Greco-Italian War

Following Italy's initial gains in late 1939, Mussolini's forces stalled throughout the winter. Guerilla activities in Epirus coupled with partisan activity forced Italy to attempt a strengthening of their Greek base. To make matters worse, the Liberal and Royalist forces agreed to a truce, their fear and hatred of Italy greater than that for one another despite four years of civil war.

Frustrated by the lull in battle and mounting losses, Mussolini heavily reinforced his forces ordered the army to recommence the drive. Because of the difficulty of crossing the Pindus Mountains, and successful Liberal forces pushing them back from Western Macedonia following their initial probe, Italian forces decided to strike south in March 1940. This would allow Italian armor greater maneuverability to screen and battle back Greek forces. Going was slow and rough, Royalist forces committing hit and run assaults, avoiding open battle and making Italians pay for ever kilometer they took. It wasn't until late May that Italian forces reached and crossed the Vjose river taking Agrinion and then Mesolongion in the first real stand up battles in the campaign since the opening assault in October of the prior year. Greek forces were beginning to stiffen, something Italian generals dreaded. In a move that shocked the Italians, Royalist troops, aided by Liberal forces, mounted a counteroffensive that nearly broke Italian defenses. Even when Greek troops ran out of ammo, they charged the Italians swinging their rifles like clubs. The Italians were greatly unnerved, deciding to switch to the defensive while they sorted out future operations.

Angry at the numerous victories being reported from the Russian front in regard to Hitler's Operation Barbarossa, Mussolini shook up the command of Italian forces in Greece to establish a much more offensive leadership. This new staff originated a daring plan to cut Greece in half by renewing the drive east aiming at Lamia. If successful, Greece would be sliced in two.

Mussolini further reinforced Italian forces for the drive on Lamia which did not start until early July. In that time, Greek forces built up their defenses in preparation for the Italian offensive. As a side mission in the war, Italian forces stormed the Cyclades Islands as a potential jumping off point for an amphibious invasion of Greece from the southeast. Greek forces found themselves confronted by two avenues of assault and were forced to divide their forces between the two fronts.

The Italian drive on Lamia saw massive caualties. Despite their numerical superiority, the Greeks slowed the Italian drive time and again. Only Italian armor and dwindling Greek supplies allowed Mussolini's soldiers continued progress. By the end of July, Lamia was besieged. Vicious urban warfare followed as Greek troops refused to surrender the city. Deaths were high from sniper fire and boobytraps while more Greek forces found their way from the north and south to strengthen their positions. Italian forces, wearied by failed assaults into the city, decided to surround and starve it out. That decision would infuriate Mussolini as it halted any further drive in the conflict while Hitler was poised to finish his conquest of the Soviet Union.

In a fit of rage, Mussolini demanded the opening of a second front in Greece. Over the next two months Italian troops were built up in the Cyclades Islands for a planned invasion of the Isthmus of Corinth. Mussolini planned on cutting the Pelopennesus from the mainland and take Athens from the west in a surprise attack. Despite the inept execution of the assault which saw Italian forces being sighted a full half hour before landing allowing the Greeks to rally auxiliary forces to defend against the assault, the Italians developed a foothold and gradually pushed back the small Greek reserves. Plastiras found himself in an untenable situation. He could draw forces away from Lamia to push the Italins back into the sea but to do so risked surrendering the battle and possibly all of Northern Greece in the process. Trusting in his men, and sure of Italian incompetence, Plastiras drew off part of his Lamian forces to assault the Italian foothold on the Isthmus.

The Battle of the Isthmus was brutal, the Italians fighting for their lives with the sea to their rear. With no escape available, they fought for their very survival. Relying on naval gunfire and aircraft, the Italian forces battered back wave after wave of Greek troops. They battled inland, eventually seizing Megara before they stopped to recover.

Fearful of Italian troops so close to the capital, Plastiras ordered every available solider to batter at the fragile Italian position on the Isthmus. Meanwhile, Mussolini decided to abandon Lamia and instead drive south in a drive to capture Athens itself and, hopefully, end the war. His embarassment had grown with Hitler's conquest of the Soviet Union and with the coming of winter and the one year anniversary of the campaign approaching, Mussolini was determined to end the war before the Germans could "aid" him.

With Plastiras final reserves matched against Megara, Italian forces rumbled down from the north blasting through the weak Greek defenses with their armor. Within a week, Italian troops were at the gates of Athens. Due to the lesson learned at Lamia, Mussolini ordered Athens destroyed. Artillery, aircraft and naval gunfire boomed throughout the ancient city. Many Greeks wept as their history crumbled around them. But all held resolute. They would not surrender to Italy even if it meant the complete destruction of Greece.

By early October, Athens was a shell and Plastiras dead. Italian forces roamed through the wreckage, occupying the ruins of a once great city. All of Greece mourned the loss of its heart. After five years of continuous war, Greek Royalist forces asked for peace. They agreed to acknowledge Victor Emanuel III as their King and allow Italian troops bases in Greece. In return, the Royalists would retain limited self-rule. The governor of Greece would be Italian, but the legislature would be Greek. All local leaders would likewise be Greek. With the Royalist surrender, the Peloponnesus came under Italian rule.

The Liberals would not surrender. It would take another six months, this time against not only Italian troops but also Royalist troops, to finish up operations throughout Northern Greece by March 1941.

Even in victory, Greece remained an unstable province for Italy. Mussolini would dub it, "his ulcer." Any thoughts of future conquest were forgotten as the Duce struggled to prop up his image both at home and abroad.

SOURCE: Krueger, Isaac. The Italian March into Hades