The British and the Greek Resistance, 19361944: Spies, Saboteurs, and Partisans

(Hardback)

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Description

Between 1941 and 1944, the Germans and the Italians imposed a brutal occupation of Greece. This, as well as the outbreak of famine, drove many Greeks to join a variety of resistance movements in the mountains. The British government anticipated the German occupation of Europe and created the Special Operations Executive (SOE). One directorate of the SOE was responsible for partisan activity in the mountains and another directorate focused on encouraging espionage and sabotage in Greek cities. Over 3000 Greeks and British operated espionage networks that made a significant contribution to the war effort in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately the work of the spy and saboteur working in the shadows remained classified until the end of the twentieth century. The release of SOE documents in the twenty-first century provides an amazing insight into how intelligence operations were a critical part of the Allied victory of the Second World War. The aim of the book is to bring to life the stories of the ghosts of the shadow war.

Reviews

This is a comprehensive and well-balanced analysis of a painful period in Greeces history. For those interested in a fair and deeply researched work of one of the most violent and vicious internal fronts in Nazi occupied Europe, this book is a must, if not a model. One cannot understand the 1940s Greek civil war without fully relying on Andr Gerolymatoss work. -- Amikam Nachmani, Bar-Ilan University

Author Bio

Andr Gerolymatos is director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies and professor of history at Simon Fraser University.