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Entry: D'Annunzio, Mussolini, and the Fate of Empires Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/dannunzio_mussolini_and_the_fate_of_empires#5379 Post contents: The Mussolinian invasion of Greece remains one of the most riddlesome connundrums in WW2. On an ideological plane both governments were sympathetic with each other. The invasion of Greece would not have helped the Italian's mediterranean designs one iota. Mussolini and Italy would have been better served had he ( instead of profering sound advice to Adolf, Musolini should have heeded his own advice ) launched his navy and military in the conquest of Malta, instead of foraging into Greece. The misguided invasion was a loss for both Italy and Greece. It brought the English into mainland Greece, after the death of Metaxas, and later on impelled the German invasion, which brought harsh suffering to Greece. Without the English on Greek soil, Greece would have dealt with the italians successfully and the Germans would not have intervened. The question will remain whether or not Metaxas was murdered by the British. Metaxas rejected British military presence on the mainland. With Metaxas gone, the British poured in their soldiers into Greece, forcing the the German reaction. The English placed a naval embargo on shipping and traffic into Greece, thus precipitating the horrendous famine of 1941. The occupying germans were able to bring the situation to normalcy later in 1942-43. What did Greece get in exchange for her siding with the allies ? Peanuts. They only got the Dodecanese,from the italians, but not Cyprus. The correct price to be exacted would have been the Dodecanese and Cyprus . Too much blood was invested for very little in exchange. In contrast the lazy turks sat the war on the side lines and for their fence sitting were rewarded by the allies in 1960 and 1974 with a slice of "Cyprus". The perfidy of politics. Sent at: 2008 07 24