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Post by kartadolofonos on Oct 27, 2008 18:09:27 GMT -5
Hail to the Heroic "OXI" Long live Proud HeLLas 4 EverÆÞôù ôï çñùéêü Ï×É! ÆÞôù ç Ðåñßöáíïé ÅËËÁÓ !
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Post by tsompanos on Oct 27, 2008 19:13:47 GMT -5
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Post by tsompanos on Oct 27, 2008 19:15:42 GMT -5
aw the music was just great back then
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Post by Arxileas on Oct 27, 2008 20:27:37 GMT -5
Today, very few of us in the cyberspace community appreciate the 28th of October 1940. Historians have written much about various turning points in our planet's history, but this turning point of the Second World War is not well known by most of us.
The scene is in Europe, in Rome, Italy during the autumn of 1940. The dictator, Benito Mussolini, is feeling melancholic and inadequate. The reasons for his frustrations are that his ally, Adolf Hitler and the Germans, have been conquering the nations of Europe: Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Romania, and Austria. Their combined population was close to 140 million. Mighty France, a nation of 43 million, had collapsed and surrendered after only 17 days of fighting in an agonizing and humiliating defeat.
Mussolini was being confronted with faits accomplis, as Hitler would inform him that the Germans had conquered a country three days after the fact. Mussolini decided to show Hitler that the Italians also could conquer Europe, and have Hitler "learn of the conquest from the newspapers."
Mussolini's choice for this mighty show of Italian strength was Greece, a small country of seven million people versus Italy's 44 million. The disparity in their armed forces was even greater: Italy had close to ten times the firepower of Greece in its army and navy. Italy's large air force had total air superiority since Greece had a very small defensive air force.
Now that the choice was set, the invasion route was selected: the Albanian-Greek border. All that remained would be to deliver an ultimatum to Greece. The insulting ultimatum demanded that Greece allow Italian troops to occupy the country (i.e., surrender) or Italy would declare war and invade Greece. Mussolini had given the Greek Prime Minister Metaxas three hours to reply. After reading the demands in the early morning hours of the 28th of October 1940, he rejected the ultimatum and replied with a single Hellenic word: "OXI!" (pronounced Ohee, meaning "NO!"). It has become a Hellenic battle cry that blooms defiantly every 28th of October on walls throughout Greece and Cyprus, and in the thousands of Hellenic communities in almost every country around the world. These Hellenic communities today number more than ten million Hellenes (Greeks) outside Greece.
Mussolini never waited for Metaxas' reply. Before the ultimatum had expired, five heavily armed divisions of Italian soldiers began moving from Italian-controlled Albania over the border into Greece. Expectations of an easy Italian victory soon evaporated. The quick march to Athens for an Italian victory parade never materialized. After a 25-kilometer advance inside Greece, the 200,000 Italian troops were halted for days by a ragged army of Greek soldiers in mismatched uniforms and shepherd's clothes.
Though Italians outnumbered them more than two to one, the Greeks astonished the Italian generals with their courage, their tenacity, and their limited artillery's precision. The Greek forces had six mortars for each division against the invader's sixty. All Greeks helped in any way they could. The courageous women of Greece supplied clothing, food, and support to the defense of their country in very difficult winter conditions. Sometimes, large groups of women would stand arm-in-arm for hours in icy rivers and streams to slow the waters enough to permit the movement of equipment and supplies to the front.
Within four weeks of the invasion, those undermanned, under-supplied, and underfed Greeks drove the Italian army back into Albania and kept on going, continuing the pursuit into Albania. By this time, Mussolini had replaced the commanding general several times, and finally assumed command of the military campaign himself. He tried to rouse his troops to victory with speeches reminding them of the great legacy of their predecessors, the ancient Romans, but without success.
