The Greek Italian war
The epic of 1940 - 41
hen Italy attacked Greece,
most observers expected
an easy Italian victory over the far smaller Greek army. However, the Greeks, fought the invading Italians in an epic struggle, the outcome of which can only be called
miraculous.
The 1940-41 winter
war was waged in
the remote, scarcely
inhabited, snow-
covered mountainous
region of Epirus,
around the Greek-
Albanian frontier.
In December 1940
came to Greece one of the
coldest winters of the
century, which held its grip
till March. In the upper
parts of the mountains temperatures dropped to -20 C
The blizzards were ravaging, and the mist covered the mountains. Frostbites became a common occurrence. The Greek army showed superior skills in mountain warfare and by the end of the war their prowess forced the Italians thirty miles behind the
Albanian frontier along
the whole front.
Small and poor Greece, with material and moral preparation, unity, self-sacrifice,
capable political,
spiritual, religious and military leadership, fighting alone without substantial allied aid for 216 days, defeated the 5-times bigger Italy, marking the first victory for the Allies against the Axis forces.
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