Pindos mountains, 28 October 1940, 5.30am - The Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas denies the Italians' request to enter Greece in order to service the Axis (Nazi Germany). The Italians break through the Albanian-Greek border, entering Greek territory. It was freezing cold and the heavy rain turned to snow by the evening.
Greek soldier's letter to his wife:
My dearest Helen, Don't worry, things are going well here. My plan is going according to schedule. Don't believe anyone who refutes this, because they are spread malicious rumours. We are holding out well. In a short while, we will have dealt with the enemy, as required. I kiss you, Haralambos
Italian soldier's letter to his wife:
It's raining continuously. Everywhere. On the bed, on the sleeping bag, on the wooden table. The blankets are wet, so are all my clothes, and I can't light a fire. Oh for a little bit of fire... The cigarettes are also wet, and I can't light them. Those Greek pigs! They start shooting as soon as it stops raining, with very few breaks. My feet have frozen. My God! Send us some rays of sunshine! I hope I get a letter from someone, anyone, I don't care who! I can't take it anymore!
(from the 2011 SKAI documentary Greek Wars, 4th episode)
Greece entered WW2 in this way and suffered great casualties with almost total destruction of all its infrastructure. At the end of WW2, it went through a civil war, but after 1950, it began to show signs of economic recovery. By 1962, it attained succession to the EEC (now known as the EU) which it formally entered in 1981.
So it is rather perturbing that on October 27 2011, the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou gave the OK to the French-German request that Greece give up her sovereignty to pay for a haircut. 70 years later, we lost everything that we had gained, with little hope of regaining it. It could not have happened at a worse time, so close to an important historical date when Greece sought to express her right to govern herself. There really is no such thing as a free lunch.
©All Rights Reserved/Organically cooked. No part of this blog may be reproduced and/or copied by any means without prior consent from Maria Verivaki.
Greek soldier's letter to his wife:
My dearest Helen, Don't worry, things are going well here. My plan is going according to schedule. Don't believe anyone who refutes this, because they are spread malicious rumours. We are holding out well. In a short while, we will have dealt with the enemy, as required. I kiss you, Haralambos
Italian soldier's letter to his wife:
It's raining continuously. Everywhere. On the bed, on the sleeping bag, on the wooden table. The blankets are wet, so are all my clothes, and I can't light a fire. Oh for a little bit of fire... The cigarettes are also wet, and I can't light them. Those Greek pigs! They start shooting as soon as it stops raining, with very few breaks. My feet have frozen. My God! Send us some rays of sunshine! I hope I get a letter from someone, anyone, I don't care who! I can't take it anymore!
(from the 2011 SKAI documentary Greek Wars, 4th episode)
The video shows Greek cartoons from the WW2 period - click on the youtube link to see them.
Greece entered WW2 in this way and suffered great casualties with almost total destruction of all its infrastructure. At the end of WW2, it went through a civil war, but after 1950, it began to show signs of economic recovery. By 1962, it attained succession to the EEC (now known as the EU) which it formally entered in 1981.
So it is rather perturbing that on October 27 2011, the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou gave the OK to the French-German request that Greece give up her sovereignty to pay for a haircut. 70 years later, we lost everything that we had gained, with little hope of regaining it. It could not have happened at a worse time, so close to an important historical date when Greece sought to express her right to govern herself. There really is no such thing as a free lunch.
©All Rights Reserved/Organically cooked. No part of this blog may be reproduced and/or copied by any means without prior consent from Maria Verivaki.
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