The Italians’ failure to conquer Greece modified the plans of their German Allies, who, by spring 1940 had already conquered France, and were planning to attack the Soviet Union. However, the need to protect German units from bombings, mainly by the British Royal Air Force, stationed in the Balkans, forced their attention there.

On 6 April 1941 hundreds of German aircraft started bombing, while German forces assaulted Greek forts. Simultaneously, German tanks advanced towards Kozani and Grevena, in order to threaten the rear of the Hellenic Army in Albania. The Hellenic Army defending the Roupel fort and others at the borders with Bulgaria resisted, yet could not face a simultaneous invasion on two fronts. On 9 April 1941 German Forces occupied Thessaloniki and headed towards Southern Greece. The Hellenic Government withdrew to Crete, and the generals on the Albanian front were forced to capitulate. On 27 April 1941 Athens fell to the invaders. By the end of April the whole mainland country was occupied.

The following month German paratroopers dropped over the final Greek fort, Crete, which was defended by Allied and Greek troops, as well as armed civilians. After hard fighting, which lasted ten days, the Germans prevailed, albeit with heavy casualties. Thus, the Axis forces occupied the Greek state, and the occupation period began, and lasted until 1944.
World War II ended in 1945, with an Allied victory. The destruction for all was unimaginable. Huge material damages were caused, while millions lost their lives. The tragic moments of the war, such as the Holocaust of the Jews in Nazi concentration camps, and the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese towns Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Americans, in order to force a Japanese surrender struck horror and shocked all humanity.

#ΕλληνικόςΣτρατός, #HellenicArmy