The Greeks pursued the Italians more than 60 kilometers into Albania, and by December of 1940, the Greek army had liberated the southern third of Albania, better known as Northern Epirus. A Greek populated area since ancient times There was even serious concern by the Italians that the Greek armed forces would cross the Adriatic Sea and invade Italy itself. By the end of the five-month campaign, in March 1941, the Greeks had dealt the Italian armed forces some unexpected numbers: 12,500 Italians returned home badly mutilated by the fighting; 13,800 were buried in the frozen soil of Greece; 25,000 were missing in action; and 40,000 were POWs held by the Greek Army.
We should remember that the USA was still neutral, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a year away. The USA was not involved in any fighting then, but all the major USA newspapers and periodicals such as LIFE and TIME carried cover stories about the Greeks and the history that they were making. In the USA, Greeks and Greek-Americans of all ages were showered with admiration at school and work in response to the historic events.
The entire Western world, discouraged and fearful of the Axis powers and the growing ugly war, took hope from this incredible victory. It was a double first: the first defeat of the Axis powers and the first liberation of territory captured by the Axis powers. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said of the Greeks: "Today we say that Greeks fight like heroes, from now on we will say that heroes fight like Greeks." However, there was history still to be made by the Greeks.
The Greeks outraged Hitler and the Germans. A small military power like Greece had succeeded in defeating their ally, Italy. The Germans invaded Greece in April of 1941, and after nearly two months of fierce fighting, overwhelmed the defiant Greeks but never fully defeated them as the Greeks had one of the most dynamic and relentless resistance movements. The Greek army included disabled soldiers from the Albanian campaign against the Italians, ordinary citizens, teenagers, and the elderly. On the Greek island of Crete there were few regular Greek army soldiers, since they were on the Greek mainland still fighting the Germans, but the ordinary Greek citizens were there: elderly peasant men and women with hunting guns, butcher knives, and agricultural tools slitting the throats of German paratroopers as they landed. About 10,000 German soldiers, young men in their prime, died trying to invade Crete.
Even Greek prison convicts demanded and were released from jail so that they could fight. The Greek freedom fighters took the lives of many German troops and destroyed much German equipment. The Germans were forced to divert 50 battalions to Greece, though they desperately needed them on the Eastern front.
The six months of fighting caused by the Greek resistance of the Axis powers also delayed Germany's invasion and campaign against what is today the Commonwealth of Independent States (the former Soviet Union). The fierce resistance of the Greeks in Epiros, Macedonia, Thessalia, Roumeli, Attiki, Peloponnesos, Crete, and the rest of Greece to the Germans caused delays. It overturned German plans to occupy Moscow before the onset of the heavy and deadly Russian winter.
This was something the Germans had not planned and thus were unprepared. The German war machine literally bogged down and froze. The Russians were successful in repulsing and defeating the Germans. This was a major turning point of World War 2. This signalled the beginning of the end of the German Third Reich. The sacrifice and success of the Greek armed forces, the Greek guerrillas, and the ordinary, anonymous Greek citizens drew the admiration of the free world and kindled hope for the final victory of the Allied powers.
We should note that Greek Prime Minister Metaxas was also a military dictator. Yet the Greeks united behind the belief that the defense of their country, which they wished to become more democratic again, was very important. That is another symbolism and irony of the 28th of October 1940, that the Greek people not only fought the fascist Axis powers invading Greece, but also later fought the extremist forces that were trying to rule Greece and not allow it to be a democracy.
The Greeks faithfully met their obligations to their allies, with heroism and self-sacrifice. As a small country, the human sacrifice and mega-devastation Greece suffered in World War 2 were much more than those of the almost all other countries that were on the victorious Allied side. In World War 2, Greece lost one of the highest percentages of its population in comparison to the other members of the victorious Allies. Greece lost, on a percentage basis, about 12% of its population, meaning about one million people.
The world leadership of the time, including Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, recognized the decisive contribution of the Greeks. The timeless character of the modern Greek was shining brightly for all to see: passionate, determined, and proud.
