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Axis occupation of Greece | |
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![]() 1941. German soldiers raising the German War Flag over the Acropolis. It would be taken down by Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Santas in one of the first acts of resistance. | |
![]() 1944. Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou and others on the Acropolis after the liberation from the Nazis |
The occupation of Greece by the Axis Powers (Greek: Η Κατοχή, romanized: I Katochi) began in April 1941 after Nazi Germany invaded the Kingdom of Greece in order to assist its ally, Italy, in their ongoing war that was initiated in October 1940, having encountered major strategical difficulties. Following the conquest of Crete, the entirety of Greece was occupied starting in June 1941. The occupation of the mainland lasted until Germany and its ally Bulgaria withdrew under Allied pressure in early October 1944, with Crete and some other Aegean Islands being surrendered to the Allies by German garrisons in May and June 1945, after the end of World War II in Europe.
The term Katochi in Greek means to possess or to have control over goods. It is used to refer to the occupation of Greece by Germany and the Axis Powers. This terminology reflects not only the military occupation but also the economic exploitation of Greece by Germany during that period. The use of "Katochi" underscores the notion of domination and control, highlighting how Greece was subjected to both military and financial subjugation under Axis occupation.
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