Greece 2 Essay Research Paper For

Greece 2 Essay, Research Paper

For Greece, the twentieth century has been a period full of violence and uncertainty. The last years of the century, however, have brought the potential for political stability in a slowly maturing democratic system, and for economic prosperity as a part of a European continent undergoing unprecedented unification. Democracy, the basis of government since the foundation of the modern Greek state in 1832, has had it s longest and most consistent application in the era that began with the toppling of the military in 1974. Economic growth, which virtually stopped in the 1980 s, showed signs of revival in the early 1990 s, helped by substantial aid programs and strict economical guidelines from Greece s partner nations in the European Union (EU). On the negative side, Greece s traditionally difficult relations with neighbor Turkey remained extremely tense as a series of territorial issues were still unresolved in the mid – 1990 s. And the violently unstable regions of the former Yugoslavia, just to Greece s north, renewed the threat that the wider Balkan turmoil of the earlier decades might begin a new chapter.

In the next few pages, I will talk about the social, political and economical aspects of past and current events that have occurred in Greece and I will give my take on it all. I will briefly touch upon World War II, The Civil War and the government under Papandreou, as well as current issues facing Greece.

I – Historical Setting:

The decade of the 1940 s was the most devastating and deadly in Greek history. In that period, the horrors of foreign military occupation were followed by the ravages of the Civil War. The events of this decade left wounds that remain unhealed almost sixty years later.

Initially, the war against Germany and Italy went very well for Greece. The nation rallied behind General Metaxas, and men of all political persuasions joined the military. Under the leadership of General Tsolakoglou, the Greek army in Epirus drove the Italians out of Greece and through most of Albania. For many Greeks, this campaign was an opportunity to liberate their countrymen across the Albanian border in Northern Epirus . The campaign stalled in cold weather, then it lost its leader, Metaxas, who died in January 1941. The British, who at this time had no other ally in the region, provided air and ground support but poor coordination between the allied forces made Greece vulnerable to a massive German attack in the spring of 1941, which was intended to secure the Nazi land in preparation for the invasion of Russia. Under the German blitzkrieg, the Greek and British forces fell quickly. Most of the British force escaped, but Tsolakoglou, trapped between the Italian and the German armies, was forced to surrender. Athens fell shortly afterward. King George II, his government, and the remainder of the Greek army fled to Crete. Crete fell the next month, however, and George established a government-in-exile in Egypt. By June 1941, Greece had been divided among Bulgaria, Germany and Italy. The Germans controlled the most critical points: Athens, Crete, the Thracian border zone with Turkey, and a number of the Aegean Islands. The Bulgarians were given Thrace and most of Macedonia. The Italians occupied the rest of Greece. From the outset, the Germans effectively controlled the country, ruling harshly though the governments of Tsolakoglou and later Ioannis Rallis. The German plundering of the nation s resources for the war effort combined with a British naval blockade to cause food shortages, massive inflation, and finally a devastating famine that killed as many as 100,000 people in the winter of 1941-2.

Civil War -

In December 1946, Markos Vafiadis announced the formation of a communist Democratic Army of Greece (DAG). The DAG never exceeded 28,000 fighters, compared with about 265,000 troops in the national army and national police force at the end of the war. The Civil War commenced during the winter of 1946- 7. Vafiadis adopted a strategy of guerilla warfare, utilizing hit and run tactics to harass the army. DAG forces scored some notable successes, but they were unable to capture any major towns. Like almost all international conflicts, the Civil War was marked by brutality on both sides. Villages were destroyed and civilians killed. The atrocities of the war left lasting scars on the nations consciousness.

By the spring of 1947, Britain no longer was able to meet Greece s escalating demands for money and supplies, so the roles of external patron was assumed by the United States. With the Greek case specifically in mind, Harry Truman set out in March 1947 a policy of containment of communist expansion that came to be known as the Truman Doctrine. Truman pledged United States support to all free peoples under the threat of communist takeover. Under that policy, the United States made $400 million in aid and military assistance available to Greece. United States advisers and military personnel under General James van Fleet came to Greece to train and supply the national army and the security forces.

Based on this information I believe that although the disproportionate size of the forces had made the outcome of the Civil War inevitable, the DAG s mistakes quickened its fall. After Vafiades was ousted by KKE (Communist Party of Greece) chief Nikos Zahariadis in mid-1947, the DAG ma