The next time you see or communicate with a Greek, tell them that you remember the 28th of October 1940. Send this article to others who may not know this important day in our planet's history. On that day, Greece, the birthplace of democracy said "NO!" to fascism, and defended its birthright despite overwhelming and unfavorable odds to yet another triumph. On that day, Greece, the ancient cradle of democracy and Western civilization, helped save democracy in its darkest hour. People have brought that birthright of democracy to most of our planet and for that we should all be proud. Interestingly, the 28th of October is also the anniversary of the opening of a symbol patterned after one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Colossus of Rhodes in Greece. This symbol of democracy is the Statue of Liberty on a small island between New Jersey and New York, USA.
This day is an inspiration to all those who cherish democracy and freedom. For when the world was a risk, an ancient and brave people were willing to risk everything. The ancient Greeks invented democracy, and the 21st century Greeks are still defending it. All of those who believe in democracy and freedom want Greece to continue as a vigorous and vibrant democracy into the Third Millennium. Hellenic civilization is in its 10,000th year and is still a major cultural force.
Greeks were the deciding factor of the out come of the ww2.
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Post by Arxileas on Oct 27, 2008 20:29:49 GMT -5
Quotes About Greece from ww2
1. "For the sake of historical truth I must verify that only the Greeks, of all the adversaries who confronted us, fought with bold courage and highest disregard of death.." - Adolf Hitler (speech he gave at Reichstag, 4 May 1941)
2. "The word heroism I am afraid does not render the least of those acts of self-sacrifice of the Greeks, which were the defining factor in the victorious outcome of the common struggle of the nations, during WWII, for the human freedom and dignity. If it were not for the bravery of the Greeks and their courage, the outcome of WW II would be undetermined." - Winston Churchill (speech to British Parliament, 24 April 1941)
3. "Until now we used to say that the Greeks fight like heroes. Now we shall say: The heroes fight like Greeks." - Winston Churchill (From a speech he delivered from the BBC in the first days of the Greco-Italian war)
4. "I am sorry because I am getting old and I shall not live long to thank the Greek People, whose resistance decided WW II." - Joseph Stalin (From a speech of his broadcast by the Moscow radio station on 31 January 1943 after the victory of Stalingrad and the capitulation of German 6th Army Field Marshal Von Paulus)
5. "If the Russian people managed to raise resistance at the doors of Moscow to halt and reverse the German torrent, they owe it to the Greek People, who delayed the German divisions during the time they could bring us to our knees." - Georgy Constantinovich Zhoukov (Field Marshal of the Soviet Army: Quote from his memoirs on WWII)
6. "Regardless of what the future historians shall say, what we can say now, is that Greece gave Mussolini an unforgettable lesson, that she was the motive for the revolution in Yugoslavia, that she held the Germans in the mainland and in Crete for six weeks, that she upset the chronological order of all German High Command's plans and thus brought a general reversal of the entire course of the war and we won." - Sir Robert Antony Eden (Minister of War and the Exterior of Britain 1940-1945, Prime Minister of Britain 1955-1957 - Paraphrased from a speech of his to the British Parliament on 24/09/1942)
7. "It would not be an exaggeration to say that Greece upset the plans of Germany in their entirety forcing her to postpone the attack on Russia for six weeks. We wonder what would have been Soviet Union's position without Greece." - Sir Harold Leofric George Alexander (British Field Marshal during WWII -Paraphrased from a speech of his to the British parliament on 28 October 1941)
8. "I am unable to give the proper breadth of gratitude I feel for the heroic resistance of the People and the leaders of Greece." - Charles de Gaul (From a speech of his to the French Parliament after the end of WWII).
9. "Greece is the symbol of the tortured, bloodied but live Europe. Never a defeat was so honorable for those who suffered it." - Maurice Schumann Minister of the exterior of France 1969-1973, member of the French Academy 1974 (From a message of his he addressed from the BBC of London to the enslaved peoples of Europe on 28 April 1941, the day Hitler occupied Athens after a 6-month war against Mussolini and six weeks against Hitler).
