germany was in shambles both economically and physically as depicted by the events from war and fighting. This led to eruption of Greek civil war after a period of discontent. World War II affected all of Europe
When the attack was launched by Germany and their force entered into Bulgaraia, evacuation of Greek troops was done by a unit comprising of three border guards of battalions. Some of the factors that were responsible for complete and quick victory of Germany over Greece involve supremacy of Germany in air, superiority of Germany in equipment and ground forces, inadequate expeditionary force of British government, lack of cooperation between forces of Greek, British and Yoguslav and shortage of modern equipment and poor condition of Greek army. Some of the occupied portions of Greece was ruled by Germany under the nominal leadership of Konstantinos Lgothetopoulos, Georgios Tsolakoglou and Ioannis Rallis through a façade of puppet government.
The war has put Greece in economic and political crisis resulting from highly polarized struggle between rightists and leftists that led to arising of Greek civil war. Land of northern Epirus, Dodecanese and eastern Rumelia was claimed by Greece officially but the controlled was only gained over Dodecanese. Formation of Royal Hellenic army by British controlled Egypt happened after which thousands of Greek troops fled Crete. After such formation, troops of Greek participated in second battle of EI Alamien in Egpyt. In 1944, troops of German began withdrawing from northward and this withdrawal was attributable to the avoidance of trap at the southern end of the peninsula of Balkan (Kaiser 2015). Following this, there was formation of strong communist force and they feared the likelihood that post war they will succeed. Dodecanese Island was gained by Greece after war and Greece was under civil war between 1946 and 1949.
Impact of World War II on Greece
While occupying Greece, Germany witnessed less difficult problem of occupations compared to Yugoslavia but the attitude of latter towards culture and Greek people was much favorable. It was easier for Germany to control the population of Greece due to its economy. Importing of food by Greece to become self-sufficient was not done by Greece after it was occupied by Germany (Toppe 2014).
The defensive strategy and defensive opportunities was favored by mountainous terrain of Greece along with high ranges Epirus, Rhodope, Olympus and Pindus mountains. However, in many defiles, for protecting ground forces from entrapment, there was requirement of air power. Attack from north was difficult to be defended in the northeastern part and small number of troops positioned in Pindus mountain helped in avoiding invading force from Albania. One of the most resistance movements in Europe that was occupied is Greek resistance. The resistance groups launched guerrilla attacks by setting up large espionage networks and fighting against the collaborationist of battalions of security. However, such resistance group started fighting among themselves by the late 1943. There was extreme political polarization of Greece in October 1944 when liberalization of mainland erupted. All this has contributed to out breaking of civil war. Many prominent collaborators of Nazi were given the opportunity of escaping the punishment due to subsequent civil war (Eubank 2014).
After the two years of war when the Western Europe was decisively conquered by Germany, some of the signs were indicative of the fact Greece people seriously resisted that German rule. Intervention of German was made good by failure of Italian for establishing much-vaunted new Roman Empire of Mussolini (Jones 2014). Forces of Germany overran Greece and led to subjugation of Yugoslavia.
From the above discussion of the relationship between Germany and Greece during the time of World War II and the battle between these two countries that is occupation of Greece by Germany has brought latter at the brink of death. Greece was engulfed in extreme poverty and there was widespread crisis in the country. The campaign formed by Greek ended in the victory of Germany, as they were not permitted to carry out their operations simultaneously (Niestlé 2014). This was because Britain did not have necessary resources related to military in Middle East. Pertaining situation would not have been exploited by Britain if the German advance into Greece was blocked.
Aftermath of defeat of allies was met with fierce criticism of sending forces of British into Greece. Intervention of Britain into Greece was regarded as strategic blunder during the World War II and this made the extension of North African campaign that might have successfully concluded in year 1941. It was asked by British government to recognize the mistake of sending their troops to Greece and lading out their strategy. Ethical rationalization of United Kingdom against Nazi Germany would be severely damaged if it were not successful in answering about the commitment it has made to defend the independence of Germany in year 1939. The strategy of influencing political atmosphere of US was intended by launching a campaign in Greece (Buchanan 2014). Attack of Germany on Greece would have different course if it would have not been attacked by Italy. The demand of Greek government of reparation of payments of multibillion euro over the atrocities of Second World War faced reaction of defiance and anger of government of Germany. Extend seizing of property cam to holiday homes of some private German citizens. Such acquisition would be used to make compensation to the victims of Second World War.
Greece strategy for defending the battle
The death of Metaxas in 1941 during World War II left Greece powerless and led to creation of National Liberation front and Germany intended to withdraw from Greece and in this regard, communist did not receive any sort of help. A general election was held by Greece in March, 1946 and it witnessed refusal on front of Communist party of Greece and this was done to ensure that nationalist opponents gain victory. The devastation of World War II has further inflicted destruction of Greece until the fall of 1949 and leftists were systematically driven from the mountain strong holds by the Greek national army. In order to prevent complete Greece extermination, Greek communist announced an end to hostilities on 16th October, 1949 (Potter and Nimitz 2015). Communalism was outlawed by conflict arising from Greek authorities. New Greek government that helped in defining intolerance and repression for several years instituted a rightist regime. Military and economic support of United States was installed by New Greek government post civil war.
The interstate competition among the European state increased after Second World War and this resulted in the culmination of European Union in the institutions. It is revealed by the case of Germany and Greece that integration projects of Europe incorporate some inherent asymmetries. This led to determination of cooperation dynamics and crisis perpetuation. It can be inferred from analogous fashion of situation of Greece to Germany that crisis has created a worldwide impact and the countries having macroeconomic asymmetries that are more pronounced has a variation in terms of susceptibility to the global pandemics. Failure of Greece and success of Germany was determined by imposition of austerity policies in former and hegemonic power of latter (Kubálková 2015). Over the recent years, it is clarified that there have been cooperation among states so that they have adapted to the system and have benefitted by convergence in expectations.
Conclusion:
The course of history was ultimately changed by sacrifices that were made by Greek nation and preventions of evils from dominating the world of Fascism and Nazism received contribution from their defeat. It can be inferred from the analysis of reaction of Greece by Germany during the battle in World War II that resistance of Greece was unbelievingly strong and the attack of Germany was resisted for almost two or more than two months. The outcome of war would have been different if there was no such long delay. Greece resistance to attack was stronger; however there were many reasons associated that led to downfall of country. Combined efforts of Italy and Germany during World War II to invade Greece heroically defended. Greek people never stopped fighting, both men and women performed resistance fighting through island, and they proved to be a difficult antagonist for Germany. The aftermath of battle causes two things to happen. Firstly, allies were bolstered by the fact that Crete had won the battle and this gave them encouragement. Secondly, war plan of Nazi fell behind schedule that might have lead to their trounce in Russia
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