Greece (1941-1974): Years of Occupation, Years of Strife, and Years of Exclusion
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This work examines the history and politics of Greece from 1941 to 1974. During this period Greece experienced years of brutal foreign occupation, savage civil war, dominance by those on the Right of the ideological spectrum, and a military dictatorship. One overarching characteristic of this phase in Greek history was constant interference by many including, of course, the foreign occupiers as well as the British and the Americans. In addition, during these years certain segments of the population were prosecuted, persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, sent to labor camps, exiled, and many were killed because they resisted the occupiers, or because of their ideological beliefs and political standing. These are among the reasons why so many Greeks consider their modern history to be difficult and “unkind”.
Although foreign interference has not lessened, some might argue, it has increased since the financial crisis beginning in 2008-2009, many aspects of the exclusivist state have been eliminated after the collapse of the military dictatorship in 1974. And despite the brief rise of extremist Left- and Right-wing politics, today’s political landscape is more moderate. Good reasons for Greeks to think that better days lay ahead.
Chapter 1: Prelude of Things to Come
Chapter 2: German Occupation, Resistance, and the Early Stages of the Civil War
Chapter 3: Height of the Civil War and Victory of the Right (1946-1949)
Chapter 4: Post-Civil War and the Dominance of the Right (1949-1963)
Chapter 5: Road to Military Dictatorship (1963-1967)
Chapter 6: The Colonels’ Regime (1967-1974)
Writing a book about modern Greek history is no mean feat. In less than thirty-five years (from 1940–74), the country saw a savage tripartite occupation (Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria), a brutal civil war, and a military dictatorship, as well as constant political instability and frequent changes of government. That turbulent period is the focus of Greece (1941–1974): Years of Occupation, Years of Strife, and Years of Exclusion, by Professor Emeritus George Kaloudis. The author does a fine job in presenting this complicated story and manages do so in less than 150 pages of text. He makes extensive use of important secondary works on the subject, which he cites directly but without burdening readers with a dull compilation of quotes lacking any connecting thread. To his great credit, Kaloudis remains objective and explores the interests and excesses of all sides. He skillfully demonstrates the continuities and discontinuities and presents developments from a wide perspective... In reading his book, one feels the author’s intense connection to the story he is telling but also his even-handedness, which is revealed in his efforts to present the suffering of all sides, especially that of ordinary Greek citizens. Nowhere is this more evident than in the final words of the book, where, after a small recap of recent events, Kaloudis concludes: “Maybe better days lay ahead” (p. 143).
- Title: Greece (1941-1974): Years of Occupation, Years of Strife, and Years of Exclusion
- Author: George Kaloudis
- Publisher: Lexington Books
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666938524, 9781666938517, 1666938513, 1666938521
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666938524
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-18T20:39:39Z