The military history of Greece during World War II began on 28 October 1940, when the Italian Army invaded from Albania, beginning the Greco-Italian War. The Greek Army was able to halt the invasion temporarily and was able to push the Italians back into Albania. The Greek successes forced Nazi Germany to intervene. The Germans invaded Greece and Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941, and overran both countries within a month, despite British aid to Greece in the form of an expeditionary corps.
The symbolic beginning of the occupation: German soldiers raising the German War Flag over the Acropolis of Athens. It would be taken down in one of the first acts of resistance by Apostolos Santas and Manolis Glezos.Conquered Greece was divided into three zones of control by the occupying powers, Germany, Italy and Bulgaria.
Map showing the three occupation zones