When WW2 started Greece was led by general Ioannis Metaxas.
This authoritarian leader rose to power in 1936 and was creating a totalitarian state
with control over the media and a youth movement called the EON.
His followers often gave the fascist salute.
On top of that Greece had become pretty isolated as Germany began dominating the Balkans.
And Italy was stationed in Albania right next to Greece.
This would lead to Greece's demise.
Which raises the question: why didn't Greece join the Axis?
Keep watching to find out.
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In the 1930s Europe slided more and more to autocracy.
Greece was no exception.
General Ioannis Metaxas had seized power in 1936 and established the 4th of August Regime.
On the first day of his regime the Greek police went to the major newspaper offices and instructed
them what to publish and what not to publish.
Metaxas took ready-made borrowings from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
Iconic for his totalitarianism was the National Youth Organization (EON) where
political indocrination took place.
Workers were conscripted into the Labour Battalions and his followers learned a variation of
the Nazi salute – though it is said that Metaxas himself never returned the salute.
“The Metaxas regime of 1936–40 featured some of the trappings of its contemporary
dictatorships but failed to secure the enthusiasm of a public that defied regimentation.
The fragmentation of Greek society by familial and patronage loyalties precluded the dissemination
of “collectivistic nationalisms.”
Metaxas’ doctrine was based on the general will and the nation-state as the highest repository
of liberty.
The regime was defined as the “Third Civilization,” succeeding the Classical and Byzantine traditions
and combining elements of both.”
In short, looking at the Metaxas regime we see a one man dictatorship, censorship of
the press, political indocrination via a youth movement, fierce anti-communism and on top
of that: the fascist salute.
When you hear this it would be easy to put Metaxas on a par with fascist Mussolini.
This is not correct.
There are three important aspects that distinguished the Metaxas regime from fascism.
Leader principle.
Fascism advocates a strong leader.
And however Metaxas wás the leader of Greece and featured in a lot of propaganda he portrayed
himself as a paternal figure.
This here was miles away from the way Mussolini portrayed himself as a strong, though leader.
Where Mussolini often appeared in lavishly decorated military uniforms, Metaxas – although
being a general – hadn't worn a uniform since WW1.
This brings me to the second point.
Militarism.
The Metaxas regime had nothing militaristic about it.
Sure, Greece had a military and sure there was the EON but glorifying the army wasn't
the case in Metaxas Greece.
Militarism is one of the, perhaps thé, biggest aspects of fascism which was absent looking
in the Metaxas regime.
Expansionism.
Both Hitler and Mussolini dreamed of expanding their empires.
Hitler envisioned Lebensraum in Eastern Europe.
Mussolini wanted to re-create the Roman Empire.
Metaxas hadn't such visions.
And this is remarkable since after the First World War Greece was given large parts of
Western Anatolia which they lost against the Turks in the Greco-Turkish War.
You could at least expect a true fascist to reclaim these territories but Metaxas did
not do that.
And unlike Mussolini who wanted to recreate a bygone empire, Metaxas didn't lay claims on
territories which once were part of Classical or Byzantine Greece.
Racial views.
Hitler's nazism differenced from Mussolini's fascism because Hitler had racial views.
Did Metaxas had similar views?
No.
His regime was actually more friendly to the Greek Jews and Greek Muslims than his predecessors
had been.
Yet, Slavic minorities (think of Macedonians) did suffer under the Metaxas regime.
So now we've discussed that Metaxas regime wasn't pure fascism, let alone nazism, we
can still ask the question: why didn't Greece join the Axis?
I mean, the Hungarian leadership wasn't fascist either (only from late 1944 onwards), nor
was Bulgaria, let alone Finland which was a democracy at that time.
Yet, these countries did join the Axis (albeit Finland as a co-billigerent, which a covered
recently).
What about Greece?
Before WW2 broke out Metaxas believed that íf a war would break out Greece would be
involved somehow.
He believed that íf the Axis would win, Greece would lose.
With Italy and Bulgaria (with closer ties to Germany) on its borders Metaxas believed Greece
would pay the price.
On the flipside: if the Axis would lose the war, Greece perhaps would obtain the Dodecanese Islands
and perhaps even Cyprus.
Besides that: in April 1939 Britain guaranteed Greek territorial integrity and sovereign
independence.
Britain and Greece started to work together in the economic field.
Metaxas wrote:
...‘because the Germans – I flatter myself I know their character well - will benefit
from every one of our weaknesses, and will respect only a serious steady stand (on our
part).
We must therefore remain honourable to the core towards the British and the French, who
offered a guarantee (of our security), and who do not covet our territory
like the Italians and the Bulgarians.’
And if Greece would join the Axis it would have Britain as an enemy.
And Greece had many ports and having the biggest maritime power as your
enemy isn't favorable.
Metaxas believed:
“… whatever concessions Greece made to Berlin, the German invasion would still come
because of the wider Axis strategy in the Balkans, the Soviet Union, and the Middle
East.”
By 1940 the Greek exports to Germany dwindled and Germany demanded Greece to sign a commercial
agreement, which was an infraction of the Anglo-Greek war trade agreement.
Greek foreign policy was typically and formally neutral, but essentially pro-British.
Greek politicians who expressed pro-Axis sentiments were put under close surveillance or dismissed.
As historians Koliopoulos and Veremis put it:
“In 1940, Greece’s unconvincing neutrality and unmistakable leaning toward Britain were
the result of the cumulative forces of the war and the willingness of the Greek government
to cooperate with the British.”
Greece first violent encounter with the Axis powers came in late-October 1940.
Italy demanded Greece to cede strategic posts and let its
troops pass unhindered through the country.
In this house you see right here, it is said that Metaxas replied with one single word:
'Ochi', which is Greek for 'no'.
Overnight Metaxas became a national hero as he had refused Italian troops entry through
his country.
And war between Italy and Greece began: the Greco-Italian War had started.
Metxas didn't use the Greek word for 'no' by the way, since the diplomatic language
of that time was French.
But either way: the Greco-Italian War had now begun.
And the Italians attacked Greece from Italian-held Albania.
Italian dictator Mussolini believed he would achieve a quick victory, but the Greeks fought back
hard.
In the following month they drove the Italians back into Albania as a stalemate set in.
Metaxas passed away due to ill health in January 1941.
There are speculations he was poisioned by the British but I haven't seen any historical
evidence on that.
Metaxas was succeeded by Alexandros Koryzis.
He would accept British assistence against the inpending German invasion.
In March British, Australian and New Zealand troops entered Greece and took up positions.
On 6 April Germany invaded Greece and quickly defeated the Greek and Commonwealth troops.
Crete was taken the following month.
The Axis occupation of Greece had begun.
The reason why Greece didn't join the Axis Powers was simply due to the policy of its leader: Ioannis Metaxas,
who gravely mistrusted Germany and believed siding with Britain was the best
option.
Although being an autocratic leader his regime had many differences to fascist ideologies of the Axis and couldn't be considered an ideological ally.
Once he resisted the Italian demands and war broke out it was only a matter of time before
Germany would intervene.
More on the German invasion of Greece in the future. Don't forget to subscribe.