Ioannis Metaxas Alors, c' est la guerre

Born in Ithaca, Metaxas was a career military officer, first seeing action in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. Following studies in the German Empire, he returned to join the General Staff and was part of the modernizing process of the Greek Army before the Balkan Wars (19121913), in which he actively participated. He was appointed as Chief of the Greek General Staff in 1913 and was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1916.

A staunch monarchist, he supported Constantine I and opposed Greek entry into World War I. Eleftherios Venizelos, the prime minister, resigned over the refusal of Metaxas to aid the Allies' unsuccessful Dardanelles campaign and used the war as the major issue in the elections. When Venizelos won the May 1915 elections, he mobilised the army to aid Serbia, but was dismissed by the king. This dismissal solidified the rift between monarchists and Venizelists, creating the "National Schism" that would plague Greek politics for decades. In August 1916, Venizelist officers launched a revolt in Greece's northern city of Thessaloniki, which resulted in the establishment of a separate "Government of National Defence" under Venizelos. The new government, with the Allies' support, expanded its control over half the country, and entered the war on the Allies' side. In June 1917, with Allied support, King Constantine was deposed and Venizelos came to power, declaring war on behalf of the whole country on 29 June 1917.
In foreign policy Metaxas followed a neutral stance, trying to balance between the UK and Germany. In the late 1930s, as with the other Balkan countries, Germany became Greece's largest trading partner. Metaxas himself had a reputation as a Germanophile dating back to his studies in Germany and his role in the National Schism; King George however and most of the country's elites were staunchly anglophile, and the predominance of the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean could not be ignored by a maritime country like Greece. Furthermore, the expansionist goals of Mussolini's Italy drove Greece to lean towards the Franco-British alliance.

The policy of Metaxas to keep Greece out of World War II was decisively broken by the blunt demands of Mussolini on 28 October 1940. He demanded occupation rights to strategic Greek sites and was met with a curt reply by Metaxas: "Alors, c'est la guerre" ("then it is war"). His reply was encapsulated in Greek popular feeling in the single word "No" (Okhi). "Okhi Day" is still celebrated in Greece each year. A few hours later, Italy invaded Greece from Albania and started the Greco-Italian War.

Thanks to preparations and an inspired defence the Greeks were able to mount a successful defense and counter offensive, forcing the Italians back into Albania and occupying large parts of Northern Epirus (Southern Albania). Metaxas never saw the German invasion of Greece during the Battle of Greece because he died in Athens on January 29, 1941. Metaxas died of a phlegmon of the pharynx which subsequently led to incurable toxaemia. He was succeeded by Alexandros Koryzis. After the death of Metaxas, the Germans invading Greece encountered much difficulty with the fortifications constructed by Metaxas in Northern Greece. These fortifications were constructed along the Bulgarian border and were known as the Metaxas Line.

To this day, Metaxas remains a highly controversial figure in Greek history. He is reviled by some for his dictatorial state, and admired by others for his popular policies, patriotism, defiance to aggression, and his military victory against Italy.

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[Armydicked]

Metaxas was brilliant against the Italians in 1940 but he totally 'screwed the pooch' as to his plans against the Germans. Papagos' placement of the 2D Army east of the Struma River instead of supporting Yugoslavia was beyond stupid---List boxed it in and made it surrender in THREE DAYS!!! Most jawdropping is that the Germans planned and executed an attack on two countries IN TEN DAYS and routed both. Churchill should have never defended Greece---he so weaked Africa that Rommel ripped them

[tektamos]

@Armydicked Υου are dreaming my friend. Metaxas was dead long before Germans even come to south. Greece could never suport Tito at that time ... because he was enemie of Greece as Communist and Metaxas was Nationalist...hellooooo. Churchill took back 50.000 English soldier WITHOUT A FIGHT. Greece made a mistake fight with England. Because Albania, Turkey, Boulgaria took more land as a lossers than Greece as a winner of 2ndwar. So fuck Churchill. USA won by huge number of soldiers. Thats all

[ellasAPOEL36]

AUTOI EINAI G ELLADA POU THELOUNE NA XEXASOUME NA PANE NA GAMITHOUN ELLAS ELLHNWN XRISTIANWN

[grplayer]

ZHTO H ELLAS