Greco-Italian War

The Greco-Italian War was one of the many conflicts in Europe that were part of World War II. On October 28, 1940, Italian dictator Mussolini demanded Greece surrender. Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas refused, saying simply "okhi" (Greek for "no"). Italian troops invaded, starting the war. With numerically inferior forces, Greek General Alexander Papagos was able to repel the invaders before winter set in. In April 1941 Italy's Axis allies joined the invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia, with the Greek in Army n Albania forced to abandon all gains in the face of a new Italian counteroffensive under General Ugo Cavallero.

For his part in the failed invasion, General Pietro Badoglio was fired and replaced in December by General Ugo Cavallero as commander of forces in the Greek-Albanian theater of operations. Cavallero mounted a better defense in the winter of December-February though he was still no closer to winning a decisive victory over the Greeks.

In January 1941 , it was clear in Athens and the British Middle East Command in Egypt that without British Commonwealth reinforcements, the Greek gains could be lost, or Greece lost in a German invasion for the Greek commanders had left the main defences along the Metaxas Line in northern Greece seriously undermanned.

Losses

The Italian losses amounted to 13,755 killed, 50,874 wounded and 25,067 captured or missing. German losses in the invasion of Greece were 1,500 killed (including 200 Luftwaffe pilots) and 3,700 wounded.

The Greeks suffered 70,000 killed or wounded and 270,000 captured. The British forces reported losing 12,000 killed, wounded or captured.