10. "You fought unarmed and won, small against big. We owe you gratitude, because you gave us time to defend ourselves. As Russians and as people we thank you." - Moscow, Radio Station When Hitler attacked the U.S.S.R
11. "The war with Greece proved that nothing is firm in the military and that surprises always await us." - Benito Mussolini (From speech he delivered on 10/5/1941)
12. "On the 28th of October 1940 Greece was given a deadline of three hours to decide on war or peace but even if a three day or three week or three year were given, the response would have been the same. The Greeks taught dignity throughout the centuries. When the entire world had lost all hope, the Greek people dared to question the invincibility of the German monster raising against it the proud spirit of freedom." - Franklin D Roosevelt, US President 1933 - 1945
13. "The heroic struggle of the Greek people... Against Germany 's attack, after she so thunderously defeated the Italians in their attempt to invade the Greek soil, filled the hearts of the American people with enthusiasm and moved their compassion." - Franklin D Roosevelt, US President 1933 - 1945
14. "On 10 April 1941, after the Greek capitulation to Germany, the northern forts of Greece surrendered. The Germans express their admirations to Greek soldiers, declared that they were honored and proud to have as their adversary such an Army and request that the Greek commandant inspect the German army in a demonstration of honor and recognition! The German flag was raised only after the complete withdrawal of the Greek Army"
15. A German officer of the air force declared to the commander of the Eastern Macedonia division group, Lieutenant General Dedes, that the Greek Arm was the first army on which the Stuka fighter planes did not cause panic. "Your soldiers" he said, "instead of fleeing frantically, as they did in France and Poland, were shooting at us from their positions."
16. "BECAUSE ONLY WE, CONTRARY TO THE BARBARIANS, NEVER COUNT THE ENEMY IN BATTLE" - AESCHYLUS (father of tragedy)
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Post by Arxileas on Oct 27, 2008 20:33:35 GMT -5
DURATION OF NAZI RESISTANCE (in days)
Greece 219 Norway 61 France 43 (A European superpower at the time) Poland 30 Belgium 18 Holland 4 Yugoslavia 3 Czechoslovakia 0 Luxemburg 0 Denmark 0 (The Danes surrendered to a Hitler's motorcyclist who was conveying Hitler's request to the Danish king for the crossing of the Nazi armies. The Danish king indicating submission surrendered his Crown to the motorcyclist to take to Berlin and Hitler....)
Greece, during WWII, was the only country that was forced to confront the armies of four countries simultaneously: Albania Italy Germany Bulgaria.
Total Enemy loses in Greece.
Albanians 1,165 Italians 8,000 Bulgarians 25,000 Germans 50,000
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Post by diurpaneus on Oct 28, 2008 2:44:08 GMT -5
Congratulations to Greece for their resistance.
If some axis state leaders like Mussolini or Hitler deserved their fate, others didn`t.
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Post by Kastorianos on Oct 28, 2008 6:26:02 GMT -5
Both my grandfathers were there.
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Post by proleteriat on Oct 28, 2008 15:26:47 GMT -5
We know what the Germans did...no one mentions the 1-2 million Germans that were ethnically cleansed from Poland, 1 million of them died Anyway, who keeps exalting Karta? He's an extrimist ediot, from now on, I'll keep smitting him until he gets -600. lol
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Rhezus
Moderator
DERZA STURIA TRAUS
Posts: 1,674
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Post by Rhezus on Oct 28, 2008 19:50:28 GMT -5
Oh so nice and poetic, with all these funny pix.. Be happy you did not became a communist country.
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Post by panagiotopoulos on Oct 28, 2008 20:36:06 GMT -5
^^^ You are correct, but what was funny about the pix?
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Post by chalkedon on Oct 29, 2008 3:39:18 GMT -5
Molis gyrisa apo Ioannina kai ipolipo Epirus gia proti fora ! Kai to museio pou eixi to OXI tis 28 Oct....!
Boro na po oti ananeothika !! Eidika otan mas dixnane ti kanane tote ta palikaria mas...kai pos polemisan..
Isos xriasomaste allo ena polemo na pame brosta...giati mono tote kataferome na enothoumai kai na kanoumai thavmata...
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