Greek History Through Metal Songs #1: Coat Of Arms (Greco-Italian War)

A Greek woman sees her son depart for the Albanian front (public domain)

Continuing my break from posting animal-related stuff, I have decided to start a new mini-series, through which I plan to teach you some of the most important Greek historical events facts, both modern and ancient, through the lyrics of famous metal songs. I'd also like to thank @zest as this series was partially inspired by a recent discussion we had.

Today's lesson is about one of the most epic and glorious moments of modern Greek history. 

It's about the moment when the death machine of the combined axis forces reached the door of Greece. The same machine that had easily conquered France. The same machine the British were afraid and hid from for years hoping it might evaporate or something. The same machine that spread chaos, despair, death and fear for the years to come. The machine that almost conquered the whole world...

What can a small, poor, country of only 5 million souls do again the almighty forces of the Axis? The blood of how many more nameless heroes can it offer after 5 great wars (Greco-turkish war 1897, First Balkan War, Second Balkan War, Greco - Turkish War 1919-22 & World War 1) in less than 50 years? What will poor Greece that tried to stay neutral all this time despite all the Italian provocations respond when asked to give earth and water once more? What will it respond, knowing it faces huge superiority both in pure numbers and war technology?

Strength of Italy & Albania's forces vs Greece During The Greco-Italian War (credit, CC BY)

Today's lesson is brought to you by the Swedish Metal Band Sabaton and it's all about the Greco-Italian war, the first part of Greece's fight against the joined forces of the Axis:

Non-official release, with photos from the Greco-Italian War:

Ioannis Metaxas, Prime Minister And Dictator Of Greece When The War Started. A fascist for some, one of the biggest political figures of modern Greece for many, including me. (public domain)

Lyrics Break Down

 At dawn envoy arrives
Morning of October 28th
“No day” proven by deed

This is a direct reference to the eve of 28 October 1940, when Italy's ambassador in Athen's, Emanuele Grazzi, handed an ultimatum from Mussolini to Metaxas, dictator and Prime minister of Greece at the time. In a modern version of "earth and water", the ultimatum demanded free passage for his troops to occupy unspecified strategic points inside Greek territory. Grazzi told Metaxas that to deny the ultimatum would mean to have war. With heavy heart becase he believed Greece would eventually be defeated, Metaxas rejected the ultimatum with the words "Alors, c'est la guerre" , meaning, "So, we have war". Today, in Greece we celebrate these words during the Ochi Day, ochi meaning No in greek.

Many modern Greek historians, all left-winged, claim that it wasn't Metaxas the one who "really" said No back then but that it was essentially the people's will that said the no. According to them, the outcome of the war would have been the same regardless of what Metaxas would have replied. Of course, this is the most idiotic thing somebody can say. The Italian forces would have reached Athens in less then 24 hours if Metaxas was to say yes and order the Greek military to give free passage to the Italian forces. 

But we wouldn't expect now from leftists to give any credit to a right wing leader or to even acknowledge the fact that Metaxas knew the war was coming and had made sure to prepare the military as best as he could with the little means he had!

Descendants of Sparta,
Athens and Crete!

I don't think I need to explain anything about this.

Look north, ready to fight
Enemies charge from the hills

Well, the enemies came from the north, from the side of Albania, literally charging from a mountainous terrain.

To arms! Facing defeat!
There’s no surrender! There’s no retreat!

Thanks to the Greek propaganda, the Greek moral was very high. To be honest, I don't know if "the Facing defeat!" part was deliberate or the guy writing the lyrics for Sabaton thought it would be an epic line. BUT both Metaxas and many Greek high military officers were sure that in the end Greece stood no chance against the superior army of the Italians. Still, they had decided to stand and fight. And die.

Time after time Force their enemies back to the line

This is pretty much what happened multiple times in many fields during the greco-italian war. The Italians pushed inside Greek land, we pushed back and then some. Then they pushed back and then we pushed back some more until the final defeat of the Italians and Albanians who also joined their ranks at some point.

Call to arms banners fly in the wind
For the glory of Hellas
Coat of arms reading “Freedom or death!”
Blood of king Leonidas 

The first two lines don't need much explaining. The last one is a reference to "Ελευθερία ή θάνατος" (freedom or death) the national motto of Greece. The motto arose during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, where it was a war cry for the Greeks who rebelled against Ottoman rule.

Air raid pounding the land
Bombers are flying both day and night
Endure six days of rain
Dropped by invaders bomb raid in vain 

Well, with the exception of their navy (big strategic mistake from their side as they expected an easy victory in the first 10 days), the Italians threw everything they had against us, including airstrikes. But the Greeks endured..

The rest of the lyrics are just a repeat or pretty much self-explanatory:

Strike hard, the tables have turned
Drive them back over the hills
At arms! Just like before
Soldiers, civilians, Hellas at war By their own hand
Forced the enemy out of their land Call to arms, banners fly in the wind
For the glory of Hellas
Coat of arms reading “Freedom or death!”
Blood of king Leonidas Just like their ancestors ages ago
Fought in the face of defeat
Those three hundred men
Left a pride to uphold
Freedom of death in effectThen, now again
Blood of heroes saving their landCall to arms, banners fly in the wind
For the glory of Hellas
Coat of arms reading “Freedom or death!”
Blood of king LeonidasCall to arms, banners fly in the wind
For the glory of Hellas
Coat of arms reading “Freedom or death!”
Blood of king Leonidas 

Greek troops during the spring offensive (public domain)

Quick Breakdown Of The War

Here's a quick, dumbed down breakdown of the war. I highly recommend you to visit wikipedia's entry on the Greco-Italian war to get all the facts straight.

 The Italians attacked, and at first pushed inside Greece's lands. But they had made numerous strategic mistakes. After all, they thought they were coming just for a walk in the park. That is partially thanks to Metaxas, who had everyone abroad thinking that the Greek Military was in ruins while preparing it as best as he could with the little means he had. 

The Italians had the superior means and numbers, but they also had bad strategy and low moral. Greeks had Metaxa's preparations before the war, a very high moral, the strategic brilliancy of a few high ranked officers and the Greek terrain by their side. Soon, the tables had turned and it was the Greeks the ones on the offensive. The Italians brought reinforces again and again and again, but they were met with defeat again and again and again. Soon, the Greeks found themselves occupying lands that they hadn't set foot for hundreds of years and eventually the war went to a stale-mate. 

The Greco-Italian war lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. By the end of it, the losses were as following:

1. Italy & Albania: 13,755 killed, 50,874 wounded, 3,914 missing, 21,153 POW, Total combat losses: 89,696
2. Greece: 13,325 killed 42,485 wounded 1,237 missing 1,531 POW Total combat losses: 58,578

The Greeks had already done more than anyone could have asked from them. They  wrote their name in history with bright letters one more time, this time as the first country to achieve a victory from the side of the Allies during WW II. 

They had won against the combined forces of Italy and Albania. But that was only the beginning and Greece had already paid a high toll in blood. Soon they had to face the combined forces of Italy, Albania and all-mighty Germany. What can poor Greece do against such odds? How many more of her children will she have to sacrifice?

To be continued....

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Italian_War
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleftheria_i_thanatos
3. My biased opinion after researching various sources :)