28TH OCTOBER 1940

Each year on this date I am filled with patriotic pride and deep pleasure of being a Greek citizen, because on the 28^th  October 1940, fascist Italy declared war on Greece, thinking that it would be child’s play. How little did they know!

 

Meanwhile, a terrible war was raging in central Europe between Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg on one hand and nazi Germany and fascist Italy on the other.  It was a devastating war which is still considered “the deadliest combat in human history”.

 

Almost everyone in Greece was, then, living in a fool’s paradise because they were certain that their small country could not be attacked by the Axis forces.  This was most improbable as any possible problems could be solved through diplomatic channels, they hoped.  Wishful thinking!

 

                                                       Ioannis Metaxas 

On the 28^th of October 1940, Mussolini issued an ultimatum to Greece demanding the surrender of Greek territory, which the prime minister, Ioannis Metaxas, rejected.  “Alors, c’est la guerre”, he told the Italian ambassador Grazzi, who had conveyed the message.  At the time Metaxas expressed the Greek popular sentiment which was a definite denial to allegiance.  This denial was strongly expressed by the Greek press with the denial OXI (NO), a two-syllable word that in this case indicated freedom and democracy.  The 28^th October has been, since, celebrated as “OXI day.

 

The Italian army invaded Greece on the 28^th October 1940, before the ultimatum expired,  but was stopped by the brave, robust and  persistent resistance of the Greek troops who, moreover, conquered a large part of Albania.  “The Italian army failed to achieve its objective and lost prestige in this war. As Greek independence and national sovereignty were at stake, the Greeks, who were much fewer than the Italians, were determined to drive the invaders outside the borderline.  In contrast, the Italians fought because the Mussolini regime had sent them to fight a war of aggression.  Needless to say, that the average Italian saw no reason at all to fight and die while conquering Greece.”  According to the British history professor, Mark Mazower: “It was the first Axis setback of the entire war.”

 

It was an ugly war, fought under terrible weather conditions in an atrocious mountainous, and icy terrain and had great casualties on both sides.

Winston Churchill had, then, said: "Thence we shall not say that  Greeks fight like heroes but the heroes fight like Greeks." Even Hitler admitted that "The Greek soldier fought above all with the utmost of courage,"  

 

Each year, the 28^th of October is celebrated with pride and enthusiasm in Greece and Cyprus.  It is a national holiday.  Every year, military and school parades took place except for this year due to the dangerous coronavirus epidemic.  But deep in our hearts and minds, we shall parade with profound devotion and great patriotic zeal.  ZETO I HELLAS!

(I wish to thank the Greek and international news media and Professor Mark Mazower for the valuable information for this post.)

Here are the, despised, by all of us, Italian fascist sign and the Italian fascist flag.