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Maria Spassova

“Until now we were saying that Greeks fight like heroes. From now on we will say that heroes fight like Greeks.” This is what the big British politician and Prime Minister during the Second World War Winston Churchill said in an interview for BBC when the Italians invaded Greece on October 28, 1940. This quote gives the name of a big documentary exhibition, which is opening in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 27 and is dedicated to the heroic fight of the Greek people against the fascist occupation.

The exhibition includes photographs, taken during the period of October 28, 1940 until raising the Greek flag on the Acropolis on October 18, 1944, when also the fascist occupation falls. The gathered material documents demeaning telex, sent by the Italians to Athens and the proud “no” of the Prime Minister back then Yanis Metaxa. Chronologically the story starts earlier with the torpedoing of the Greek ship “Ellie” at Thinos port on August 15, 1940. Attention is also paid to the German army when they arrive in desolated Athens in 1941 and the rise of the fascist swastika on the Acropolis on April 27 – the date after which Greece is officially under German occupation.

Officially it was German occupation but included as occupiers were also the Italian and Bulgarian armies. With the arrival of the Red army on the Balkans, the Germans withdraw from Greece. Their withdrawal starts on October 12, 1944 from Peloponnese and few days later Athens was freed as well. Greek resistance against the German occupation continues for 219 days and after that the country falls. The victims given by the Greek army exceed 13 thousand and the Greek heroism calls for other comments by Winston Churchill.

“I am afraid that the word heroism gives a weak impression of the Greek self-sacrifice, which played a determinant role for the successful end of the battle of all nations against World War Two, for human freedom and dignity… Without the Greek manhood and bravery the course of World War Two would have been unclear,” says the great politician in a speech in front of the British parliament on April 24, 1941. Winston Churchill also gives this speech at the day when the Italian army enters Greece and he promises: “Greeks stood against the common enemy and they will share with us the welfare of peace.”

The exhibition, dedicated to this heroic moment of Greek history, is opening today on October 27 at 01:00PM in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and it will close on November 20. A 20 minute documentary will be screened during the opening about the Greek resistance against the fascist occupation.