Of the campaigns of the Second World War, the Italian-Greek War from October 1940 to April 1941 and the German campaign in Greece (April to May 1941) are still among the neglected aspects of historical research. In Italy, this war has been suppressed, and there is still no scientific reappraisal of it today. In Germany, too, research has hardly dealt with this topic; the Balkan campaign was considered a short episode before the Russian offensive. In Great Britain, a large number of accounts have appeared, all of which have a strongly apologetic character, since they justify the British decision to come to the aid of the Greeks; although this aid led to a military fiasco - as it did a year earlier in Norway - and considerably hindered the victorious British advance in North Africa.

Heinz A. Richter's study on Greece in World War II shows the connections between the British decision to provide military support to Greece and the American Lend-leasing legislation. Following on from his account, Richter refutes the historical legend, which has been claimed equally by all participants, according to which Hitler's campaign in Greece cost him victory over Moscow and thus ultimately led to his defeat.



Introduction

Contingenza Grecia

The First Crisis: August 1939

The Time of the Iitalian-Greek Amicizia Oktober 1930 - August 1940

The Second Crisis: August 1940

The Decisionmaking Process: September 1940

The Unlash: On 28 October 1940

The Italian Offensive: 28 October - 14 November 1940

The Greek Counteroffensive: 14 November - 28 December 1940

JanuaryMarch 1941: Static Warfare and Mussolini's Failed Counteroffenive

The German Mediation Offers: December 1940 - January 1941



Operations Barbarity and Lustre

The Intervention of the RAF October - December 1940

Metaxas' Second Ochi: the Wavell-Longmore Mission - January 1941

Operation Lustre: The Planning: February 1941

Operation Lustre: The Eden-Dill: 22 February - 6 March 1941

Operaton Lustre: The Decision-Making Process: March 1941



Operation Marita

The Deployment: January - March 1941

The Coup in Belgrade 27 March - 6 April 1941

The Countdown 27 March - 5 April 1941

The Attack on Macedoia 6-10 April 1941

The Breakthrough at Monastiri 10-13 April 1941

The Battle for the Mountain Passes 14-18 April 1941

The Political Crisis 14-18 April 1941

The Surrender in Epirus 18-23 April 1941

The Evacuation 24-29 April 1941

The Division of Booty April-May 1941



Concluding Reflexions

Epilogue

Bibliography, Index of Names